327 



London, and petitioned King Edward, that the coins of Eng- 

 land and Scotland might be interchangeably current in both 

 kingdoms upon equal terms, which request was granted in 

 consideration of the great humility of the King of Scotland. 



" In 1365, a new coinage was ordered in Scotland, to be 

 made equivalent and conformable to the current money of 

 England in weight and fineness, and to have a notable sign on 

 it to distinguish it from all other money already struck. 



"In 1367, the standard of the coinage in Scotland was 

 reduced to £1 9s. 4d. the pound tale, the money to be of the 

 same fineness as the last coinage, or that of England: the 

 effect of which was, to reduce the weight of the groat from 

 72 grains to 61 36. 



" So much light foreign money had been brought into 

 England in 1367, it was found necessary to issue an order that 

 no money of the coin of Scotland, or of any other country, 

 except the king's coins in gold and silver, should be current 

 in the kingdom. 



" The Scottish money was again cried down by proclama- 

 tion in England in 1372, which was rendered necessary by 

 the advantage which the Scotch had taken of the difference 

 in intrinsic value between their money and that of England ; 

 for they collected the latter, and coined it into their own 

 money, which was of less weight. It seems, however, that 

 this ordinance was insufficient to check a practice from which 

 a considerable profit accrued ; for in the following year (1373), 

 the Commons petitioned ' that four pence Scotch should go 

 for no more than three pence English, and, if the Scotch 

 should diminish their money on that account, that the current 

 value of it should be again brought down' (Ruding, vol. ii. 

 p. 208, second edition, 8vo.), which petition was granted, an 

 Act passed in the following year (1374), and proclamation 

 was made to that effect in Berwick-upon-Tweed; and similar 

 ordinances were made in 1381 and 1387. 



