The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

52 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
ment of the account of 7,273 18s. 3$d. delivered to the
warrant of Deputy Sentleger, and coinedfrom the 1st of
October to the 31 st of January. If then we are not to
look for Edward's Irish money upon coins of his struck
before July, 1550, clearly we are entitled to look for it
among his coins struck after that date ;
for we have not
only the above report of Pirn's, but also at that time, that
is to say, in May, 1551, there appears among the State
Papers, " A note of money clue to the King out of such as
has been coined in the castle ofDublin, being 7,273 18s. 3f ?.
and 5,372 6s. 8|rf." It is signed by the Lord Deputy,
Chancellor Cusake, and others, and is accompanied by " a
Declaration of the monthly charges of officers' and miners'
wages employed in the King's mines." Although we do
not ascertain from this important paper all that we should
like to know, it certainly does give us that precise informa-
tion, and it gives dates. On June 1st Lord Deputy is
superseded ; he had fallen under the displeasure of the
Court, and his important office is filled by Sir James Croft. 3
Within three months of Croft's assuming office, there is
mention made of a further sum sent him by the King,
16,000, the coinage of which is intrusted to Pirri. 3
Lord Deputy Croft felt more strongly than his prede-
2 From Bishop Burnet's " History of the Reformation" (iii. 332)
it seems that by the Archbishop of Dublin complaint had been
made against Croft of some high words which he had used. He
was, however, acquitted and restored to favour, as we learn
under the King's own hand (" King Edward's Journal of his
own Reign," December, 1551, June, 1552).
3 Pirri is repeatedly named in the King's Journal, and in
these papers. When things are amiss, either in the Mint or at
the mines, Pirri is the good Genius whose wand is to put them
straight. In a later agreement with the King to coin money,
he is described as " Martin Pirri, Esquire, of London." The
initial of his surname occurs as a mint mark on some of the
threepences of Henry VIII. 's seventh coinage,
"Was it his initial which appears upon the coin ?
1544 45.