Dr. Smith on the Irish Coins 0/ Edward the Fourth. 33> 



WITH THE FITZGERALD ARMS. 

 GKOATS. 

 REX ANLIE FRA. DOMINOS VRERNI. PL IV. fig. 82. 



Mr. Lindsay has published a small coin of this type, which he supposes to 

 be a farthing,* and that " it may possibly belong to Henry the Seventh." This 

 little piece is in the cabinet of the Dean of St. Patrick's, is greatly corroded and 

 defaced, and weighs only two grains, which probably led to the supposition of its 

 being a farthing. It is, however, the remains of a penny, for the diameter of 

 the circle, and the size of the shield, correspond exactly with those of a well- 

 preserved penny ; and besides. Sir James Ware makes no mention of farthings of 

 this type. 



Some have thought, that as the arms of England and France are impressed on 

 these coins, that they should be ascribed to Henry the Seventh, who was the first 

 monarch who had these arms stamped on the English silver coins. To refute 

 this opinion it is only necessary to refer to the coins of this type which bear the 

 name of Edward.— (PI. IV. figs. 75, 76.) 



According to Simon, Henry the Eighth " having, in his thirty-third year, 

 assumed the title of King of Ireland, was so proclaimed the thirteenth of June, 

 1541, in St. Patrick's Church, near Dublin ;"f and Ruding informs us, that in 

 the same year the title et hybernie rex was first used on the Great Seal of 

 England.! Now the coins of PI. IV. figs. 75, 77, not only prove that the arms of 

 England and France appeared first on the Irish coins, but that the title of rex 

 hybernie was impressed on the coins of this country many years earlier than the 

 date usually assigned to the introduction of this title. These pieces are therefore 



* View of the Coinage, PI. VI. fig. 128. f Simon, p. 33. 



i Railing's Annals, toI. ii. p. 443, 2nd edit. 



VOL. XIX. e 



