The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

HAVE WE NO IRISH COINS OF EDWARD VI. ? 63
Before replying to the question raised by the title of
this paper, I have asked you to observe (i) that among the
coins of Edward VI. are some, which, placed amongst his
1
English money, appear to be misplaced.
Of the same date
as the re-coinage of fine silver, they do not belong to it ;
nor have we any evidence suggesting the idea, that
issuing from his English mints in 1551 were two coinages,
one base and the other fine,
(ii) That at the very
time when the English mint was sending out its fine sil-
ver, the Irish mint was issuing money of a quality so base
as to make it the subject of repeated official remonstrance,
(iii) That base pieces of the date in question (1551 52)
undoubtedly exist, and are readily disconnected from the
English base pieces of earlier date by the character of the
lettering, as they are from the contemporary English coin
by the character of the metal, (iv) That belonging as
they do to the very period in Edward's reign when all
Ireland was exclaiming against the debased currency, these
base moneys bear mint marks which, in the preceding and
succeeding reigns, are the mint marks of moneys indispu-
tably Irish.
the sale of Colonel Durrant's coins (April, 1847), lot 419 contained
one it was dated ; 1551, and I have noted one among
Mr. Evans's collection at Nash Mills. It is in poor condition,
and must have been one of the earliest issued of this class.
Dated MDL, it will belong therefore to coins issued after
July in that year. The lettering is Roman. I go on to hazard
a conjecture that York and not Dublin was the place of mintage
for such. It will be remembered that the " "
lion passant
was the mark on Charles I. half-crowns and shillings struck
there ; and also it was at York, as well as Canterbury, that a
portion of the small base money for England continued to be
struck in Edward VI. 's reign, while the larger pieces of fine
silver were issuing from the London mints. The lion is found
among Elizabeth's mint marks in 1566 67 ; not elsewhere, I
think.