346 BLOCKS OF TIN FOUXD IN FOWEY HARBOUR. 



I have kept one of these blocks as a curiosity and have had 

 it photographed. 



The notches discernible in the centre at the top and at the 

 right hand corner shew where the samples were cut from. This 

 cutting has defaced the original lines. 



It will be noticed that there is the usual hole provided for 

 conveniently lifting the block, although inthiscase it goes through 

 the block from front to back, instead of no more than half the 

 distance, as is customary now. The position of the hole, too, 

 indicates that there was no care to have it equi-distant from the 

 sides, as would be the case now. It is in fact a very rough casting^ 

 and in all probability belongs to the 14th or 1 5th century if not 

 earlier. The C[uality of the metal is such as Carew describes as 

 one of the two qualities presented for coinage in his days, the 

 other quality being harder and marked by the letter H to show 

 its inferiority. Gilbert B. Peaece. 



Leland, alluded to above, was appointed antiquary to King 

 Henry VIII, about 1532, and died in 1552, between which dates 

 he probably wrote his "Itinerary," but it was not published 

 until 1710. 



In the reign of Edward I [i.e. from 1 272 to 1307), in order to 

 secure the payment of duty on tin, it was agreed that all tin 

 should be broiight to certain places appointed for that purpose, 

 to be weighed and stamped, or, as it is usually termed, " coined "; 

 and that no tin should be sold until this stamp had been affixed. 

 However, that this was not the first origin of the coinage, as some 

 have supposed, is evident from Pat. 4 Henry III, 1 , where, in 

 addition to the order that the tin should be " coined" as stated 

 above, it also provides that the " cuneum " or "stamp" which 

 was inscribed with the name of his father King John should be 

 changed and his own name substituted. 



H. C. Rogers. 



