8 



and Indian coins of great rarity. Mr. George Powell's gift was a 

 half-crown of James II. 's " Gun Money." Dr. Carpenter's gift is 

 mentioned but not described. Mr. Robert Castle's diversified gift 

 included no less than 653 specimens. Mr. G. H. Hetling added largely 

 to the gold and silver coins, and also to the Bank Tokens and Trade 

 Tokens. Mr. G. H. K. Thwaites gave numerous Roman and English 

 Coins, some of which were noted at the time as being "very rare." 

 Mr. George Cumberland, Mr. J. N. Sanders and Mr. B. H. Bright 

 were also amongst the donors. These are mentioned because for the 

 most part they were prominent people at the time, and it is important 

 to realise that they took practical interest in the infant Museum. 

 Others might be mentioned for the same reason if space permitted, but 

 their names will be found recorded in the reports which at that early 

 period continued to be issued. The present report must also omit the 

 names of donors of coins and medals given recently, but these have not 

 been overlooked in the newspaper paragraphs kindly inserted month by 

 mouth, and in the Annual Reports issued by the Committee. 

 Perhaps of all the presentations that were made at the earlier period referred 

 to, none can now be considered more interesting and valuable than a 

 series of Silver Anglo-Saxon Coins, part of a hoard discovered at 

 Cuerdale, in Lancashire. The hoard, which appears to have been found 

 within the Duchy of Lancaster, became treasure-trove to the Crown, 

 and Her late Majesty Queen Victoria very early in her long reign 

 divided the coins amongst the then existing Museums. A series of 29 

 was given in 1841 to the Bristol Institution, and one was added later on 

 to complete the occupation of the spaces in one drawer of the cabinet. 

 These all remain intact, and they form a notable introduction to our 

 other numerous English Silver Coins. These early coins cannot of 

 course be here described in detail, and it must suffice to say that five of 

 them are pennies of Alfred the Great, and six others are pennies of 

 St. Edmund, King of the East Angles, the penny being the only 

 denomination of coinage then and for a long time afterwards issued. 

 The very gift of these specimens at a time when Museums as places of 

 public resort were in their infancy, indicates that specimens of the 

 coinage ought to form part of the equipment of every good Museum. 

 After what has been said it will be evident that the Collection as a whole is 

 both varied and valuable. For the most part it has been kept in a 

 cabinet that has rarely been examined, and that owing to frequent 

 removal and want of systematic arrangement as regards some of its 

 contents, got into great confusion. In the years 1875 and 1876, as 

 shown by the records Mr. Herbert Williams B.A., and Mr. S. G. 

 Perceval by their voluntary and painstaking efforts did much to correct 



