The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

IRISH COINAGES OF HENRY VIII AND EDWARD VI. 225
pence " of the same year [PI. IX. 12]. The shilling of
1552 weighs about 76 gr. as a rule, and displays in the
legends an alphabet chiefly Lombardic ; in this latter
respect it differs from the English shillings marked
with the lion, rose, and lys, the legends of which are
in "Roman characters exclusively. In Elizabeth's reign
the four coins were treated alike and stamped with the
greyhound, denoting that they were then rated at
. each.
I am happy to be able to corroborate the Arch-
deacon's view, expressed thirty-four years ago, that the
profile shilling with mint-mark harp was an Irish
production, and the more so because I cannot also
follow him in thinking that the three other shillings
were struck for circulation in Ireland.
We have a considerable number of pieces resembling
in type the Irish shilling of 1552, some of which are
copper and others of a,n alloy similar to brass. They
do not appear to have been even washed with silver,
and they are certainly more numerous to-day than
the genuine shilling. Possibly they are the conti-
nental forgeries mentioned in Edward's proclamations,
but it is difficult to understand how they could be
mistaken for the shilling of 3 oz. fine silver, base
though the latter is ; at all events, there is no sug-
gestion in contemporary writings that they originated
in Dublin.
The Acts of the Privy Council furnish evidence on
24 June, 1552, that Pirry was supplied with the 1500 Ib.
of bullion and that the Lord-Deputy was urged to
assist the mint in hastening and increasing the output.
Whether Pirry coined any of the so-called sixpences
for himself as well as for the King is uncertain, as