Money and Money ers. 411 



coins, and lcZ. for wages, expenses, diet, etc. For tlie striking 

 of farthings, which from their small size involved more labour 

 in their manufacture, Tumemirewas to receive lOkZ. per pound 

 weight. The mints under Tumemire's management were 

 worked satisfactorily, and his system prevailed for many 

 years. In 1281 the check upon various offices of the mints 

 was increased, and a comptroller appointed. 



Henry YIL, it may be stated, was the monarch who origi- 

 nated our present coinage or currency. In the year 1 489 he 

 ordered the striking of a new money, of double the value of a 

 royal noble, to be called a sovereign, and to pass current for 

 twenty shillings. In 1504 he also first authorised the strik- 

 ing of shillings and half shillings, in addition to groats and 

 half groats. By the statute of the same year he appears to 

 have given the present form to our coins, by ordaining that 

 every piece of his new money should have " a circle about the 

 c utter' part thereof; and also that all manner of gold coins 

 thereafter to be coined, should have the whole scripture about 

 every piece of the same gold, without lacking of any part 

 thereof; to the intent that his subjects might have perfect 

 knowledge by that circle and scripture when the said coins 

 might be clipped and impaired." 



He also appears to have revised the custom of placing nu- 

 merals on the coins after the name of the monarch, to dis- 

 tinguish those struck by different monarchs of the same name — 

 a custom which had been disused from the time of Henry III. 

 (a.d. 1272), until his own (a.d. 1485), which now renders it 

 extremely difficult to appropriate with accuracy the coins of the 

 intermediate kinsrs. 



Unquestionably, however, the most important change made 

 in connection with the Mint, between the years 1344 and 

 1509, consisted in the gradual rise of the joint authority of the 

 warden, master, and comptroller, or virtual Mint Board, and 

 in the gradual transference into their hands jointly of great 

 part of the several supervising responsibilities of the warden, 

 and comptroller, and of some part of the- active management of 

 the master. Into the causes and motives of these changes it is 

 not necessary here to go. It will be sufficient for our purposes 

 merely to record them. 



The Mint indenture of the year 1350 is remarkable as being 

 the first on record which specifies that the mint-master shall be 

 master and worker "in the Tower." It obviously, however, 

 contemplates his minting in several places, as the king engages 

 to appoint wardens in each place where he shall mint. In the 

 indenture of 1356 the wider title occurs of master and worker 

 in the Tower of London ' ' et aillours parmie Engleterre; " in 

 that of 1395, in the Tower and at Calais, in that of 1422, in the 



