imitated by the Anglo-Saxons. At the same time their wealth is shown by the abundance of the gold ring money, tcrques, and other ornaments belonging to those and earlier epochs; while the writings of Bede, an Irishman, are superior to any other literary production of his era.

No coins, however, are known till the eighth century, and those appear to have been struck by the Danes, who had then subdued portions of Ireland as well as England. These coins are very rude, and are apparently copies of Anglo-Saxon coins of the period, executed by workmen who did not understand the letters which they have imitated by a series of simple strokes, IIIIIIII. This supposed Danish coinage was improved in the ninth century, and there are coins of native kings, who appear to have imitated them about the same time, as those of Anlaf (930 A.D.), and Sithric (994 A.D.), which are considered native Irish coins rather than Danish ones. They have the legend ON. DVFLI, or ON. DYFLI., Dyflin, or Duffin, being the ancient name of Dublin. Coins attributed to Donald O'Neal (996) have been published by Simon; and a coin is mentioned as one being in the collection of Mr. Dummer, which has the legend DOMNALDVS. REX. MONAGH. There are also other coins of Danish and Irish kings of a similar kind, for an account of which I have no space.

A portion of Ireland was already subject to England under the Anglo-Saxon race of kings, and there are coins of Ethelred (886) struck at Dublin, and also of Edred (948), and Edgar (959). Those of Canute, struck at Dublin, are good coins for the period, having a crowned profile, with a quatrefoil ornament on the obverse, with GNVT. REX ANGLORV(m), and on the reverse a voided cross with FERENN. MO. DIF., that is, Ferenn, moneyer, Dublin.

After the period of the Norman conquest no Irish coins are described with certainty till the complete subjugation by Henry II. in 1172, after which those of John appear, which are easily distinguished by the triangle within which the portrait is placed a form supposed by some to allude to the Irish national symbol, the harp-a conjecture scarcely tenable, as it is found on the coins of other countries at about the same period. This type continued in use on the Anglo-Irish coinage from John to Henry V.

Till the time of Henry VIII. little variety occurs in the

Anglo-Irish coinage. This prince coined sixpences for Ireland, worth only fourpence in England, and on his Anglo-Irish coinage the initials of his successive Queens are found-a peculiarity which has caused collections of them to be made by the curious in such details.

Mary issued base shillings and groats for Ireland; and that Elizabeth, while she was restoring the purity of the English coinage, still farther debased that of Ireland, is notorious.

A copper coinage was also issued for Ireland in the reign of Elizabeth, which thus precedes the English copper by half a century. This coinage consists of pence and halfpence.

The injustice systematically meted out to Ireland by the dominant country is as well exemplified in the progress of the coinage as in any other governmental department; as an instance of which it may be stated here, that when James I. made the experiment of an issue of copper farthings, they were made of two sizes, in order that if they failed in England, they might be sent to Ireland as pence and halfpence.

In 1635 a mint was established in Dublin, by Charles I.; but the unhappy events which followed prevented the intention from being carried out, and the attempt was not resumed.

After the massacre of 1641, the Roman Catholics, in a time of general confusion, struck what have been termed the St. Patrick halfpence and farthings, known by the legends FLOREAT REX., and on the other side, ECCE GREX. farthings have QVIESCA PLEBS.

The

In Cromwell's time the people sought, as in England, tc remedy the inconvenience caused by a want of small coils; and a number of tokens were struck by different towns and

tradesmen.

In 1680, halfpence and farthings were coined by royal authority, with the national symbol (the harp) and the date. The next peculiarity to be noticed with regard to the Irish coinage is the base silver money struck there by James II., in 1689, in his last struggle for the throne from which he had been expelled. These coins were struck principally from some brass cannon, from which they took the name of gun-money; but they were composed of a mixture of metals, in wnich silver formed a small proportion.

The half-crowns of the gun-money gradually diminished in size, as the metal began to fail; and, as the date of the month was placed upon them, the gradual decrease can be traced through all its phases. This occurred from June 1689 to July 1690. In 1690, the white metal crowns were issued, and other crowns of gun-metal in the same year, which were reduced to the size of the original half-crowns, from which they are only distinguished by having no month mark upon them.

The crowns of white metal are very scarce. The types are James on horseback on the obverse, and the arms on the reverse; on the obverse the legend contains the regal titles he had lost; and the reverse has CHRISTO · VICTORE · TRIVMPHO⚫; and on the edge, MELIORIS TESSERA · FATI ·

ANNO REGNI SEXTO.

He issued, at the same time, pence and halfpence of lead mixed with tin; and after his defeat, and escape from Ireland, a few halfpence were struck by his adherents in Limerick, which were, from the type of the reverse, called Hibernias.

The patent granted to William Wood, in 1772, for coining halfpence and farthings for Ireland, excited great discontent, as he coined them much smaller than the size stipulated for in the patent. The coins are, however, of very good execu tion, and bear a better portrait of George I. than any found upon the English copper coinage.

In the reign of George II., in 1737, Irish halfpence and farthings were issued, of the same size and weight as the English copper, with the harp on the reverse, and the portrait as principal type, with the same titles as on the English coinage.

In 1760, coins being very scarce, a company of gentlemer obtained leave to issue a coinage of halfpence, upon which the legend "Voce Populi" appeared round the head of the Sovereign, which, it is said, was, in fact, a portrait of the Pretender, though done in the usual manner of the portraits of the King,

No gold or silver was coined in Ireland since the abolition of the mint, established by Charles I, in 1640.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE COINAGE OF THE FOREIGN STATES OF MODERN EUROPE, ASIA, AND AMERICA.

COINS OF MODERN ITALY.

WE have seen how the coinage of Italy became gradually depreciated as the Western Empire of Rome crumbled beneath the repeated barbaric invasions; and also how the privilege of independent coinage was conferred upon Gaul and Spain by the emperors of the East.

In Italy, after the extinction of the race of Gothic kings, the coins of the exarchs of Ravenna appear as viceroys of the emperors of the East. These coins are only small copper, and generally bear the inscription FELIX RAVENNA.

The gold and silver of the eastern empire were found to form a sufficient circulation in those metals for Italy.

The Lombards, who subdued the north of Italy, 572, A.D., and occupied it for two centuries, have left no coinage to record their rule; and we find no Italian coin belonging properly to the modern series till the issues of Charlemagne, at Milan, about 780. He also struck coins at Rome. His Milanese coins have a cross, and on the reverse the monogram of Carolus, with MEDIOL. These types of Milanese coins are found of successive German emperors, till the 13th century.

About the period of Charlemagne, the modern Italian coinage of silver pennies commences, founded, like that of France, Spain, and England, on the old Roman denarius, and bearing corruptions of that name in the two first-named countries, as well as Italy, while in England, and the northern countries, other denominations were ultimately adopted.

Soon after the time of Charlemagne, the counts or local governors of towns and provinces became more or less inde pendent, and their offices very generally hereditary. These

L L

petty governors all issued coin, and a detailed account, therefore, or even an outline of the progress of all the various coinages of modern Europe, would occupy many ponderous volumes; a few examples only, can therefore be glanced at.

The modern independent coinage of the city of Rome, under the popes, began, like most others, with a series of silver pennies, the first being those of Pope Hadrian, from 771 to 795, A. D., who received the privilege from Charlemagne. This modern Roman series has generally the name of the pope on one side, and SCVS PETRVS on the other. Some few have rude portraits, such as those of Benedict II., Sergius III., John X., Agapetus II., &c., &c.

For above a century, from 975 to 1099, there are no coins except those of Leo IX. From Paschal II. to Benedict XI., 1303, the Popes having no power in Rome, the pennies are of the Roman people, bearing on one side a rude figure of St. Peter, with ROMAN PRINCIPE, and on the other SENAT. POPVL Q R, accompanied by the name in succession of the chief senator, who was then governor of the city of Rome. Some have also the arms of this personage, as on the coins of Brancaleo, 1253, which have a lion on one side, with BRACALEO S P Q R ; and on the other side, a female figure, with a crown, a globe, and a palm-branch, and the legend, ROMA CAPVT MVNDI, &c., &c. Charles of Anjou, when elected Senator of Rome, issued coins with the inscription

Coin of Charles of Anjou, as Senator of Rome.

A few of the Popes issued patrimonial coins, with PATRIMONIVM; but in general the coinage of the Popes, up