1526 IV 19 – to Felix Reich

Copernicus to Canon Felix Reich, Frombork, 8 April [1526]

Original: lost (until 1945 in Staatsarchiv Konigsberg, sign. Schrank 5, Fach 22, nr 28); photocopy: Ermlandhaus Münster, Nachlass von Hans Schmauch.

Nicholas Copernicus explains to Felix Reich, Canon of Varmia some of the unclear details of his proposal for reform of Prussian currency. He regrets that the debates raised by the Prussian Estates on the subject of taxes for the King of Poland, Sigismund I, delays the matter of the reform of currency, which is harmful for all.

The ability to shed light on subjects which by their very nature are enveloped in a thick fog is not unimportant. Yet it may also happen that somebody who has a correct understanding may not be able to explain what he knows. Something of this sort, I am afraid, sometimes happens to me too. The analysis of Prussian money, moreover, is of this [foggy] nature on account of the variety of the mixture, not to say confusion, of that money. Hence I am not at all surprised if what I wrote is not comprehended instantly by everybody. I shall therefore try to clarify what your Reverence complains was not understood.

We find, I say, that 1/2 pound of silver cost 2 marks, 8 skoters, when 3 parts of pure silver were mixed with a 4th part of copper, and 112 shillings were made from 1/2 pound of that alloy. Such coinage therefore possessed the qualities required of sound money in intrinsic value and face value, as is certified by a scrutiny of what follows.

For, as I say, in the 112 shillings weighing 1/2 pound, according to the prescribed proportion of the alloy, pure silver constituted 3/4. It follows that of this total [of 112 shillings] l/3 (amounting to 37 shillings plus l/3 shilling or 2 pence) will contain the pure silver constituting l of the aforementioned quarters, or 1/4 of 1/2 pound. Therefore, if you add 37 l/3 shillings to 112 shillings, the total will be 149 1/3 shillings, weighing 2/3 pound (for bes means 2/3 of any total, just as dodrans means 3/4), or the total weighs 1/2 pound plus 1/6 pound, which is equal to 2/3.

Here, however, I matched 2/3 with 32 skoters, as our whole pound contains 48 skoters. I should not have said "8 ounces". For, the pound, used especially by pharmacists, which is divided into ounces, is different, being lighter by 1/4. Therefore, the aforesaid total of 149 l/3 shillings fills out the 1/2 pound of pure silver. For since the total weighs 2/3 pound, if you subtract 1/4 of it, as is required by the proportion of the alloyed copper, amounting to 1/6 pound, the remainder is 1/2 pound. We therefore have as the intrinsic value of this currency 1/2 pound of pure silver distributed over 149 shillings. But the price is 140 shillings, namely, 2 marks, 8 skoters, as was said. Hence approximately 9 shillings are due to the market value or face value, and in generaI about l/15 of the intrinsic value. In this way, I believe, the matter is cleared up.

If any other difficulty emerges, I offer my services to the best of my ability, provided that something beneficial can be accomplished. I am afraid, however, that unless something different from the previous provisions is adopted, matters will go [from bad] to worse. For they will not stop minting money in this way. Why should those men stop who anticipate profit, but no loss, from whatever occurs?

From Canon Achatius' report, I have learned that the tax (contributio) is being discussed. I therefore realize that nothing will be done at this time about the currency. For it is wrong to burden the subjects with a double loss. We will accordingly pay the tax. The money, on the other band, will remain untouched. Rather, it will not remain untouched, but we will make it even worse and give the king, our master, a lot of money, that is, chaff. But where will the grain be?

I do not know whether it would not have been more seemly, more magnificent, and more regal, I will even say more useful, to drop the tax and improve the coinage now, and if that did not provide enough, to proceed to the tax afterwards. For if I am not mistaken, this procedure would have brought greater benefit and profit by increasing the public income. In other words, it would have yielded a permanent advantage, whereas the other is only yearly. But whatever the situation may be, I admit that I can be mistaken, being only one man with one mind, unaware of or uninformed about what others regard as more useful.

I wish your Reverence the best of health and happiness. Convey to his Reverend Lordship, our superior, my respect and readiness to serve.

Frombork, 8th day after Easter Sunday [28 April]

N. Coppernic

Translation by Edward Rosen

Frombork, 8 April [1526]

Venerabilis Domine, amice carissime. Non est parui momenti ijs, que suapte natura obscura caligine premuntur, lucern dare posse, cum etiam fieri possit, ut quis recte sentiat, quod autem sentit, id eloqui non possit, tale quiddam et mihi interdum euenire vereor. Talis est autem de moneta Prussiana ratiocinatio propter variam ipsius commixtionem, ne dicam confusionem, et ideo nihil miror, si ea, que scripsi, non statim intelligantur ab omnibus. Tentabo igitur, quod D[ominatio] T[ua] queritur intellectum non fuisse, reddere apertius.

Inuenimus inquam, quod libra dimidia argenti emebatur mr. II et sc[otis] VIII, quando tribus partibus argenti puri quarta pars eris miscebatur et ex dimidia libra ipsius masse solidos CXII faciebant. Quod igitur moneta huiusmodi habuerit debitas conditiones bone monete secundum valorem et estimationem, per ea, que sequuntur, examinando declaratur hoc modo. Cum enim dicimus in solidis CXII libram j pendentibus, tres quartas siue dodrantem argenti puri fuisse secundum propositam rationem admixtionis, sequitur quod in tercia parte huius summe (et sunt solidi XXXVII et tertia vnius siue d[enarii] 2) erit vna ex dictis quartis argenti puri siue quarta pars librej. Ergo si XXXVII solidos et terciam partem solidi addas CXII solidis faciet sumam solidorum CXLVIIII, et terciam solidi, pendentem libre vnius bessem (nam bes denotat duas tercias alicuius totius sicut dodrans III quartas) siue pendentern libre I et sextam vnius, quod idem est, quod II tercie. Hic autem interpretatus sum bessem per scotos XXXII, prout tota libra hec nostra continet sc[otos] XLVIII, et non habebam dicere vncias VIII, nam alia est in usu libra maxime apud aromatarios, que partitur in vncias, minor ista in quadrante. Igitur in dicta solidorum summa CXLIX et tercia vnius completur dimidia libra argenti puri. Nam cum ipsa pendeat duas tercias libre, si quartam dempseris, quam ratio admixti eris deposcit, et equipollet sexti parti totius libre, remanet libre j. Habemus ergo valorem monete huius libram dimidiam argenti puri in solidis CXLIX, sed precium eius solidi CXL, nempe ut dictum est, mr. II sc[oti] VIII; cedunt ergo dignitati seu estimationi solidi fere nouem et in vniuersum pars quintadecima proxime valoris, et sic puto id manifestum. Si preterea aliud quiddam difficultatis emerserit, operam meam pro posse offero, modo quid boni efficere possit. Vereor autem, nisi aliter fuerit prouisum quam antea, ad peiora rem processuram, non enim cessabunt hoc modo cudere monetam. Cur enim cessabunt, qui ex eo lucrum, damnum vero nullum expectant in quemcumque euentum.

Intellexi, domino Agathio referente, de contributione tractari, vnde accipio nihil hoc tempore futurum de moneta, neque enim conuenit, vt duplici grauamine onerentur subditi. Itaque contribuemus quidem, moneta autem iacebit, imo non iacebit, sed faciemus adhuc peiorem et dabimus Regi Domino Nostro grandem pecuniam, id est paleas, grana autem ubi manebunt? Nescio, si non pulcrius, magnificentius atque regalius fuisset, dicam etiam multo utilius, dimissa exactione monetam nunc erexisse et, si non satis id fuisset, postea ad contributionem processisse. Nam, si non fallor, maiorem profectum et fructum reportasset hec res, aucto censu publico, nempe perpetuum, illud autem annuum solum modo. Sed quitquid sit, fateor me errare posse, vnum hominem vnum ingenium habentem, et non aduertentem vel ignorantem, que ab alijs perpenduntur utiliora. Cupio D[ominationem] Tuam optime feliciterque valere, et fadat me R[everendissimo] D[omino] Nostro seruicia mea commendata. Ex Varmia octaua Pasce.

N. Coppernic