56 NOTES ON CIVIL-WAR COINS. 



Under these circumstances I have ventured to offer what 

 appears to be a more probable interpretation of the two letters, 

 supported by collateral facts obtained from the coins in 

 question ; and I am able to say that up to the present time 

 the adherents of the Salisbury theory have not assailed my 

 alternative solution since its publication in 1913. 



I will here recall the circumstance that the attribution 

 to Weymouth of certain half-crowns showing a W. beneath 

 the horse was first made by the Rev. T. F. Dymock in 1856, 

 cf. Num. Chron., N.S., Vol. I., p. 185. It is a matter of history 

 that this Dorset town was occupied by the King's forces 

 from a day in the first week in August, 1643, until June 17, 

 1644, a period of ten months or so, during which the facilities 

 for landing reinforcements, and for maintaining a packet 

 service with France, caused the place to be regarded as of 

 " huge consequence to his Majesty's affairs " (Dom. State 

 Papers, Nov., 1643). In February, 1644-5, a portion of the 

 town was recaptured by the Royalists ; but this second occu- 

 pation was so short-lived as to render it unlikely that any 

 money was then struck. 



Many members of the Field Club will be more or less 

 familiar with the ruins of Sandsfoot Castle on the sea cliff 

 nearly one mile south of Weymouth. This Tudor fortress 

 was held for the King in 1643, and surrendered to his enemies 

 in June, 1644, very shortly after the fall of the neighbouring 

 town. As it was a royal castle, its governor had always been 

 appointed by the Crown ; and during the time when Charles's 

 troops were in possession of Weymouth the respective garri- 

 sons were under one command. To Sandsfoot Castle I 

 propose to assign the SA. half crowns,-relying for the most part 

 upon the remarkable similarity between these coins and those 

 of the same denomination with the letter W. beneath the 

 horse. As an instance of this affinity in type and fabric 

 I would mention that one of the SA. coins in the British 

 Museum shows on the reverse the complete type of Wey- 

 mouth No. 5 in Hawkins's list. The points of resemblance 

 between the SA. and the W. coins are not confined to the 



