CHAP. XIV. 



BASE MONEY. 379 



money resembling silver, but very artificially 

 compounded of silver, copper, and sulphur, so 

 that the silver did not form more than one-fifth 

 of the weight. 



When these fraudulent pieces had got into 

 general circulation, they became so notorious 

 that the officers of the crown, who had probably 

 connived at or aided their introduction, gave 

 information concerning them; and they were 

 ordered to be delivered up to the king, who pro- 

 fessed to pay the full value of the silver they 

 contained, and to recoin it into legal money. 

 How they were estimated does not appear, but 

 it is very certain that by the operation of thus 

 changing the base for the legal coins, Henry VII. 

 drew into his exchequer a considerable profit. 



Several of the parliaments which were sum- 

 moned to meet between the reigns of Edward I. 

 and Henry VII. were chiefly called for the 

 purpose of considering the state of the circu- 

 lating currency, or to enact laws to prohibit the 

 export of the domestic coins, or of gold and 

 silver plate and bullion, to prevent the introduc- 

 tion of foreign coins without due examination of 

 their value before they were allowed to be cir- 

 culated, or to enact the punishment to be in- 

 flicted on such as were proved guilty of de- 



sed superficialiter deargentata, et currebat in locis plurimis 

 loco sterlingorum, multique decepti fuerant per eandem." 

 Hist. Ang. p. 77- 



