342 
security,” and as giving the views of a cultured Citizen of that 
time, I quote further :—‘‘The circumstances under which we 
are placed, render it politically necessary that these Tokens 
should not contain a greater value of Silver than at present, they 
have sufficient for security to the holder, and not enough to tempt 
people to export them. In political circles it is well known that 
France is acting on the finance of this Country, through the 
medium of Portugal, it is by this channel she is attempting the 
absorption of all our specie, and this has depreciated on the 
Continent the value of all British Bills. Formerly a Bank of 
England Note on any part of the Continent was taken at a 
premium of 4 or 5 per cent., whilst at the present period (1811) 
it is at a discount of between 30 and 4o per cent.” 
The Journal of December 23rd contains a strong attack on the 
Token issues, over the signature Is Is; and in the Chrouicle of 
January znd, 1812, appears a long letter from Francis Ellis, who 
to strengthen his attack on the Bath Tokens as to their legality, 
and as to the loss to holders of them from their liability to forgery, 
in the event of the repudiation of such forgeries by their reputed 
issuers, had taken the opinion of the “eminent Mr. Sergeant 
Lens, in a regular way, who in his answer says,” “ there will be a 
considerable difficulty in framing any action, as it must be founded 
on a special undertaking, and none such could be sustained, in 
proof, unless it could be shewn that Whitchurch and Dore, have 
personally or by public advertisement, rendered themselves 
responsible at the time of issuing these Tokens, and some mode 
of identifying some at least, which they did so issue, shall be 
capable of being shewn in evidence. If the issuing of certain 
pieces, similar to the present, could be proved, I think it not 
impossible to prove, by the similarity of the manufacture of the 
others, sufficient to throw on the Defendants, the proof of their 
being forged,” and concludes, ‘‘On this opinion, I leave the 
public to make its own comments.” And the public, or rather 
