Plate V.
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Irish
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A proclamation by the Lord Lieutenant and Council of Ireland, dated March 18th, 1775, for stopping the currency of all foreign coin in this kingdom. Recites the proclamations of 1712, 1714, and 1751. “And whereas His Majesty has been graciously pleased to signify his royal pleasure by his order in Council, bearing date at his Court at St. James, the 10th day of March instant, transmitting to us and for that purpose that a proclamation do issue to recall and revoke all proclamations heretofore published in this kingdom so far forth as they do give currency to any foreign coin whatsoever, and to direct that no coin be accepted after a day to be named in such proclamation, in any payment whatsoever, save only His Majesty’s coin current in Great Britain. “Now we the Lord Lieutenant and Council, in obedience to His Majesty’s said order, do by this our proclamation recall and revoke the said several in part recited proclamations of the 30th day of July, 1712, and of the 14th day of July, 1714, and every part thereof not revoked by the said in part recited proclamation of the 8th day of July, 1751. And we do hereby publish and declare that no collector or officer of His Majesty’s revenue or other person or persons whatsoever shall from and after the date hereof be obliged to take in any payment or payments any coin save only his Majesty’s Coin current in Great Britain ; anything in any former proclamation to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.” (“Dublin Gazette.”) Proclamation by the Lord Lieutenant and Council of Ireland dated May 8th, 1775. “Harcourt. Now we the Lord Lieutenant and Council in pursuance of His Majesty’s order do hereby publish and declare that from and after the 24th of June next all weights to be made use of in this kingdom for weighing the gold coin current therein shall be ascertained by the duplicates of His Majesty’s weights of Great Britain lodged in the custody of His Majesty’s proper officer appointed by His Majesty for that purpose, and shall be stamped and marked with the stamp or mark provided by the said officer, and that no collector or officer of His Majesty’s revenue or other person or persons whatsoever in this kingdom shall after the 24th day of June refuse to take in payment or payments any gold coin current in this kingdom at the rates mentioned and declared by His Majesty’s proclamation bearing date the 24th day of June, 1774, to be ascertained by the said weights and no others ; and that any person receiving money shall choose which side - 68 -of the scale he pleases if he uses those of the payer, and if he uses his own, then he is to receive by what side the payer think fit to direct.” (“Dublin Gazette.”) A proclamation by the King given at the Court of St. James, dated April 12th, 1776, was issued from Dublin Castle, April 17th, 1776. The proclamation declares that “from May 8th no guineas, half and quarter guineas more deficient in weight than the following rates, viz. :—
Dwt.grs.
Guineas coined before January 1st, 1772, 5 8
Half-guineas coined before January 1st, 1772, 2 16
Quarter-guineas coined before January 1st, 1772, 1 8
be allowed to pass as current within the kingdom of Ireland except in payments to he made at the receipt of our exchequer or to collectors or receivers of our revenue there, or to such person or persons appointed by His Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ; and we do require and command our Vice-Treasurer and Receiver-General and Paymaster-General of our revenues within our kingdom of Ireland from the 8th of May to the 26th of August to take and receive in payment of our revenue and taxes such of the said deficient gold coin of our realm, so as the deficiency do not exceed the following rates :—
Dwt.grs.
Guineas coined before January 1st, 1772, 5 6
Half-guineas coined before January 1st, 1772, 2 14
Quarter-guineas coined before January 1st, 1772, 1 7
“After August 26th guineas, half-guineas and quarter-guineas as in the first table are not to pass current unless we see fit to allow fourteen days to the collector of our revenue in Ireland for the purpose of remitting and paying such of the said deficient coin. And we do require and enjoin our Vice-Treasurer and Receiver-General in Ireland during such fourteen days and no longer, to receive said deficient coin not below the weights in the second table.” (“Dublin Gazette,” April 16 to 18, 1776.) By the proclamation of March 18, 1775, the currency of foreign coin in Ireland was stopped ; but in the year 1797 Spanish dollars were made current coin, and appear to have been in use in different forms until 1819. A proclamation by the Lord Lieutenant and Council of Ireland dated September 7, 1797. “Whereas silver Spanish dollars stamped at His Majesty’s - 69 -mint of Great Britain have been issued at the Bank of England and made current therein at the rate of four shillings and ninepence British per dollar ; and whereas it is expedient that such dollars so stamped should receive a like currency in this kingdom ; and whereas His Majesty’s authority for the purpose has been signified, we the Lord Lieutenant and Council of Ireland do hereby publish and declare that the said Spanish dollars so stamped at His Majesty’s mint in Great Britain do pass as current money in this kingdom at the rate of 5s. 1¾d. each dollar, and be taken in all payments to and from His Majesty in this kingdom. “Counterfeiters of said dollars to suffer the penalties of the Act of the 8th year of Queen Anne (Ireland), an Act to prevent the counterfeiting the current coin in this kingdom.” (“Dublin Gazette.”) A proclamation by the Lord Lieutenant and Council dated October 19th, 1798. “Ordered that the Spanish dollars as current by the proclamation of September 7th, 1797, be called in and not pass as current money in Ireland. All dollars to be brought to the Bank of Ireland at the rate of 5s. 1¾d. during twenty-one days from the date of the proclamation, and such dollars as are not brought in said time, will after expiration thereof pass current and be received in payment at the rate of 4s. l0d. per each dollar.” This first issue of Spanish dollars of Charles III and IV was stamped with the bust of George III. The stamp was oval, similar to that struck on sterling silver, and was stamped on the neck of the bust of the Spanish King on the coins. In 1804, as it was found that these dollars were largely counterfeited, the counterstamp was enlarged, and the bust of George III was placed in an octagonal stamp. |
- 44 -not carry us back beyond the seventeenth century, though it is very probable, from earlier proclamations and Acts of Parliament relating to coin and to foreign coin current in Ireland, that money weights were used as early as the fifteenth century. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries there are several Irish Statutes, relating to the clipping of coin and to the currency of foreign coins in Ireland ; but I have not been able to trace any definite reference to the use of money weights at this period. The following Irish Acts refer to the currency of foreign coin in Ireland, that of 1460 being apparently the earliest on that subject :— 38 Henry VI, c. 40 (1460). That, whereas in this land foreign coins had not been usually received, to the great hurt of the said land : It is ordained by authority of the said Parliament that the Rider of lawful weight be received at and of the value of four shillings ; the Ducat of full weight at and of the value of four shillings and twopence ; the Lion of lawful weight at and of the value of four shillings and twopence; the Burgundy Noble at and of the value of six shillings and eightpence ; the Crown at and of the value of three shillings and fourpence ; and the Salute of lawful weight at and of the value of four shillings and twopence. And if any of the said gold coins or the English noble, half-noble and quadrant of gold be not of the full weight to be abated accordingly to the rate, and so to be received. 16 Edward IV. clause 43 (1476) Whereas divers gold coins of divers lands had come into this land with divers foreign merchants, which gold is not valued or set at any suitable value in this land, to the great impoverishment of the merchants and inhabitants of the same. It it ordained by authority of said Parliament that the Rider fine and good be received and passed as current in this land of Ireland of and for the value of five shillings of the money of Ireland ; the Ducat fine and good of and for the value of five shillings ; the Lion fine and good of and for the value of five shillings ; the Crown fine and good of and at the value of five shillings; the Crusado fine and good of and at the value of five shillings ; the Burgundy Noble of and at the value of ten shillings ; and the demi-Noble and quarter of the same according to the same rate ; the Salute fine and good according to the rate of five shillings. And if any of the said gold coins want any part of the weight of the right standard of the same, it shall abate so much as is wanting in the payment. 28 Elizabeth, c. vi (1586). An Act against counterfeiting or forging such kind of gold or silver of other realms as is not the proper coin of this realm, nor current in payment within this realm. In the year 1618 a proclamation was issued authorising, in the case of England and Wales, the Master of the Mint, and in the case of Scotland, - 45 -Charles Dickinson, sinker of the irons in the Mint at Edinburgh, to make weights for the coins then current. No mention was made of any maker of weights for Ireland. The earliest reference to the making of money weights for use in Ireland I have been able to find belongs to the year 1632. On December 20th of that year a proclamation was issued appointing Sir Thomas Aylesbury maker of money weights for England, Ireland, and Wales, Aylesbury’s patent bears date October 20th, 1632; and by it he was appointed maker of money weights for life at a yearly rent of twenty shillings. The weights were to be ready by January 26th following, and no other kinds were to be issued after that date. (Rymer’s Foedera.) Money weights occur bearing on the obverse the number of pennyweights and grains, and on the reverse the Spanish arms. One I possess bears the name of Philip IV of Spain (1621-1665). These were probably used in Ireland at this period, the weights agreeing with those of the silver dollar or piece of eight and its subdivisions. (See Plate V, No 1.) The following Acts of Parliament, proclamations, notices, etc., referring to money weights and to foreign coin current in Ireland, are set out chronologically ;- July 10th, 1641. The Lords Justices and Council to Secretary Vane. In order to remedy the absence of coin in the Kingdom, we have, after consultation with foreign merchants here and with goldsmiths, thought of issuing the enclosed proclamation enhancing the value of foreign coins. We desire the King's advice on the matter. A valuation of foreign coins, gold and silver, to pass for current in the Kingdom of Ireland at the following rates and weights :—
The golden Rider or Horseman of the Netherlands, weighing
6dwt. l2grs. with 3grs. allowance, £1 2 0
Half ditto with 2grs. allowance
The golden Rider or Horseman of Scotland, weighing
3dwt 6grs. with 2grs. allowance £0 11 0
The half ditto with 1gr. allowance.
The golden Albertus of Brabant, weighing 3dwt. l4grs. with allowance of 2grs., 11s. 0d. The half ditto with allowance of lgr. The golden Pistolet of Spain, weighing 4dwt. 10grs., 15s. 0d., with allowance of 6grs. for double Pistolet and 2grs. for half ditto. The silver Cardescu or quarter-Crown of France, weighing 6dwt., 1s. 8d. The half ditto accordingly. The Testoon of Portugal, weighing 6dwt., 1s. 4d. The half ditto accordingly. None of the above shall pass in Ireland unless they weigh as above mentioned. - 46 -The true value and present value of the foregoing coins;-
True-Value. Present-Value.
£ s d £ s d
Rider, 1 1 8 1 2 0
Horseman, 0 10 10 0 11 0
Albertus, 0 l0 7¾ 0 11 0
Pistolet, 0 14 9 0 15 0
Cardescu, 0 1 6 0 1 8
Testoon, 0 1 3 0 1 4
(Calendar of State Papers, Ireland)
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