267 



supposition that the mint was an edifice of any architectural 

 pretension ; and we may therefore be the less surprised that 

 not a vestige of it is now known to be in existence. Most 

 probably the buildings had been either appropriated to some 

 other purpose, or allowed to fall into decay long before Mr. 

 Drake's time. In his description of the antient fortress he makes 

 no allusion whatever to any such structure. 



The Antient Process op Coining. 



The primitive method of striking money by the hammer and 

 coining irons was continued without alteration or improvement 

 during the whole of the long period of time that the provincial 

 mints were in general operation ; the use of the mill and screw 

 not having been introduced into this country until the early 

 part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 



Representations of the antient coining irons are given in the 

 accompanying print. They consisted of 



1. The lower die, called the Standard or Staple, upon which 

 the matrix of the obverse side of the coin was usually, if not 

 invariably, engraved. This was firmly fixed into a block of 

 wood or iron by means of a spike or tang into which the lower 

 end of the standard or staple was shaped. 



2. The upper die, called the trussell or puncheon, having 

 upon it the matrix of the reverse side of the coin. 



When the piece of metal intended to be coined was laid upon 

 the standard or lower die, the trussell or puncheon was put 

 upon it, and kept in its place by the coiner holding it in a 

 clipped or twisted hazel stick, ^ whilst another person struck the 

 puncheon forcibly with a hammer. 



The number of coining irons delivered to the provincial mints 

 was usually in the proportion of two puncheons to one standard, 

 the greater part of the wear and tear being xipon the puncheon 

 or upper die, which soon acquired a mushroom-top formed by 

 the repeated strokes of the hammer, and was frequently split 

 by the force of the blow in bringing up the impression. 



* The contrivance of the twisted hazel stick is now in common use by smiths 

 for holding their punches. 



