44 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



not carry us back beyond the seventeenth century, though it is very probable, 

 from earlier proclamations and Acts of Parliament relating to coin and to 

 foreign coin current in Ireland, that money weights were used as early as the 

 fifteenth century. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries there are 

 several Irish Statutes relating to the clipping of coin and to the currency 

 of foreign coins in Ireland ; but I have not been able to trace any definite 

 reference to the use of money weights at this period. 



The following Irish Acts refer to the currency of foreign coin in Ireland, 

 that of 1460 being apparently the earliest on that subject : — 



38 Henry VI, c. 40 (1460). That, whereas in this land foreign coins had 

 not been usually received, to the great hurt of the said land : It is ordained by 

 authority of the said Parliament that the Eider of lawful weight be received at 

 and of the value of four shillings ; the Ducat of full weight at and of the value 

 of four shillings and twopence ; the Lion of lawful weight at and of the value 

 of four shillings and twopence ; the Burgundy Noble at and of the value of 

 six shillings and eightpence ; the Crown at and of the value of three shillings 

 and fourpence ; and the Salute of lawful weight at and of the value of four 

 shillings and twopence. And if any of the said gold coins or the English 

 noble, half-noble, and quadrant of gold be not of the full weight, to be abated 

 accordingly to the rate, and so to be received. 



16 Edward IV, clause 43 (1476). Whereas divers gold coins of divers lands 

 have come into this land with divers foreign merchants, which gold is not 

 valued or set at any suitable value in this land, to the great impoverishment 

 of the merchants and inhabitants of the same. It is ordained by authority 

 of said Parliament that the Eider fine and good be received and passed as 

 current in this land of Ireland of and for the value of five shillings of the 

 money of Ireland ; the Ducat fine and good of and for the value of five 

 shillings; the Lion fine and good of and for the value of five shillings; the 

 Crown fine and good of and at the value of five shillings ; the Crusado fine 

 and good of and at the value of five shillings ; the Burgundy Noble of and at 

 the value of ten shillings; and the demi-Noble and quarter of the same 

 according to the same rate ; the Salute fine and good according to the rate 

 of five shillings. And if any of the said gold coins want any part of the weight 

 of the right standard of the same, it shall abate so much as is wanting in the 

 payment. 



28 Elizabeth, c. vi (1586). An Act against counterfeiting or forging such 

 kind of gold or silver of other realms as is not the proper coin of this realm, 

 nor current in payment within this realm. 



In the year 1618 a proclamation was issued authorizing, in the case of 

 England and Wales, the Master of the Mint, and in the case of Scotland, 



