The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-03-19 00:00:00

DEVICF.I4 OF PIECES.

and as coins in general have bad their appellation from
some popular associations of ideas, the COlllilisill appel-
lation by which these foreigners was known, was 'lolly
transferred to the coins they fabricated. These coins
were the SILVER PENNIES. The term Pussy, the ra-
dical denomination from which the English coin has
come lobe nettsbereil. has come into use to this country
front the Sevens. Camden would fancifully trace its
derivation from the Latin itecersiss. perhaps,' because it ,
seemed originally to have been a generic term, synony-
mous with 310,11 a, anti applied to the first gold pieces
'that were coined AS well as to the silver previously in
circulation. The am lent silver PCNN I had the lignre
of the Cross so deeply impressed upon it, that it could
easily be broken into halves and quarters. and its pieces
then could be empl rayed in currency; hence, the use of
1 the terms WAI.F.PINN T. Unit FOl'll THINGS, Olr VAR-TIMIS.
The silver penny price. moreover, soon became a howl
and precise kind of weight, and the weight, when ales-
`ally recognized, received its name from the coin ; beam
f PEN N%•VitIGIIT : while the weight of the silver
Litself was detirmined lw the weight of 2.1 grains of w
1 from the middle of the ear. well dried ; and hence !I
grains are said, in mercantile actotapts, to make one
reNstv-wetorr. The ponnd of stertini.of silver is on-
derstood, as has been stated, to Mee . bees originally
Nina) to a pound weight. This. however, as am} be ob-
served it the preceding Table. is not enart/y tree re.
latieely to the ponnd Troy ; it really was as to the Sem*
patina, which was the weight in commonase previous to'
the Conquest. and continued to be employed till the rery,
of Henry VI.
A certain qnantity of baser metal. though very small.'
had been found roirrenient to be mined with gad anti
silver when ntamsfactured into coin. The proportion
used, required to be definite and regular, in order to pre-
vent advantage front being taken by the falsifiers ot
coin, or inconvenience or injnry being done to the fo-1
seise merchant ; and the properties so employed requi-
red also to be established he the authority of goverts.
meat. and made adequately' known to all concerned. A
I:aoliar term was, therefore, necessarily inttodneed„ to l
e that definite degree of frames which was re-
telnial in the respective coins- and ism ot only still em-
foe its proper purpose.b.nt app occestonally, sad
tedletellvery contumely, to objects that have no connection
with its original tneaatng. The term alluded to is that
which we have already explained. the word 511111143111.
Accenting to the ancient *rename. or Staadent. as ap-
plied to gold. it appears from the oldest istdeattwest of
'the Mint that, if a pound weight.of Tray. was divided
into 24 carats. and every carat into feat grains, a pound
weight of the old STERLIXO. or right standard of Eng-1
land-, would consist of M carats and 34 grains of free
gold, and half* grain of alloy. eitber of silver eat cop-
per; and as applied to silver, it eansisted then. al it der* 1
'at present. of II ounces and 2 pennyweightso lint. and
IS pennyweights alloy. For the verbalisms that have
taken plsre is the fineness of gold the reader is referred
to the talshe above.
The filet geld noised in England appears to hate been
by Henry 111., in the year 1457. As relating tea mattry

On the obverse is the Ling in his robes. sitting on a throne. with * sceptre is his right'
hind. and en orb in his left. On the reverse is a long cross with a rose between rat'
interstice.

The obv. displays the Royal lieleset. with s Lion gardant ; the reverse, a rose. with al
cross in its centre.
Oa the obverse is the King in armour. in a ship. with a sword in this right band, and in
his left a shield. with the anus of Fresco and England on the reverse a trots.
its denomination.
Oa snore Nobles a sag. with a cross on a ip'sst.
P The ship continued to be thetype of the Noble even after that coin changed

The obverse representi St. Michael essabating the dragon.
Obverse. the King on his throne. Reverse, a fell blown rase ; onits centre
mown. a
shield, with
the quartered anon otrratrabaod England, sarasounted with a large Imperial

i Do.

k~•

This Noble beer the name of the Greece, from that of the Saint whom it represented, on
horseback comb/Mae the &agog .
rose. The obverse eihibited gully a large doable se. surmoented with a crown ;the reverse. a
shield of arms as before,
of preceding pieces at the twee 41enomination ; the reverse in some dis-
The obree4e as that Browned ; in others the letter It, on one side of the shield. aad the
plays the Ro% el shield.
letter R. on the other, ia the place of what are called the supporter of the arras.

On the obverse of tee Angel is St. Michael, with a spear in one hand. any a shield of arms
in the other on the reverse a ship•
A profile of the King, half bodied in armour. with a sword in hir right hand, awl in his left
lan orb. On the reverse of die whole TheeSevs is a shield. with the Royal Arens. crowned
\and 4upported by a Lion and a Dragon. rofile form. which has been since continued,
appears copied from some of the silver coins of Drury Till.

On the Sorrows lb. Queen is represented on a throne ; on the Nom., in a ship, bolding
an escutcheon of arms.
In the first coinage. the IleStartG% eslalhits the Queen in state. but in all the others he
profile occupies the obverse. arrayed in armour aad ref and crowned with the Imperial
crown of En gland. The Rs AL represents the royal figure in a ship ; and In this coinage the
ship has a large rose oit its side. sad has a bred mare decorated than in any preceding pieces.
'Most of the coins of this reign present no other desire Oft the merse than that of a shbeidob ith
!the Royal Arms. sanalamatad with a wawa.

The deviees Introdered into the coinages of James I. were ov rrtrionv is the names of the
pieces. The UNITS asbibits on one side a hell length ',vire of the King in profile. crowned,
and on the other the arms of Scotland and Ireland quartered with those of England. On the
Cnows piece. called the Tuurrs.r. emoting. on one side 14 the Thistle surmounted with a
crown. and on the otherthrrose. adorned with the saw? distinction. On o
figuresther pieces tbe best
is Inurested, not crowned; and tbe vales of thews in shillings marked with .

On that sioheol the Anna& which ethibits the Gime of Rt. Michael. is She letter IL for tenf
'stilling.. ft wltieh t sine the piers Wes boned. la this reign the figulast represented.re of the ship. which sp-
irritrs to here been the favourite &visitor Segpclish gold coin. was
1 The obverse displays the shield. with the nom of M. George. with as words Comma-
llirroltla of limylgarl; the Protector. dimpin)s lite bust.
On the obverse of*, "Qs. pieee or Germs. the bast of the King it iserested. as in more
louden' coins. Ii some, the letters XX. for les. appear behind the head. On the reverse the
Iloysl Ars. on a 'tingle shield. crowned. Tbe Guises., node af African gold. have an
gleplinat m,
the armorial bearing of the African Company. under the King's best.

During the life of the Queen, bee bust 1V VI impressed, with that of the King. on the obverse
of the claim
The obverse presents the King's bust, as in preceding reigns ; the reverie, the Royal Arms,
of sided' are those of Meuse irk. lc.
Its the eoinake of Me, the area of Frame were rawhide(' from the shield ; the title of
Rem F relisqiishOd. and this inscription introduced on the coins, °mosaics 111, Uri
ORATIa. t
BRIT tSNIAiIIIM Rcz Finn, DrfTS4Oll. In 1141:. in the coinage of the SormssioNi.
the Genre ofAit. (Imams striking the DtagOlb was revived upon the reverse.

102.0*
I II II

10 0
6 0
♦ 0

5 0 10

S 60
o 0 0
O 0 0

8 0

$ 6 16

so
IL I

I I II

11 2

of supreme importance. and in which the exercise ot
Royal authority was immediately engaged. the gold
piece was impressed with the figure of the King, and an
inscription of bit name, which wit li numerons variations,
of winch the Tatar states the principal, has continued to
be tine practice through succeeding reigns. Besides the
pieces described above there were several others, priaci-
pally of a fractional kind. such as the ANc.v.Lay, or half
Angel, the half Cnowat of gold. kr. The olenominstions
anddeviees of the pieces, were also too often varied to ailtnit
of illuatratice or remark. The gold money in general,"
'say. Snelling, who had made the coinage of the King-
dom his partielilar atudy, " received their mune front
their type; the Royal (often called Ityal and Riall) be-
ing thus ratted front their repreaenting the Kieft its his
Royal robe., the Alasse. (i. e. the Mace) from the
SCCPTZII in his lianil Z the (111114 E from the Comte, and the
same of the Asi:ct.,Sat.rwe,SovEßElGS.kr." Proceeding
wymore
alui
ial,tei i ntlitat
set
wltyho
isrdwei toihni n rc-hrie.,
'pert to the N mats. of which he is treating in the ass-
sage from tillich this extract is taken, awl which load
the impression of a " Ship," wherein the King, Edward
ill:it:an,
dsit,i..ak,se thee i strain
olaiii
Iltoiiti
at::
a:nl ‘ armouriintgis'
tritest its name on the same account ; its type being re-
presaive of the King's N ants resolution to maintain the
sovereignty of the sea, and at the same time commenter
Praire of die "mime victory which he haul obtained over
leis eased s. some time hedare en that element; and this
atipears to leave lora an opinion of an ancient anther, in
M. S. in the Cottonian Library. who mays—
' For four this our NoolLE %hear' to me.
' King. ship and sword, salt POWs/LS or tile sats.'
Respecting the derivation of the appellation Sore-
netox, as applied t. English gold coins, and which is fit
to be noticed aa applicable to the invent resumption of
the name, Mr. Snelling happen' incidentally to he still
more explicit. "This word Soviet:toe" says he, %t hen
deareihing the 'lmitate Royal or Sovereign of Henry
the m's, ." thi" word Sovereign appears to be of English
origin, and to leave bad its birth here, bring derived from
the type of the king. or Sorter:les, who is exhibited
on it. sitting in state; which, with some little difference,
had been in use two centuries before." As the lieteas.
afterward' in the reign of Charles 11. obtained its
name antoeg the people, breanse the African Company
at that time broisaht from the Coast of Gitiosen the pre-
cious metal of which the coin was made, so the appella-
tion of Sovereign was probably given to the catboat pre-1
sent referred to, from a similar association of p opolee
ideas. Then Cannwes.L's large gold reins were similar-
ly called ittavas Broads, the coins of James, Jac°.
nt.'sses. kr. And what warrant' this opinion of the
origin of the names both of the SOTentiON and of the
fluters is, that the aypellationsoliol not obtain the stamp
of official authoritx is. the Mist Indentures till a consi-
derable time after the respective pieces hail been coined.
Shillings appear to have been first coined in England
in 1068, and gold and silver money only wes coined
till 1800. when tappet coin was introduced to put an
pod to the use of leaden tokens. Prom the table above,
the capricious anti arbitrary rariatioas that have