The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

IEISH COINAGES OF HENRY VIII AND EDWARD VI. 195
its provisions been enrolled, yet I regard it as sufficiently
establishing the date on which the first Irish
coinage was ordered, more especially as the next two
accounts repeat the main facts in almost identical
words. (Declared accts. Audit office 1595 /I, 2 and 3, and
Exch. acct. 302/20.) In January, 1539-40, 937 Ibs. Troy
of Irish silver were coined, and during the twelve
months from Michaelmas, 1540, to Michaelmas, 1541,
1,830 Ibs. Troy; both accounts being in pursuance of the
commission previously mentioned.
The decision to inaugurate a separate currency for
Ireland is soon reflected in the correspondence and
minutes which passed between the Lord-Deputy in
Dublin and the Privy Council in England. I will
choose, from several allusions, one contained in an
account prepared by "William Brabazon, the Irish
treasurer for the army, in October, 1536. Among
the receipts is this item: "Also the said accountant
is charged of 1382 11. 0. advanced in gain upon the
new coin of the harp in the sum of 11405 18. 0.
sterling." (Letters and Papers, vol. xi, no. 934.)
This extract gives a colloquial name to the coin, and
shows that the harp-groat and its half immediately
yielded a substantial profit to the King. It is clear that
the money of which Brabazon speaks must have been
struck before the date of the earliest of the Exchequer
accounts which I have cited. As a matter of fact, the
mint account for the year 1536, which would pre-
sumably include the first instalment of work done by
virtue of the commission of 6 March, 1535-6, is not to
be found at the Public Record Office.
There is evidence that for some years before 1535
the English groat had circulated as sixpence in Ireland,