258 



is questionable whether Wolsey did really presume to issue 

 groats from his own mint. In the contract by which the 

 cardinal archbishop appointed William Wright, citizen and 

 alderman of York, to be master and worker of his monies of 

 silver in his mint at York, the only sorts of money agreed to be 

 coined are half-groats and half-pennies. ^ Possibly the" charge 

 against Wolsey may have arisen from his having unlawfully 

 interfered with the coinage of the king's mint at York. The 

 same arrogant spirit that prompted the Ego et rex mens might 

 lead to his causing the ensigns of his rank of cardinal to be 

 associated with the arms of the sovereign upon the coins struck, 

 not at the archiepiscopal, but at the royal mint. It is remark- 

 able that all the known specimens of the York groat of this 

 coinage have the initials of Wolsey and the cardinal's hat im- 

 pressed upon them, but are without the keys, which were at 

 this period the usual symbol of the archbishop's mint. 



Archbishop Edward Lee. 23rd to 36th Henry VIII. 



Half-groat, second coinage of Hen . VIII. 



Obv. HENRic VIII. D G R AGL z FR. Profile and arched 



crown. MM. a key. 

 Rev. civiTAS EBORAci. Cross fourchy and shield ; E on the 

 right of the shield, L on the left.^ 

 Penny, same coinage. 



Obv. HENRIC viii. D G R AGL z FR. Profile and arched 



crown. MM. efiaced. 

 Rev. civiTAS EBORACI. Cross fourchy and shield between 

 E and L.3 

 Half-penny, same coinage. 



Obv. H D G ROSA sie spia. Bust, full face, between E 



and L. mm. a key. 

 Rev. CIVITAS EBORACI. Cross and pellets.'* 



' Ruding, Vol. II., p. 235. The contract is dated May 1st, 1523. 'William Wright 

 "Was sheriff of York in 1511, and lord mayor in 1518 and 1535. 



2 Ending, pi. 7, No. 21. A specimen is in the possession of the author. 



3 This penny is in the cabinet of the Y. P. S. MS. Cat. p. 76, No. 114. I do 

 not find it described elsewhere. 



* Ending, Supp. pi. 4, No. 19. Hawkins, p. 132. 



