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102 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.without comment, that the same meaning must beattached to the tax in its English use.Further information about the Normandy tax may beobtained from M. Lecointre-Dupont's letters on thecoinage of Normandy in the Revue Numismatique. 9shows how frequently the dukes of Normandy debasedHetheir coinage in order to profit themselves by therevenue thus obtained, and explains the monetagium tohave been a concession made to the people by Williamthe Conqueror he further fixes the date of this concession;asimmediately precedingthe Council of Lillebonne in1080, because it was owing to the recent introduction ofthe agreement by which William was to cease thedebasement of it that that assembly was called upon tofix the weight and fineness of his Norman coinage. Itis quite clear from this that it was not the type butthe standard of the money which the duke undertooknever again to change, in fact M. Lecointre-Dupontsays his promise was never again to debase his money("promit de ne plus alterer ses monnaies" -theundertaking was not merelyto leave it undebasedfor periods of three years, but to leave it perpetuallyundebased). M. Lecointre-Dupont then tells us theresult of the concession. The duke's money was nowfixed at a standard of purity exceeding that of theneighbouring lords, who immediately got hold of hisnew money and melted it down at their own mints,giving to Normandy in exchange their base deniers.Thus William was issuing money at a loss to himself; hetherefore did the only thing that was left for him to do,namely, closed his mints in Normandy and issued no9 Rev. Num., 1842, pp.114 fi.