[ 465 ] 
very deficient in weight, and thence determined the 
weight of the Confular Denarius to be 74.* Paris 
grain?, equal to 604..^ Troy (4). But, as he hath 
jrct told us what number of pieces his large heap 
contained, nor the weight of the heavieft and lighteft 
of them, his conclufion is not fatisfadlory. 
Having no perfeft Greek coins, either gold or 
filver, except one very ancient Attic Tetradrachm 
weighing 333 Paris grains, he derived the weight 
of the Attic Drachm from his Denarius, by a pro- 
portion between the Roman Pound and the Attic 
Talent, mentioned in the 38th book ofLivy’sHiftory, 
which happened to agree with the weight of his an- 
cient Tetradrachm, giving a Drachm of 83I Paris, 
grains, equal to almoft 68_ i Troy (5). : ' 
Neither be nor Greaves have taken notice of the 
Roman Scrupular gold coin, nor made fuch ufe of 
the Conftantinopolitan Solidus, as might be expedled, 
from the great number now remaining in the moft 
perfect prefervation, though the latter hath given the 
weights of 29 of them. 
Greaves, very juftly, obferves, that, gold coins 
“ are not fubjecT to be confumed by time and ruft, 
“ but only ex inter trimento ; and therefore we may 
‘‘ the fafelier give credit to them. And becaufe 
“ the difference, though but of a grain, is of fome 
confideration in gold, the mafters of the mint ufe 
to be more circumfpedl about them : whereas, in 
“ filver coins, fince it is hardly worth the pains to 
Rand precifely on the cxcefs or defedt of a grain, 
“ there are few of thefe fo exadt, but either exceed 
(4) P* 33* (5) P- 40 and 42. 
VoL, LXI. O o o ‘‘or 
