219 



9th year of his reign ^ King John summoned his council to 

 deliberate " concerning the fabrication of money in divers cities 

 and boroughs ;" and writs were issued to the officers and workers 

 of the mints of fourteen of the most important towns in England, 

 requiring them to appear at Westminster with their dies sealed 

 up, on a day appointed. The city of York was one of the four- 

 teen mints whose officers were thus summoned. The result of 

 the proceeding is not known, but there is reason to suppose that 

 a new coinage was then ordered.^ 



During the long reign of King Henry III. there were two 

 issues of new coin, — the first about six years after his accession to 

 the throne, — the second about thirty years later. No specimens 

 are described of the coins now assigned to this monarch which 

 display any mark or inscription to show that they were struck 

 at York. Yet we have satisfactory evidence that the York mint 

 continued to be worked. In the year 1247 writs were directed 

 to the chief municipal officers of the city of York, commanding 

 them, by the oaths of twelve good men to chuse three trusty 

 persons, one to be moneyer, another for the assay, and a third 

 to be custos cuneorum.^ This proceeding took place most pro- 

 bably at the time that the second coinage was in contemplation. 



No more than three types are known of the pennies of Henry 

 III. Many of those which at one time were supposed to belong 

 to this reign are now restored by numismatists to that of 

 Henry II. 



THE ENGLISH ^RA. 



We have now arrived at that which is characterised as having 

 been eminently an age of progress. During the reigns of the 

 Edwards highly important and beneficial changes were intro- 

 duced into the currency. The silver penny was no longer to be 

 the only coin of the realm. To meet the demands and necessities 



» Oct. 7th, 1207. Cal. Rot, Pat. 9th Joh. p. 3, m. 6. 



2 Euding, Vol. I., p. 179. 



' Ibid, Vol. II., p. 232. Pat. 32 Hen. III., m. 4. 



