30 



The circumstance is often quoted as evidence that Ireland 

 was not a commercial country of antiquity. ^ 



" This is true as far as coins of gold and silver are concerned, 

 for we cannot call the ring money coins, although the most 

 ancient currency. 



<« It would now appear that many coins of bronze have 

 really often been found, and that in large quantities, as well 

 as singly ; but the peasantry, thinking them of little or no 

 value, as brass, have not thought it worth their while to take 

 care of them, and any found were given to children, or sold 

 to the brass founders for the melting pot. 



" Of late, however, the anxious inquiry for antiquities has 

 given a value to the bronze coins, and some shopkeepers and 

 dealers in the country towns have given to the peasant finders 

 much more for the small bronze coins than their metallic va- 

 lue, which has tended to make them of greater value in their 

 eyes ; and the consequence has been, that many interesting 

 and valuable specimens have been preserved, throwing a new 

 light on the ancient^ history of Ireland. 



'« Some years since the Rev. Dr. Sadleir exhibited a bronze 

 coin found in Ireland, having a horse on one side, which was 

 supposed to be Phoenician, and was then the only specimen 

 known to have been found in Ireland. I am not aware that 

 any record of this coin is in our Proceedings. 



" I have the gratification of laying before the Academy 

 this evening twelve bronze coins, of which ten are unques- 

 tionably Etruscan, one Roman, and one a small uncia, with 

 a head on one side, and on the other a horse, like the coin 

 exhibited by Dr. Sadleir, above alluded to. 



" They are in the possession of Charles Haliday, Esq., 

 a member of the Academy, who, I regret to say, is not able 

 to appear here this evening, but has kindly allowed me to 

 exhibit them to the Academy. 



" I saw these coins about three weeks since, and was not 

 a little astonished to see them, and to hear from Mr. Haliday 



