52 Dr. Smith on the Irish Coins of Henry the Seventh. 



in 1422 ; but this subject may be more conveniently discussed hereafter, when 

 I shall endeavour to support Mr. Lindsay's appropriation of the coins in question, 

 to Henry the Seventh. 



A writ, directed to the Sheriff of Dublin, in the first year of the reign 

 of Henry the Sixth, recites, " that the king had learned that many merchants 

 brought into Ireland large sums of counterfeit, washed, and clipped gold, and 

 that they carried away the king's silver money."* And a roll of the same year, 

 after reciting, " that Henry the Fifth had been informed, that there were coun- 

 terfeiters of gold and silver, and washers, clippers, and weighers of the same in 

 Ireland, and that he had caused proclamation to be made against such practices, 

 under the penalty of loss of life and limbs, and that no person should presume to 

 weigh or refuse gold (except such as was counterfeit or washed) ; appoints Janico 

 Dartas, Nicholas Daly, and Richard Talloun, jointly and separately, to inquire 

 after those who presumed to weigh the king's gold, and also of those who dared 

 to carry clipped, washed, or counterfeit gold from England into Ireland, for the 

 purpose of accumulating the king's silver money, and further gives the aforesaid 

 officers power to arrest such offenders, together with their money, and commit 

 them to prison." f 



* " Breve vicecomiti Dublinie directum, in quo recitatur regem, ex gravi querela ligeorum 

 Hibernie, accepisse quod quamplures mercatores ad Hibernian) venientes hue portant secum, causa 

 vendendi et emendi, maximas summas auri Regis controfecti, loti, et tonsi, ad dictum populum de- 

 cipiendum, et pecunias Regis argenteas bine, ad opus suum, subdole extorquendum de die in die non 

 desistunt." — Rot. Claus, 1 Hen. VI. cap. 40. 



f " Rex (recitatur qualiter H. V., cum, ex gravi el clamosa inslnuacione dominorum spiritu- 

 alium et temporalium ac communium Hibernie in parliamento existentium, accepisset quod 

 nonnuUe persone extiterint controfectores cune monete auri et argenti, ac lotores, tonsores, et pon- 

 deratores ejusdem monete infra Hiberniara, per brevia sua fecerit proclamari quod ne quis, sub 

 pena vite et membrorum, foret controfector, lotor, tonsor, vel ponderator dicte monete, et quod ne quis 

 aurum in recepcionibus, &c., (auroloto et controfecto excepto) ponderare seu denegare presumeret,) 

 assignavit Janico Dartas armigerum, Nicholaum Daly, et Ricardum Talloun, conjunctim et divisim, 

 ad inquirendum de eis qui cum belanciis aurum Regis in vendicionibus &c., ponderare presumpse- 

 rint, ac de illis qui aurum Regis tonsum, [aut lotum,] seu controfectum, extra Angliam in Hiber- 

 niam cariare presumpserint, ad monetam Regis argenti pro hujusmodi auro, vel alio modo accumu- 

 landum ; et culpabiles, una cum mone [ta] Regis argenti sic accumulata, in quotumcumque manibus 

 existat, capiendum, et ipsos prisone committendum. Dub, 10 Julii." — Rot. Pat. 1 Hen. VI. Durso, 

 cup. 109, b. 



