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THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

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<strong>THE</strong> <strong>COLLECTOR</strong> SERIES<br />

the Webb sale in 1894 some silver pennies with Matilda<br />

Regvna were withdrawn as spurious.<br />

Rut among the antecedent collections numerous diffi-<br />

culties beset the path of the collector, and it is perhaps<br />

unnecessary to add that the most exacting figures are<br />

asked for the poorest and rudest examples appertaining<br />

to brief and obscure reigns. In this case, again, it is wiser<br />

to be incomplete, so far as private collections go. The<br />

British Museum catalogue of the English coins down<br />

to the Conquest, the new Montagu catalogue, and Mr.<br />

Grueber's account of the last find of rare Anglo-Saxon<br />

pennies are our best guides.<br />

In 1280 occurred a new coinage of pennies, half-<br />

pence, and farthings, of which the lowest value hence-<br />

forth continued to form a permanent feature in the<br />

English currency. Under the Edwards mints again<br />

grew more numerous, and the name of the moneyer<br />

disappeared. Owing to the increase of trade the influx<br />

of foreign money became larger, and various descrip-<br />

tions of counterfeit coin are mentioned, and interdicted<br />

by proclamation ; these pieces are cited by terms<br />

chiefly corrupt and unintelligible. .<br />

The<br />

acceptance of<br />

a medium of lower standard, which we conclude to<br />

have come in principal measure from the Netherlands<br />

and Luxemburg {Luxemburghs are noticed by Chaucer<br />

in the Monk's Prologue), was obviously profitable<br />

to experts, as the English penny was of fine silver<br />

(24 to 23 and a fraction grains Tower) ; in the time<br />

of Henry III. it was appointed to weigh 31 grains<br />

of wheat. During upward of a century (1272-1377)<br />

170

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