found at Bremeridge Farm, Westbury, Wilts. 123 



In some of the Bremeridge specimens the French arms are repre- 

 sented semee of fleurs de lis as assumed by Edward III. ; in some 

 there are four or more fleurs de lis indicated in the 1st quarter, and 

 three in the 4th and more circumscribed quarter, while some one or 

 two have distinctly three fleurs de lis in both quarters, as afterwards 

 adopted by Charles VI. of France, who began to reign A.D. 1380, 

 and as expressly imitated by our Henry V. 1 We may reasonably 

 expect to find some exceptional instances of three fleurs de lis an- 

 ticipating the formal enactment of change in each country, because 

 it is much easier to depict a small definite number than semee. On 

 the other hand, it would appear from the fifteenth century illumi- 

 nations of Froissart MSS. that some who had a right to quarter the 

 arms of France, notwithstanding the regular practice of Charles VI. 

 and his successors, still chose, from a conservative feeling, to depict 

 them semee of fleurs de lis, which coat came to be called for dis- 

 tinction " Ancient France." 3 



Some of those which have the name of Edward on the obverse 

 have on the reverse in the centre the initial of fourteenth century 

 shape. 8 



The coin which has had a piece unfortunately cut out of it by the 

 finders, as above mentioned, happens to be particularly interesting 

 as being one of the three of Richard II. in this hoard, resembling 

 those already described of Edward III. with the exception of having 

 the name Richard, which is somewhat defaced, on the obverse, and 

 the initial b. in the centre of the reverse. These nobles of Richard 

 are not so well coined as those of Edward in the same hoard, and 

 the mutilated coin already mentioned being curiously blundered both 



1 Sandford's "Geneal. Hist.," book III., e. iii., p. 157, note. 



2 " Ce f ut seulement apres Charles V. que les armes de France furent reguliere- 

 ment fixees a trois fleurs de lis : tandis que depuis Philip le Hardi, qui le premier 

 placa trois fleurs de lis sur son sceau [en 1285] (" Noveau Traite de Diplomatique," 

 1759, t. iv., p. 137), on les trouve tantot sans nombre, tantot reduites a trois." 

 " Tresor de Numism." " Hist, de 1' Art Monetaire," 1846. 



3 One has a, i.e., c, which may possibly be intended to denote Calais as the 

 place of mintage. See Cuff's Note, &c, above cited. 



