The Coinage Act 1870 stated the metric weights of British coins. For example, it defined the weight of the sovereign

Sovereign

A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...

 as 7.98805 grams (about 123.27747 grains). The Act was repealed by the Coinage Act 1971.

The Act also vested the title of 'Governor of the Mint of Scotland

Mints of Scotland

There were a number of mints in Scotland, for the production of the Scottish coinage. The most important mint was that in the capital, Edinburgh, which was active from the reign of David I , and was the last to close, in the 19th century....

', which ceased minting coins in 1707, to the Chancellor of the Exchequer

Chancellor of the Exchequer

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...

.

A contemporary history suggests that the Act was influenced by the criticisms of George Frederick Ansell

George Frederick Ansell

George Frederick Ansell was an English scientific inventor, chemist and assayer, and author of a standard work on the Royal Mint.-Biography:...

.