268 



The puncheon or upper die represented in the plate. Fig. 1, 

 contains the matrix of the reverse of a York half-groat of King 

 Edward III. ^ The standard or lower die, Fig. 2, is the obverse 

 of a London half-groat of the same type.^ These specimens 

 of coining irons, with a great number of others which had 

 been used for stamping the silver monies of Edward III. 

 and Henry VII., mostly of the York mint, were discovered 

 about twenty years ago, much corroded with rust, in one of 

 the vaults of the record office of the Chapter of Westminster.^ 



Among them were, very probably, some of the " coigneyng 

 yryns of the citie of York" which were the subject of the pro- 

 ceedings recorded in the following memoranda : — 



" Be it had in mynde that the xxviij day of June in the 

 secund yere of the reigne of King Henry the vij^*" Thomas Graa 

 master of the mynt within the palois yarth of the citie of York 

 delivered unto William Todde maier of the city of York a bagg 

 Delivere of the of ledder contigneing xij old conyng Iryns, that is 

 yryns^mito^'the *^ ^^J' "^ Standers and viij Trusselles, the Avhich 

 citie of London. }jagg the said William Todde maier sealed and 

 delivered to y® handes of John White, coigner, to deliver 

 unto y® Chequor at London and from thens to bring newe 

 yravene Iryns agene from the said Eschequor unto the said citie 

 of York." 



" M^ that the xixth day of July in the secunde yere of the 

 reigne of King Herry the sevent, Thomas Gray, Goldsmyth, 

 Maister of the Mynt at the paloys of the moost reverend Fader 

 in God tharchbisshopp of York, personally appering bifore 

 William Todde maier of the citie of York in y® chambre upon 

 Ouse brig, presented unto hyme a bagg of leder sealed con- 

 tigneing in y® same iiij Standers and viij Trussels beryng the 

 Delyvere of peny coigne, sent unto hyme furth of the kinges 

 ^rjns^oly^ Eschequor as he shewed ; the which bagg my lord 



citie of York maire recey ved at thandes of the said Thomas, 

 iinto Thomas "^ 



Gray. and delyvered unto hyme the said iiij Standers 



' Ending, Supp. pi. 2, No. 9. 2 The crown is the London MM. Hawkins, p. 99. 



3 See an article by Mr. John Field, Numis. Chron., Vol. VII., p. 18, giving 

 an account of this discovery. The print of the coining irons is copied from that 

 which accompanied Mr. Field's commiinication. 



