It must, of course, renounce the thought of bounties and protective duties, but it must also give up marking plate, Minting coin, and stamping butter; it must take no part in building harbours or lighthouses or roads or canals; and even a town council cannot without offence undertake to pave or clean or light the streets under its jurisdiction.
"Contemporary Socialism"
John Rae
Ricardo himself touches only incidentally on the functions of the State, but he then does so to defend interventions, such as Minting money, marking plate, testing drugs, examining medical candidates, and the like, which are meant to guard people against deceptions they are themselves incompetent to detect.
"Contemporary Socialism"
John Rae
And then there was Athelstane, who regulated Minting among the early Saxons...."
"Under the Skylights"
Henry Blake Fuller