The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

316 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.
and striking of silver, the current money then ordained [for the]
common profit of the King's liege people in the same, hath been
tor the space and time aforesaid surceased and not exercised in
the land, by which all manner [of strangers] as Portuguese,
Spaniards, Brittons, people of France, and Flemings, frequenting
these parts in course of trade who [used] to bring as well the
silver coin used in their parts as other bullion to be stricken in
the King's mint here, and substituting therewith their exchanges
in merchandize by which the common profit of this land was
greatly increased, and especially in regard to the current money
of this
[land] conveniently had, and current money among them
the faithful liegemen of the King in the same, and whereas by
the stoppage of the said mint and restriction of the bringing
of such money and bullion by the said strangers during the
aforesaid time, such dearth and failure of the King's coin and
money, and in the currency aforesaid has and does happen
among the common people in the same, that it cannot now be
had either for buying or selling in markets for exchange,
now without great losses for exchange to pay small parcels to
servants, labourers, or artificers, whereby divers and many of
the King's liegemen have gone hence, and daily do depart this
land and leave their habitations desolate and waste, and whereas
the inconvenience and injury of the public good is, nor can it in
any thing be remedied by the order of that kind of mint which
was sent out of England, and limited to the weight of thirtyseven
shillings and sixpence to every pound weight of the Tower
of London to be so used in this land, 6 and the causes whereof more
fully appear by a certain ordinance of late made in the great
council lately holden in this land before the said Parliament,
and whereas for this cause as also for the reformation thereof
by virtue of the said ordinance, it is established and ordained
that the weight of every such pound shall be stricken and
[coined] into the number of four hundred and 7
fifty pieces which
are thirty pieces in every ounce, and every such piece to be
current and taken among the [liege] people for two pence, still
the said inconvenience is not fully remedied nor the public good
in anything increased thereby, [because that no] manner of
bullion brought to the said mint in cups, spoons, and other
silver worked in goldsmith's work could be received [to be]
coined according to the said ordinance without that the bringer
of the said bullion was put to very great losses to stand the
refining thereof, [and further that the] tranquillity and good of
6 From the word land the following eighteen lines to parlia-
ment are omitted in Simon's abstract.
7 In the Roll, 450 is expressed in Roman numerals.