Uses of the Round Towers of Ireland, $c. 209 



Mr. Browne of Kildare, instead of human bones, as expected, five or six ancient 

 coins were found ; and, from their position, under flags which appeared to 

 form the original floor of the Tower, there is every reason to believe that they 

 must have been deposited there at the original erection of the Tower. The 

 true age of these coins therefore becomes a question of the highest importance 

 in this Inquiry ; but, contrary to what might be expected, it is unfortunately one, 

 not easily determined, like all others connected with the origin of these build- 

 ings. 



These coins are of that rare and curious class known to numismatists by the 

 name of Bracteati, by which is understood, thin laminar pieces, usually of 

 silver, struck only on one side, and are without legends of any kind, as will 

 be seen in the annexed wood-cuts, representing the three which are least defaced. 



These coins would appear to be of very impure silver, as they are thickly 

 coated with a deep green rust, formed of the oxide of copper, and are so much 

 corroded that it is almost impossible to touch without breaking them. Through 

 great care, however, three of them have been sufficiently preserved to enable 

 me to present with accuracy their devices, which, it will be seen, are crosses of 

 a simple character placed within a circle, around which are radiating lines in- 

 stead of letters : the weight of each, when perfect, was about seven grains. 



If then we should adopt the opinion respecting the origin of bracteate 

 coins, expressed by the learned Sperlingius in his work, " De Nummorum 

 Bracteatorum et Cavorum Origine et Progressu," namely, that this class of 

 money is not earlier than the close of the twelfth century, or that of Mr. Lind- 

 say of Cork, in his " View of the Coinage of Ireland" who thinks that none 

 of the bracteate coins found in Ireland are anterior to the time of William the 

 Conqueror, it would follow, either that the present Round Tower of Kildare 

 cannot be that of which Cambrensis speaks, but an erection subsequent to his 

 time, or, that the floor, under which those coins were found, is not the original 



VOL. xx. 2 E 



