[The director general and councilors of New Netherland, to all those who see these presents or hear them read, greetings, make known.[i] Whereas, notwithstanding the former reduction of sewant at the general counting house from six to eight white, and from three to four black beads for one stiver, they are still informed, both by a remonstrance of the burgomasters and schepenen of this city, and by reports of others of the high, excessive and intolerable] costliness of [ needful commodities and family ] necessaries [ arising among other causes, from the abundance and uncurrent condition ] of the sewant, [ which ] in [ barter for beaver has risen ] to 16 guilders and more [ for one beaver; according to ] which price all house[ hold commodities ] and common daily necessaries take their course, to such a degree that an 80, 90, [ yea 100 ] percent difference is made [ by ] shopkeepers, artisans, brewers, bakers, tappers, and grocers if they do their work and sell their goods for beavers or sewant, which then, at the further request of burgomasters and schepenen of this city forced and caused the aforesaid director general and councilors to allow sewant to be current in accordance with the aforesaid reduction of the office, namely, instead of 6, eight white, and instead of three, four black [ beads ] for a stiver. But because from past experience it is not only to be feared, but it may likely follow that by this reduction the complaints and costliness will not be prevented, nor will the disproportion between payment in beavers or sewant be remedied; but on the contrary it can be presumed that the more sewant beads the traders receive for a stiver, the more handlengths or fathoms they will give for a beaver, and that consequently the costliness of goods, even of the most needed necessities such as beer and bread, will continue and be justified under the cover of the still too great disproportion of the sewant and the beavers, which then in the future should be remedied and prevented as much as possible. For the time being the director general and councilors cannot see any better expedient or means than [ again to declare sewant, as it has already been frequently declared, to wit, an absolute article of merchandise, to be, according to its value and quality, bought and sold, bartered and exchanged by measure or guilder, as parties—buyer and seller—can agree; and that payment in sewant above 24 guilders shall not be valid in law ] unless it appeared otherwise [ to the court ] by written [ contract or ] acknowledgment of parties. But inasmuch [ as sewant, ] for want of a better currency[ii] must serve for daily domestic necessaries between man and man, buyer and seller, the director general and councilors judge it necessary in the future not to reduce the sewant, but the necessities most needed, such as bread, beer and wine, and to raise or lower their prices in accordance with the value of the beaver, as the general market price then will require. Therefore, the director general and councilors order and command the bakers, brewers, tappers, and other peddlers by the small measure not to sell or peddle bread, beer, and wine at a higher price than the price fixed by the director general and councilors themselves, or by the respective subaltern magistrates, each in his jurisdiction, with the knowledge of the director general and councilors thereof. Therefore, in order to prevent the all too great clamor and complaint of costliness, and to enact some regulations on the most needed necessities of bread, beer and wine, in accordance with which others can be regulated and reduced in due time, the director general and councilors, with communication and advice of the burgomasters of this city, have decided, resolved and ordered, as they hereby order that the brewers, tappers, bakers as well as other shopkeepers and grocers shall offer for sale the daily necessary domestic commodities to the buyer at three sorts of prices [to wit, silver money, beaver, or sewant, as it is at present provisionally reduced everywhere throughout this province, namely, eight white and four black for one stiver. According to which order:
The brewer shall deliver
The tun of strong beer at 10 guilders in silver, according to the value in Holland.
The tun of strong beer at 15 guilders in beaver; the beaver at 8 gl. The tun of strong beer at 22 guilders in sewant; eight white and four black for one stiver.
The tun of] small beer 3 guilders in silver money, 4½ guilders in beaver, 6 guilders in sewant.
The tapper,
the vaene of beer
at 6 stivers in silver money at 9 stivers in beavers
at 12 stivers in sewant
the canne of French wine at 18 stivers in silver money 24 stivers in beavers
36 stivers in sewant
the canne of Spanish wine at 24 stivers in silver money
36 stivers in beavers 50 stivers in sewant
the mutsje of brandy
5 stivers in silver money 7 stivers in beavers
10 stivers in sewant
The bakers
a coarse loaf of wheat bread weighing 8 pounds at 7 stivers in silver money
at 10 stivers in beavers at 14 stivers in sewant
the loaf of rye bread weighing 8 pounds 6 stivers in silver money
9 stivers in beavers 12 stivers in sewant
the loaf of white bread weighing 2 pounds 4 stivers in silver money
6 stivers in beavers 8 stivers in sewant
[Thus done, resumed, and enacted at the meeting of the director general and councilors, held in Fort Amsterdam in New Netherland, the 11 November anno 1658.
P. Stuyvesant] Nicasius de Sille La Montagne Pieter Tonneman
