Dr. Smith on the Irish Coins of Henri/ the Seventh. 61 



Some arrangement is necessary, for the purpose of attempting to determine 

 the order in which the several coins were issued from the mints. In the absence 

 of documents by which the dates might be fixed, the only safe guide which 

 remains are the coins themselves, and from deliberate consideration of the types 

 and numerous varieties which have come under my observation, I have se- 

 lected the cross on the reverse, as the character which best distinguishes the 

 three sections into which I propose to divide them. 



THE FIRST SECTION. 



The coins included in this section have on the obverse a shield, bearing the 

 arms of England and France, quartered by a cross, the extremities of which are 

 generally terminated by three annulets ; and on the reverse, three crowns in pale 

 (the arms of Ireland),* with a similar cross : all the groats which I have seen 

 have (with one exception) the letter h under the crowns ; they usually weigh 

 about twenty-eight grains, and never I believe exceed thirty. 



The description of the numerous varieties of this type will be facilitated by 

 dividing them into three classes : 1st, coins minted at Dublin ; 2nd, those which 

 bear the name of Waterford ; 3rd, coins without the name of the place of 

 mintage. 



Of the Dublin mint there are groats, half-groats, and pennies. 



The groat (PI. V. Fig. 1) has the legends henric di gracia, and civitas 

 DVBLiNiE. The lions on the shield have their tails doubled back in a manner 

 which distinguishes this coin from the three crown money of Edward the Fourth 

 and Richard the Third. The upper crown on the reverse has a double arch, 

 surmounted by a ball and cross. It is evident that the artist at first Inserted the 

 letter e in the name of the city, and afterwards attempted to conceal his blunder 

 by punching over it the letter v. 



A groat has been lately found at Trim, the obverse of which is from the 

 same die as fig. 1, the reverse has the cross and arches over the upper crown, 

 but the legend is divided as follows : civit-asdv-blin-iee, with a fleur-de-lis 

 after the last letter. The coin is in the cabinet of the Rev. R. Butler, a small 

 portion is broken off, and it weighs twenty-seven grains. 



* See Irish Coins of Edward IV., p. 37. 



