The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

DEFACED COINS OF STEPHEN. 47
I shall now leave this subject to the judgment of others,
but I must add a word or two about the Nottingham
find; the weights given by Mr. Toplis of these newlydiscovered
coins differ widely from that of those which
came under the experienced eye of the late Mr. Hawkins.
Of the coins of Stephen which he weighed, he was led to
say "all his coins appear of the proper weight
and stan-
dard, though very carelessly struck." Now, the Nottingham
coins of Stephen do not appear to average more than 17|
grains, and some of them come down as low as 14$ grains.
In this respect, while they differ from those known to
Mr. Hawkins, they illustrate the fact recorded by another
chronicler, who, under the year 1141, wrote as follows :
" The King himself (Stephen) was reported to have
ordered the weight of the penny, as established in King
Henry's time, to be reduced, because, having exhausted
the vast treasures of his predecessor, he was unable to
provide for the expense of so many soldiers" (Malmes-
bury).
ASSHETON POWNALL.