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THE ELIZABETHAN COINAGES FOR IRELAND. 119memorandum by Edward Hayes on the need for smallcopper money. He remarks that they must not betoo thick ;the copper plates being drawn thin by"ingens" will prevent counterfeiting by casting, ascopper will not run thin between moulds when cast."The fabrication should not be gross as are our silvermonies, but neat and exquisite to gracethe basenessof their substance" (Cotton MSS., Otho E. x, No. 50).In this instance Hayes's quaintly phrased advice wasand half-neglected, as it will be seen that the pencepence are decidedly thick when compared with theHarrington farthings of James 1. Nevertheless theyare by no means " gross ".Next we have a joint letterfrom the two brothers, if such they were, addressed toSir Eobert Cecil on 24 March, 1600-1. They suggestto him that base moneys only should be current inIreland, as it would do good service to England andease the Queen's charge ; it would least offend theState in Ireland, and especially the army there, " bywhich only her Majesty doth and must look to holdthat kingdom".The writers then set out the benefitsin detail and offer their services '' about the settlingof the money course " in Ireland (S. P. Ireland, Eliz.,vol. 208, part 1, No. 102). I shall have occasion tocomment later on this question of the circulation ofthe new coinage, as ordered by proclamation. Thenwe have a letter from the Privy Council, which givesto "the two Hayes" the entree to the Tower mint forthe purpose of experimenting. On 17 April, 1601, thewarden is instructed to permit them to use a convenientplace in the mint where they can workand make trial of their invention for theprivatelynew Irish moneys, and to provide them with silver to