Dr. Smith on the Irish Coins of Henry the Seventh. 59 



On the 9th of March, 1491, Nicholas Flint* was by the king's appointment 

 " made overseer of the mints of Dublin and Waterford ;" and on the 15th of 

 April following, a proclamation was issued by the king at Greenwich, authorizing 

 Gerald Earl of Kildare "to cause and prescribe certain laws for the prevention 

 of false or mixt silver in coin within that his Lordship of Ireland."f 



The English Act of his nineteenth year, 1504, states that " The coins, es- 

 pecially of silver, were so impaired as well by clipping as counterfeiting the same, 

 and by bringing into the realm the coin of Ireland, that great rumour and va- 

 riance daily increased among his subjects, for taking and refusing the same;" and 

 in the same year it was enacted, that no person should bring into England " of 

 the coin of Ireland, above the sum of three shillings and four pence, on pain of 

 forfeiture and imprisonment, and fine and ransom, at the king's pleasure."! 



In 1506, the king granted to Thomas Galmole, alias Archibold, of Dublin, 

 Goldsmith, the office of Master of the Coinage and Monies, made within the 

 Castle of Dublin, and to hold the said office himself, or by his deputy, durino- the 

 king's pleasure. § 



These scanty records and the coins themselves, are the only sources from 

 which evidence can be derived respecting the numerous coins of Henry which 

 have been preserved ; and before I enter on the description of them it will be 

 convenient to inquii-e, whether it be possible to determine the standard by which 

 the coinage was regulated. The want of any direct evidence on this subject 

 compels me to revert to such facts as may be collected from the history of the 

 preceding reigns. 



* This person held several offices connected with the English mint, in the early part of this reign 

 1485 — 1487, he was, " Cont'. Monete et Cunagii infra Turrim Lond." " Assaiator Monete et 

 Cunagii" — " Sculptor de et pro ferris," " Campsor Monete et Cunagii infra Tur. London" — and on 



the 17th of May, 1486, he was appointed Keeper of the King's Exchange Ruding, vol. i. pp. 98, 



106, 119, 161, and vol. iv. p. 194. 



t Ware's Annals of Ireland, A.D. 1491. % Ruding, vol. ii. pp. 397 and 399. 



§" 18. Rex concessit Thomae Galmole de Dublinia, goldsmyth, alias Thomae Archibold, magis- 

 terium cunagii et numismatum infra castrum Dublinie fiendorum, habendum officium predictum per 

 se vel deputatum, durante beneplacito. 6 Julii." Rot. Pat. 21 Hen. VII. cap. ) 8. 



This Thomas Galmole was probably the same person who was "master and worker of the money 

 of silver, and keeper of the exchanges in the cities of Devylyn and Waterford," in 1483. Ruding, 

 vol. ii. p. 376. 



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