8 Dr. Smith on the Irish Coins of Edward the Fourth. 



mint of Trim, as I shall hereafter shew, was struck in the year 1467, and it 

 does not appear that silver coins were made at any time in Galway. 



It is evident that the coins I have described were minted before the year 

 1463, under the authority of the letters patent granted to Germyn Lynch, for 

 in this year they were confirmed at a parliament held at Wexford, which confir- 

 mation was rather an indemnity for the coins made under the authority of the 

 letters patent, than a renewal of the privilege for continuing a coinage of the 

 same type ; for by the same parliament, and in the same year, coins of a new type 

 were ordered to be made.* 



I proceed now to describe the brass and copper coins made under the same 

 authority as the groats and pennies ; and here again it is necessary to refer to the 

 Act passed in the last year of Henry the Sixth. 



At a parliament held at Drogheda, in 1460, it was enacted, that " a proper 

 coyne, separate from the coyne of England, was with more convenience agreed 

 to be had in Ireland, under two forms ; the one of the weight of half-quarter 

 of an ounce troy (Tower ?) weight, on which shall be imprinted, on one side a 

 lyon, and on the other side a crown, called an Irelandes d'argent, to pass for 

 the value of one penny sterling ; the other of vii. ob. (grains) of troy weight, 

 having imprinted on one part of it a crown, and on the other part a cross, 

 called a Patrick, of which eight shall pass for one denier." At an adjourned 

 sitting of the same parliament, the former coin was declared to " be utterly 

 void."t 



The letters patent which authorized Germyn Lynch to make groats, half 

 groats, and pennies of silver, gave him power to make " also eight pieces of brass, 

 running at, and of the value of one penny of our said silver," and to " be 

 imprinted, and bear scripture, and be of the weight, allaie and fyness, as is speci- 

 fied in the said statute or statutes" of Henry the Sixth. He was also empowered 

 to make " four pieces of brass or copper, running at one penny of our said silver, 

 to be imprinted with the figure of a bishop's head, and a scripture of this word 

 PATRicivs about the same head, on the one side, and with a cross with this word 

 SALVATOR then (there|) about, on the other side," and "that the weight and 



* Simon, Appendix, No. VIII. f Simon, Appendix, No. V. 



:]: So it is in Harris's edition of Sir James Ware's worlss, p. 212. 



