IRISH COINS OF EDWARD THE FOURTH NOW

FIRST PUBLISHED.

PLATE 25.

No. 1.-Obverse, in the centre a crown, roses and suns (the badge of Edward the Fourth) alternately in place of a legend.— Reverse, a single cross within the inner circle, legend, civiTAS DVBLINI, with a sun between the words. Weight 10 grains. -Rev. R. Butler.

In consequence of the "want of small coyne for change" an Act was passed, in 1461 (2 Edw. IV.), whereby it was ordered “that a coyne of copper mixed with silver be made within the castle of Dublin, having on one side the print of a cross, and on the other part a crown, of which four shall be taken for a penny; and that the said coyne shall have graven, within the circumference of the said cross, the name of the place where it is made, and on the other part suns and roses in the circumference of the said crown."-Simon, Appendix No. vii.

This farthing, the type of which is so accurately described in the Act, is of copper, and does not present any appearance of being mixed with silver, or even plated. It was found at Trim in 1845, a locality which has produced many rare Irish coins, for the preservation of which numismatists are indebted to the Rev. Richard Butler.

The discovery of this coin, after the lapse of nearly four centuries, encourages the hope that many other coins, which there is equally good reason to believe were struck in Ireland in the reign of Edward the Fourth, may be discovered hereafter.

The "maille and quadrant of silver," or halfpenny and farthing of 1460, may be mentioned as examples of coins which are still to be sought for; and collectors are entreated to examine their cabinets, in order that coins equally interesting as Nos. 10 and 13 may not lie unnoticed and unknown, as these did for many years.

No. 2.-Obverse, in the centre a crown, roses and crosses (the latter intended to represent suns) in place of a legend.—Reverse, a single cross extending to the margin, with three pellets in each quarter; legend obliterated. Weight 4 grains.-The late Lieut.-Col. Weld Hartstonge.

This little brass coin was found in the year 1840 in cleaning one of the city drains in Dublin. It is the half-farthing of 1463 (3 Edw. IV.) and corresponds in type with the silver penny of that year. It was coined by German Lynch, under the authority of the Act whereby he was empowered to coin groats, half-groats, and pennies of silver, "Also eight pieces of brass, running at and of the value of one penny of said silver."-Simon, Appendix No. viii.

The discovery of this little piece enables me to correct an error which I committed in my Essay on the Irish coins of Edward the Fourth (Trans. of Royal Irish Academy, vol. xix.) in attributing the copper coins, Nos. 12, 13, 14, 15, to Edward: it is now evident that these coins are the "Patricks" of the last year of Henry the Sixth.-See Simon on Irish Coins, p. 20.

No. 3.-Type similar to No. 1. It is of copper, and appears to have

been plated with silver: it was found at Trim in 1844, and weighs 84 grains.-Rev. R. Butler.

On both sides there are portions of rudely formed letters, and it appears to be a spurious imitation of No. I. Other instances of spurious coins occur in which the types of the originals are accurately represented, but the legends are unintelligible, apparently for the purpose of evading the heavy penalties incurred by imitators of the regal coins.

I possess a piece which at first sight bears a very close resemblance to a Drogheda groat of Edward the Fourth; the letters are well formed and the workmanship is as good as on any of the Irish coins of Edward; the letters on the obverse are disposed as follows, instead of the king's name and titles there are VAEMEVDMAMNAEMVCEOSMI EVDAME, on the reverse EMNEVN-AEVODE-EVMITE-VDMEVN, and in the inner circle, VILL-A DE-DROS-NEDA, with an annulet before the A in villa and two crosses before DE. It is of base silver and weighs only 24 grains.

No. 4.-Obverse, the king's head within a tressure of nine double arches, a fleur-de-lis at six of the points, two pellets over the crown and one under the bust, outside the tressure, mint mark a rose, legend EDWARDVS · DEI 'GRA DNS HYBER.-Reverse, in the centre a small rose with a sun of twenty-four rays extending to the inner circle; legend VILLA DE TRIM, divided into four parts by suns and roses alternately, a trefoil after VIL and at the end of the legend. Weight 46 grains.-Rev. R. Butler. This, the only known specimen of the double-groat of Trim, coined in 1467, was found in 1841 near Oldcastle, in the county of Meath.

One groat and one half-groat of the same type and mint are known, but the penny has not been discovered.

*

EDWARD DGDN

**

No. 5.-Obverse, the king's head without the tressure, legend -Reverse, VILLA · DE · DROGH. Type same as No. 4; weight 5 grains. This unique penny has been for many years in the cabinet of the Rev. J. W. Martin.

No. 6.-Type same as No. 4; weight 234 grains. This is the only groat known of this type from the Drogheda mint; it was found at Trim, in 1843, and is now in the cabinet of the Rev. R. Butler.

No. 7.-The double-groat of the same type and mint as No. 6; weight 44 grains. In the cabinet of Dr. Smith.

This piece is peculiar in having the king's name abbreviated EDWARD instead of EDWARDVS, which is on every other double-groat which I have met with. It was purchased from a silversmith in Dublin.

The half-groat of this type and mint has not been discovered; but no doubt such a coin was minted in Drogheda, as well as in Dublin and Trim.

No. 8.-Obverse, the king's head; of the legend, only the final letters RD of the king's name are visible.-Reverse, a cross extending to the margin, with three pellets in each quarter; legend TAS - CORC - AGIE. Weight 7 grains. Dr. Smith.

CIVI

* Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy, vol. xix.

This penny, the only one known, was obtained in Dublin in 1845. Two varieties of the Cork groat have been published; and another variety with a cross at each side of the king's neck, is in the cabinet of Dr. Smith; it weighs thirty-six grains.

In 1476 the coin made in Cork and other places in Munster except Waterford, not being of lawful weight and alloy, was declared void, and forbidden to be taken in payment. (Simon, Appx. No. xv.)

No. 9.-Heavy groat struck at Drogheda, weight forty-two grains. In Mr. Sainthill's cabinet.

This fine coin is remarkable in having REX ANGLI in the legend, a peculiarity which occurs on very few of the Irish coins of Edward; it has also three pellets, instead of the usual trefoil, at four points of the tressure, and under the bust there is a small cross. It is the only Irish coin on which v is used instead of w in the king's name, and the DE which usually precedes Drogheda, on the reverse, is

omitted.

Much inconvenience and distress having arisen in consequence of the value of silver being raised to double its value in 1467, it was enacted at a parliament held in Dublin in 1470, that a new coinage should be issued at the rate of eleven groats to the pound troy. (Simon, Appx. No. x.)

Of the groats which were made in accordance with this standard, viz. 437 grains in each groat, the following are known. Drogheda, 42 grains (see fig. 9); Limerick, 42 grains (see fig. 11); Cork, 38 grains; Dublin 45 grains; Waterford, 43 grains. (See Irish coins of Edw. IV. Trans. R. I. Acad. vol. xix. figs. 38, 48, 63.)

No. 10.—A halfpenny coined at Dublin in 1470. The halfpenny of this type was not known until this coin was discovered in 1843, by the Rev. R. Butler, in the collection of Mr. Ferguson, of Edinburgh. It weighs five grains, and is now in Mr. Butler's cabinet.

No. 11.-The heavy groat struck at Limerick in 1470. This coin is in fine condition, and weighs forty-two grains; it was purchased in Dublin in 1844, by Dr. Smith, in whose cabinet it is. Independent of its rarity, it is peculiar in having LIMERICI