283 



By the Eev. William Allan, M.A., 



Vicar of St. James', Bermondsey. 



p^JJ&HERE are few studies which are more interesting, or more 

 ggj intricate, than that of numismatics. Coinage, at the pre- 

 sent day at any rate, is co-extensive with civilization, so that the 

 history of coins is closely related to the history of the world. For 

 nearly three thousand years, precious metals, impressed with some 

 authorized stamp, have been more or less commonly adopted as the 

 medium of commerce. Their introduction into England was for- 

 merly thought to be due to the Romans, but it is now certain that 

 gold, silver, and copper coins, of Grecian rather than Roman style, 

 were in use amongst the ancient Britons before the arrival of the 

 Romans, and after their departure the Anglo-Saxon monarchs struck 

 rude silver coins of their own. Even the words penny, halfpenny, 

 and farthing (penin^e, haljzpenin^e, jzeop'Sun}) were the names by 

 which these coins were known nearly twelve hundred years ago. 

 The manufacture of coins was not, however, exclusively a royal 

 monopoly, as it is in the present day, for the Archbishops of Canter- 

 bury and York had the right of mintage, and even the coins which 

 more properly deserve the title of coins of the realm were not issued 

 from one great national mint, but from a multitude of small ones 

 scattered over the land. In various localities certain money ers were 

 authorized, under very rigid limitations, and subject to severe 

 penalties, to manufacture coins for the public use, several, if not 

 many, of these moneyers being engaged at each different centre. 

 In all cases they had to furnish specimens of their handiwork as a 

 royalty, or tribute, to their sovereign. 



By the laws of Athelstan it was enacted that mints should always 

 be situated within the walls of fortified towns. In those days 

 Cricklade came within this restriction (see Wilts Archaeological 

 Magazine , vol. xii., page 126), and enjoyed the privilege under 



VOL. XIX. — NO. LVII. 2 



