The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

326 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE*
shield with the royal arms, on the three crown groats and
half-groats of Edward IV. 16 The Lord Deputy's arms
are in like manner on a groat of Henry VII. 17
Any doubt arising from the preceding
account of the
Lord Deputy's authority over the Irish mints is entirely
removed by cap. 9, 1 Ric. III., from which it appears, the
King finding that he could not control his Lord Deputy
or dispense with his services, conferred on "the good
Lord Gerot, Earl of Kildare," during his term of office,
unlimited power over the mints and officers of the mint in
Ireland, in consideration of the costs and trouble he had
in defending the King's subjects against the Irish rebels,
and vested in the Earl all the profits and revenues arising
daily and annually from the mints.
Further provisions in favour of the Lord Deputy are
made in cap. 13, 1 Ric. III. Germyn Lynch, late master
of the mint, and divers other persons are charged with
having made much counterfeit and false money, and it
enacts that the King's subjects, when in the course of
trade they meet with false money, may break it and
return it to the owner. It also revokes all letters patent,
&c., granted tc Lynch and declares them to be void, and
that any lord, gentleman, or other person who shall be
found abetting Lynch or kerds to make false money,
shall in law be dealt with as principals.
The only other matter for consideration is the type of
Edward's Drogheda groat, which was selected for the first
coinage after Richard's accession. This type
was ex-
pressly different from the English coins, and had on the
reverse a large rose, the badge of the house of York.
Every other type with Edward's head had the York rose
16
17
Smith, PI. IV. figs. 82 to 85, and 92.
Smith, "Irish Coins of Henry VII.," PI. II. fig. 20.