57 
inst., noticing the amount of the observation at York, the time 
of its commencement and termination, and its probable effect, 
where total, in fixing the true nature of the red flame 
prominences ” seen round the margin of the moon’s disc during 
the time of total obscuration. 
The Rev. J. Kenrick said—Some objects of antiquity have 
been presented to the society of which a short notice is desirable. 
The fragment of Samian pottery presented by Mr. Aid. Swaine 
and found in an excavation on his premises in the Crescent, 
bears the name of Cams as the maker, a name not found 
before on any piece of pottery in York. He has also presented a 
number of stones apparently forming a series of weights, found 
in the excavation carrying on in Micklegate opposite St. Martin’s 
church. They are cylinders of stone, perforated in the centre, 
as if for the purpose of passing a string or rod through them. 
When found they were piled pyramidically one upon another, 
and as their weights are respectively 101b., 4Jlb., 31b., IJlb., 
and Jib., it is probable that they formed part of a set, bearing 
a ratio to each other. From the depth at which they were 
found (14 ft.) they are presumably Roman. 
The coin given by the Hon. Payan Dawnay, is a copper 
farthing of James 1st. It is insignificant in its appearance, 
but a good deal of history is connected with it. It seems 
strange that England should have been so long without a 
copper coinage. Edward I. coined silver farthings, which, from 
their small size, were very inconvenient, and of course con¬ 
tained very little of the precious metal. It was a common 
practice to remedy the want of small change by cutting a silver 
penny into four parts. Some of these, which have been found 
in hoards, are so fresh and unworn that they appear to have 
been quartered before they left the mint. The consequence 
was the issue of a great number of local copper tokens. Queen 
Elizabeth had been frequently urged to issue a copper coinage, 
but had always refused. James I., in the year 1612, deter¬ 
mined on an issue of what were called farthing tokens^ for they 
were not regarded as coin of the realm. Hume has praised 
James for recalling, in the first years of his reign, the patents 
and monopolies which had been carried to such a length under 
E 
