[ 45 + ] 
But notwithftanding this prevailing opinion Mr. 
de Boze fais, that for upwards of thirty years, in 
which he has had the keeping of the King's medals, 
he has not ceafed to inquire after a Befcennius in 
gold, as thinking it not impoflible, but one might 
be found. Becaufe, when a prince or general was 
proclaimed emperor, the firft proof he gave of his 
authority, was to order gold or filver money to be 
ftruck as his coin in his own palace ; the confcnt of 
the fenate being only neceflary for Latin brafs coins, 
which were current at Rome , and required the ufual 
fignaturc S. C. for Senatus confulto. 
In the years 1726 and 1727 he received accounts, 
as he fais, of one and the fame gold medal of 
! Befcennius , as brought from four different quarters} 
firft from Spain , then from Sicily , afterwards from 
Malta , and laftly from England. But he found it 
to be falfe, as all others had done, who had fecn it. 
It had been caft from a filver one of that prince, on 
the reverfc of which is the figure of the godefs 
Hope i with the infeription of bonae spei, which 
is the moft common of any. Thofe in the cabinets 
of Arfchot and Saxe Gotka have likewife the fame 
reverie, and doubtlefs from the fame origin. 
About ten yeats afterwards a learned Englifhman, 
who came from Montpellier , informed Mr. de Boze , 
that he had feen in a frnall colleftion of one Mr. 
VeiJJieres , counfellor of the Court of Aids, two coins 
of BeJ'cennius in gold } one of which was manifcftly 
falfe, and the other deferved to be examined. Upon 
this information he applied himfelf to an eminent 
connoifl’eur (1), who viewed the two medals, as far 
as (*) 
(*) M. Bo?/ , Premier Bref/dent de la chambre des comptes, etc. 
