420 Money and Money ers. 



fully justified by the facts and evidence adduced. Many months 

 elapsed, nevertheless, before steps were taken to remove the 

 Company from their posts. There were, during the years 1849 

 and 1850, great demands made upon the Mint for gold and 

 silver coin, and it was probably considered unwise to dislocate 

 existing arrangements during the existence of the pressure. 

 The Money ers were not averse to the delay for their percent- 

 ages upon coin produced were going on, and these were of 

 more value than the retiring allowances which they were likely 

 to obtain when superseded. 



Meanwhile Captain (now Colonel) Harness, of the Royal 

 Engineers, was appointed Deputy-master of the Mint, and he 

 at once, and with consummate talent and vigour, applied him- 

 self to the task of framing a new system of government for the 

 executive department of the establishment. The work was 

 arduous and difficult. The moneyers had retained in their 

 own hands the exclusive control of the operations of the coinage, 

 and they were not too willing to transfer to others the results 

 of their experience. The new deputy-master was not to be 

 deterred by the reticence of those over whose heads the ' ' sword 

 of Damocles" was suspended, but he carefully and cautiously 

 completed his plans, and prepared himself for his future cam- 

 paign. Mr. Sheil was succeeded in the Mastership of the 

 Mint by Sir John Herschel, towards the end of the year 1850, 

 and at the beginning of 1851 the moneyers received the "'no- 

 tice to quit" which they had so long been expecting. Again 

 fortune favoured them, the Bank pressed the Mint for gold coin, 

 and they were asked to retain office some time longer. This 

 they did until the autumn of that year, when their connection 

 with the place was finally and irrevocably severed. By way of 

 compensation they however received annuities, varying in 

 amount from £500 to £1000. At the time of their official dis- 

 solution the number of moneyers was five. There were also 

 two apprentices to the company, and these received annuities 

 amounting to £lo0 each, for their loss of prospects. 



Thus terminated the reign of the moneyers, whose history 

 1ms been elucidated as far as the space allotable here for the 

 purpose has permitted, and thus passed away an institution 

 which, in one form or another, had existed from the time of the 

 Heptarchy. It only remains to bo said that in the hands of the 

 Government the Royal Mint has lost none of its efficiency, 

 whilst the country has gained considerably, in a pecuniary sense, 

 by the change. Sir John Herschel retired from his office in 

 1854, and he was succeeded, in April 1855, by Professor Gra- 

 ham, F.R.S., who at this moment is Master of the Mint. 



It would be unfair to omit stating that Duncan's Work 

 on the Currency has been laid under contribution for some 



