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



was borne by any other king to whom we can assign these groats ; we shall there- 

 fore be justified in attributing them to Lambert Simnel, until some reason 

 is shown to the contrary. 



" It is true that the claim here put forward rests entirely upon conjecture, and 

 that you and Mr. Lindsay, and other fully informed and experienced numisma- 

 tists, may be aware of facts, which render it untenable ; but the only evidence* 

 which I know of at all inconsistent with it, is the legend of a half groat in the 

 cabinet of the Rev. Mr. Martin, given by Mr. Lindsay in his Coins of Henry the 

 Seventh, which reads, henric di gear hibernie ; but what inference can be 

 drawn from so obscure a legend on a coin so blundered, that on the reverse it 

 has civiTAs DuxBLiN. Your beautiful engraving, which you were kind enough 

 to send me, of one of these groats, from the private collection of the Dean of 

 St. Patrick's, so truly called by Mr. Lindsay a public benefit, which has a legend 

 hitherto unknown, and reads, edwardvs on the obverse, and on the reverse, 

 ET REX HYBERNiE, (PI. IV. fig. 75,) Strengthens my position, that these coins 

 were struck by the mock Edward the Sixth. 



" Apologizing to you for the length of this letter, which has much exceeded 

 my expectations, 



" I am, my dear Sir, 



" Yours most sincerely, 



" R. Butler. 

 " Dr. A. Smith" 



TABLE OF THE WEIGHT OF THE GROAT AT DIFFERENT PERIODS DURING THIS 



REIGN. 



1461 to 1465, the groat weighed 45 grains. 

 1465 „ 1467, „ 36 ? „ 

 1467 „ 1470, „ ■ 22^ „ 

 1470 „ 1473, „ 401^ „ 

 1473 „ 1479, „ 32| „ 

 1479 „ 1483, „ 31 „ 



* It is probable that decisive evidence on this subject is to be found in the unpublished Acts of 

 Poynyng's Parliament. 



