On the Ring Money of the Celte. By Str Wititam Beruam, M.R.I. A. 
B.S.A. Secretary for Foreign Correspondence, Member of the Royal Academy 
of Sciences of Lisbon, &c. 
Read 28th of November, 1836, and 9th of January, 1837. 
In a letter from my friend, Richard Sainthill of Cork, dated the 5th (Novy. 1836) 
instant, is the following paragraph :— 
“ Cork, 5th November, 1836. 
‘«* T am anxiously expecting your paper on the Ring Money of Ireland, which Mr. 
Orpen will at any time send me. A vessel going to Africa, to trade with the natives, 
was wrecked last summer on the coast here; among the articles on board for barter, 
were some boxes of cast iron pieces, extremely like one species of gold articles found 
in Ireland, annexed is a rude outline, one of which was saved from the iron foundry, 
where they were sold and melted. I understand they pass in barter at about the value 
of one halfpenny, but the similarity in shape to the old Irish articles is curious.” 
Another letter from the same gentleman, dated 12th November, instant, he says— 
“Thad the pleasure to receive your letters and paper on the Ring Money of Ire- 
land last night, and the present is merely to request you to accept the enclosed speci- 
men of the Anglo-African Iron Ring Money. I will procure the information you 
require, and send it to you as soon as possible.” 
I have now the pleasure of placing before the Academy specimens of the Irish 
bronze, the iron found on board the wrecked vessel, and two other specimens, both 
found in Italy, one said to be found in Herculaneum, but this I should doubt. This 
latter is much corroded, and is also very singularly incrusted with what appears to me 
to be crystals of carbonate of lime. 
I yesterday received a letter from my friend T. C. Croker, dated 25th November, 
(1836,) of which the following is an extract :— 
“‘ T have got some curious information for you respecting the ring money now 
current in Africa, which goes completely to establish your theory. Not a shadow of 
doubt can now exist on the subject. My informants are our friend Sainthill and an 
Egyptian traveller, Mr. Bonomi. Their letters to me are not immediately at hand, 
or I should send them over to you.” 
