Dr. Smith on the Irish Coins of Henry the Seventh. 77 



I have met with, the circle is more or less indented ; on fig. 53 it is even roped, 

 and several others have a circle of pellets very distinctly marked. 



Mr. Lindsay's correspondent, relying on the objections which I have endea- 

 voured to refute, says, " this is what may be termed the internal evidence fur- 

 nished by the coin itself, and to me completely decides the question." 



" The array of Acts of Parliament, weight of coins," &c., are not allowed to 

 be of much importance ; but I cannot consent to give up the evidence derived 

 from such authorities, for the Irish coins of Edward the Fourth are generally 

 found to be in strict accordance with the standard fixed by the Acts ; and while 

 it is admitted, that " the groat of Henry V. should weigh sixty grains," it 

 appears to me incredible that any groats should be issued by him at so low a 

 weight as "twenty-eight" grains. 



It is also asserted, that no coinage took place in Ireland " from the death of 

 Edward II. to the accession of Henry V.," and that "after such a lapse of time 

 (nearly a hundred years), the attempt at a coinage may be expected to be very 

 wretched, and so it is. Supposing, as is natural, that the Irish engraver would 

 make the current English groat his copy, as near as his want of ability would 

 allow him, the copy, such as we see it, is more Edward the Third's and 

 Richard the Second's, than Edward the Fourth's, — in the former, a larger space 

 was left unoccupied by the bust than on the latter ; and where the artist could 

 scarcely attempt the plain circle surrounding the head, it is no wonder that he 

 abandoned the tressure." 



Here again, the authority of authentic records is disregarded, for in 1336 

 (10 Edward HI.) " a proclamation was then issued by the king and council, for 

 the coining of pennies, halfpennies, and farthings in Ireland ;"* and in 1339, a 

 writ, entitled, "De cunels in Hiberniam mittendis," was issued ;f and if it be 

 admitted that the English coins which have the name *' Edwardus" belong to 

 Edward the Third, this question is settled respecting the Irish coins ; for in Fe- 

 bruary, 1841, a farthing was found at Trim, on the obverse of which is a head 

 within a triangle, and the legend edw-ardv-srex ; reverse, cross and pellets, 

 with civiTAs DVBLiNiE. This coin is in the cabinet of the Rev. Richard Butler, 

 of Trim. And if " nearly a hundred years" elapsed without any coinage taking 

 place in Ireland, it does not follow that the first attempt should necessarily be 



* Simon, p. 16. | Ibid. Appendix, No. II. 



