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11. — On the Irish Coins of Henry the Seventh. By Aquilla Smith, M.D., 



M.R.LA. 



Read 14th June, 1841. 



INTRODUCTION. 

 As the coins which I am about to describe, belong to some of the Henrys, it 

 appears to me that the best course which can be adopted, is, in the first place to 

 inquire, whether any of them can be assigned to the predecessors of Henry the 

 Seventh, who bore the same name ; for by proceeding in this manner, the period, 

 to which the coins can be appropriated, will be reduced to the smallest possible 

 limit, and the inquiries which follow in the subsequent pages will be greatly 

 facilitated. 



Simon has pointed out the mistake committed by Bishop Nicholson, who 

 says that " Henry the Fourth, in the year 1404, ordered the noble of his five 

 immediate predecessors to pass in Ireland for ten shillings ; and, from that time, 

 all sorts of coin went at a higher value here than in England."* 



The words referred to by the learned Prelate, who quoted from Sir John 

 Davis's Reports, are these, " Mes le primer difference et inequalitie enter les 

 standards del English moneys et Irish moneys est trove en 5 Edw. 4. Car 

 donques fuit declare en parliament icy, que le noble fait en temps Edw. 3. R. 2. 

 Hen. 4. Hen. 5. et Hen. 6. serroit de cest temps en avant currant en cest realm 

 pur 10s. et issint le demy noble, et touts auters coines solonque mesme le rate. 

 Vide Rot. Parliament, 5 Edw. 4. cap. 40. et 11 Edw. 4. cap. 6. et 15 Edw. 4. 

 cap. 5. in le office del RoUes in Castro Dublin."f 



The error of Bishop Nicholson in writing Henry IV., instead of Edward IV., 

 is so palpable from his reference to Davis, that it would not require any notice 



* Irish Historical Library, 8vo. 1724, p. 162. f Davis's Reports, fol. 1674, p. 22. 



