The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

508 SIR ARTHUR EVANS.
the " Praepositi thesaurorum per
entry
:
In Britanniis
Gallias "
is the
Praepositus thesaurorum Augustensium ", 12 '
5
The use of the word Augustensium here instead of
Augustae is interesting, and is paralleled in other
cases such as Lugdunensium, Arelatensium in the same
connexion. It is clear that this Treasury official must
have been charged with all fiscal arrangements regard-
in Britain. In the absence
ing the mining industry
during the period that followed the death of Magnus
Maximus in 388 of any Roman mint in the island,
it is evident that silver ingots could no longer be
officially assayed and stamped
in the manner followed
for example by the mint at Treves. But the Treasury
at Augusta may well have authorized the issue of
ingots of proper quality and weight, duly stamped
with the names of certain privileged officinatores.
That this method of procedure was in fact adopted
may be gathered from the discovery in the British
islands of a series of silver ingots of this class belonging
to the period in question, and which, from their dis-
covery in each case in association with contemporary
coins, were evidently regarded as part of the lawful
currency.
9. SILVER INGOTS OF THE CLOSE OF THE FOURTH
AND BEGINNING OF THE FIFTH CENTURY DISCOVERED
IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS.
A brief enumeration of the stamped silver ingots
discovered in the British Islands may be here given.
The earliest is that communicated in 1778 to the
126 Notitia Dignitatuw, Oc. xi. 36, 37.