158 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



pains to verify the exactness of his statements, 

 and had consulted Mr. Grueber as to the date 

 on which " Dei Gratia " first occurred on our 

 money, receiving the reply that it was safer to 

 ascribe it to the coins of Edward III. rather 

 than of Edward I. The doubt arises owing to 

 a coin (a groat) attributed to Edward I. having 

 the " D.G." upon it ; but the date given to the 

 coin itself appears in doubt, and Mr. Grueber 

 says he is " pretty certain " it is of the third 

 Edward's reign. 



So complete was the book that even Mr. 

 Barclay Head, for a long while chief of the 

 coin department of the British Museum, could 

 write of it that he had read it with very great 

 interest and instruction, " for much of it is new 

 to me." 



Certainly he had spared no pains. He used 

 every endeavour to trace the history of Bank 

 Notes. Mr. Palgrave having referred to an 

 enquete held in Paris, but being unable to furnish 

 any particulars. Lord Avebury wrote to the Bank 

 of France on the subject, and received the follow- 

 ing reply : 



Banque de France. 

 Secretariat General. 



Paris, le 23 jantder 1902. 



Monsieur — Nous avons fait de nombreuses recherches 

 pour essayer de donner satisfaction a Lord Avebury, 

 elles|sont restees compl^tement infructueuses. Nous 

 ne croyons pas qu'il y ait eu une enquete. Nous serious 

 plutot disposes a penser que I'Ambassadeur de France 

 k Stockholm a pu adresser k son Gouvernement un 

 rapport sur la Banque de Sufede fond6e par Palm- 

 struck, qui existait depuis 1656. Nous avons cherchd ce 

 rapport, si tant est qu'il ait 6te fait, sans pouvoir le 



