HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [7 



the latter town, we arc of opinion that Newcastle-under-Lyme 

 may lay a very fair claim to those of Henry. It was, in the time of 

 tltis Monarch, so far as appears from history, a place of very consi- 

 derable eminence, having- a strong- Castle, and no less than four 

 Churches. This circumstance, together with the marks of royal 

 favour bestowed upon it by Henry the First, in its incorporation, 

 incline us to think it probable, that it had a Mint also at the 

 period above-mentioned, viz. in the reign of Henry the Second, 

 \V~c are farther induced to this opinion by an apprehension that 

 N>\\ rustle in Northumberland, however conspicuous afterwards, 

 was not of equal importance and consequence at the time alluded 

 to, with the town of that name in Staffordshire. Whether any 

 documents, relating- to either of these places, which might deter- 

 mine this point, are yet in existence, w r e know not. Placed, there- 

 fore, under this uncertainty, we will immediately proceed to notice 

 the Coinage which is indisputably ascertained to have issued from 

 this town ; and of this, we regret to say, we can give no further ac- 

 count, than that, so far as appears from Snelling-, this town, to^ 

 Aether with Burton-upon-Trent, Penkridge, Yoxall, Ashley, and 

 Betley, had tradesmen resident in them, who issued their own pri- 

 vate tokens ; but as he gives neither engravings nor verbal descrip- 

 lions of these pieces, and none of them have fallen under our in- 

 spection, we are deprived of the pleasure of giving a more particu- 

 lar account of them. The Betley Token, indeed, he partially de* 

 scribes ; and from hence it appears, that it was coined by " Thomas 

 Rich, in Betley and Lasteriey." He remarks also on this piece, 

 that it was one of the very few which were intended for the use 

 and accommodation of two places. 



LEEK. 



Of Ibis town we find no Coins till the year 1793, in which were 

 struck two Half-pennies, in all points alike, except that the lelUr* 

 on the one are somewhat smaller than those on the other. On the 

 obverse is a Chest with a package of goods King across it, and an 

 erect Caduceus near them, whose point appears fixed in the ground. 

 Around these is the inscription : ' Leek Commercial Halfpenny, 

 1793," and on the edge of the coin, Payable at Leek, Stafford- 

 shire." The reverse bears two Hands joined together, with an Olive 

 Branch behind them, and is inscribed " Arte favenle nil desperan- 

 dum." This coin is singular for having its legend in Latin, the 

 inscriptions on almost all the tokens, struck about this period, bdni: 

 in English. 



