MEDALS and COINS. 249 



3. The modern -, which are thofe that have 

 been ftruck in Europe, from the time that the 

 Goths were exterminated, and the art of 

 engraving began again to flourifh. The firft of 

 thefe is that ot John Hufs, a famous heretic, 

 which was ftruck in the year 1415. This art 

 rofe with great luftre from its afhes : there 

 are now many excellent medallifbs, and we have 

 feen pieces executed by the celebrated Hedlin- 

 ger, a Swede, which, prejudice apart, arc nothing 

 interior to the moil fmifhed that Greece and 

 .Rome have left us. 



II. (2.) According to the nature and qua- 

 of the metal: and in this refpeft they arc 

 either of 



1. GolJ , whoil* (cries is the leaft nume- 

 rous, and fcarce exceeds 1000 or 1200 in the 

 imperials. 



2. Silver-, the fcries of which may amount 

 to 3000, in the imperials alone. 



3. Brafs; which are of three different f; 

 that are called the great, the middle, and fmall, 

 and of which the feries- amounts to 6 or 7000, 

 if not more, in the imperials. It is not, how- 

 ever, either the metal or the magnitude that 

 renders medals :c, but the rarity of the 

 head, the reverfe, or the legend. A medal may 

 be common in gold that is very fcarce in b 



or very rare in filvcr, that is common in gold 

 or b A head may be common th.it has a 



very uncommon : /. There 



arc 



