434 
coins of the Brigantes and those of the southern parts of 
Britain. They certainly do not appear to have derived their 
coinage from the Iceni. The type of their gold coins is quite 
different, and a silver currency, except of Roman coins, was 
apparently unknown, though the native coins of the Iceni, 
inhabiting the eastern district of Britain, are most abundant 
in that metal. I should therefore infer that the Brigantes 
derived their knowledge of the art of coining through the 
Coritani (or Coritavi), of whose coinage we know little or 
nothing at present. The gold coins of the Brigantes are 
rude in execution, debased as to metal, so as scarcely to 
deserve the name of gold, and in shape much dished or con- 
cave. The use of money at so early a period in this country 
may appear almost incredible to those who have been accus- 
tomed to regard the ancient Britons as in the lowest state of 
barbarism ; but such persons, I suspect, have formed their 
estimate of the character of the Britons from the descrip- 
tions handed down to them of the tribes located in the 
interior rather than of those living along the seaboard of the 
island,' who were mainly of Belgic origin, and to whom, for a 
long period, the use of money was confined, until it gradually 
spread into the neighbouring districts more inland. It is, 
however, an undoubted fact that the Britons were not ©un- 
acquainted with the use of money, but were also accom- 
plished workers in metals, and understood not only the art of 
coining, but also that of counterfeiting coins, which is a 
branch of the art indicative of a high state of civilization. 
I may observe, however, that the contemporary forgeries best 
known are of the inscribed series of gold coins of Addedo- 
maros, Dubnovellaunus, and Cunobeline, and of silver coins 
of Tasciovanus. The forgeries of the uninscribed and most 
ancient coins are rare. The false gold coins are of copper 
and bronze, and covered all over with a thin plating of gold, 
and the silver coins have been fabricated by plating with 
