[ 466 ] 
“ or want in the very mint one or two grains, and 
“ fometimes more (6).” 
I found, the heaviefl: of twenty new guineas, of 
the year 1768, frefli from the mint, to outweigh 
the lighted; grains. The didrachmal gold of 
Philip and Alexander is about 4 grains heavier than 
our' guinea j and I never found the difference be- 
tween any two of them, that appeared to be perfedt 
and unworn, amount to two grains. The filver,. 
likewife, of thefe two Princes is more corredtlv fized, 
than any other ancient filver money I have leen. 
The Roman Confular Aureus is between 3 and 4. 
grains lighter than a guinea, and is not fo corredtly 
fized as the Greek gold ; but much more fo than 
the Denarius, which is fo unequal, that the Roman 
mint-mafters feem to have contented themfelves, with , 
ftriking a certain number of pieces out of the pound 
of filver, with very little regard to their equality. 
Therefore, as far as the difcovery of the weight of 
the Roman pound depends on their coin, it muft 
be obtained from the gold alone. 
Eifenfchmid fuppofes, that gold coins may have 
loft a fenfible part of their original weight, though 
no appearance of wear can be difcovered on them,, 
even with a glafs (7), On the contrary, I have 
found guineas of'George II, and Ann, wdaofe wear, 
on themoft prominent parts of the head, was vifiblc 
at the firft' glance of the naked eye, which were 
above ftandard weighty therefore, where no appear- 
ance of wear, or other diminution, can be difcovered 
i 
(6) Greaves, p. 103. (7) Eifenfchmid, p. 34, 35. 
on 
