The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

ON THE IRISH COINS OF RICHARD III. 329
Tower 19 of London," as appears from an ordinance of the
great Council lately holden in Ireland.
The type of these coins with the arras of England on
one side and three crowns on the other side is first
mentioned in the proclamation of July 18th, 1483, which
forbids any money to be coined except in the cities of
Dublin and Waterford, and in the instructions to Lacy in
the following month he was to insist that a master of the
mint and other officers should be appointed. The copy of
the indenture which Lacy brought with him probably
contained full instructions for establishing the new mint,
which was " to begynne the first of October next to
come."
It seems that the Council in Ireland did establish a mint
in Dublin, and that the three-crown groats were issued
before the meeting of Richard's first Parliament in
Ireland, the 17th of March, 1483, O.S.
The portion of the Roll now first published shows that
the groat was to weigh 30 grains, which corresponds with
the weight of the existing coins and also with the
Drogheda groats, and that these were the coinages which
failed to increase and did not diminish the tranquillity and
good of the common people.
19 The words in Simon's abstract are
" Troy- weight of
"
London," and in the line following (the rest of the preamble
is destroyed)," Appendix, No. xviii. But, as already stated, the
actual words are "pois de la Tour de London." The words
"of London" in Simon prove that he had read the Roll, and
his clerical error of Troy-weight was probably suggested by its
occurrence in subsequent parts of the Act, which is correct, for
when Troy weight is mentioned it is never followed by the
words " of London." The next portion of the Act which Simon
says " "
is destroyed is important, for without the information
it supplies the coinage under consideration could not be accounted
for.
VOL. I. THIRD SERIES. U U