Though William used the Roman W on his great sealWillelmum-he adopted the Saxon on his coins, and the inscription reads thus "Yillem Rex," the reverse bearing the name of the moneyer and mint. William II seems to have made two alterations in his father's dies; in one case he has "LVILLEM DVO," and in another he introduces the Roman letter W in Willelmus. Even at this early period we find the King and country waging a "law war" against forgers and counterfeiters; and Henry I, directly he ascended the throne, proclaimed heavy punishments against that generally unseen scourge of society, by the loss of the hand, the loss of sight, and even more severe penalties than these; but all proved so ineffectual that the Church was called to the protection of the legal coinage. As they offer nothing of particular interest, I will pass over the subsequent reigns to that of King John. This King had, during his father's lifetime, been sent over to Ireland, and he adopted the title of "Lord of Ireland," his Irish money bearing his effigy in a triangle and the legend Iohannes Dom., and on the reverse his moneyer and mint. Upon ascending the throne of England he changed his title on the Irish coins to Rer, but retained "Dominus" on his great seal. Clipped money had been a source of great annoyance, and though laws had been passed for its better protection, still John found it necessary in 1205 to issue a proclamation; this was unusually severe, for it affected any one having clipped money in his possession. Should such be found the coins so defaced were bored through and the possessor's chattels were seized and retained during the King's pleasure; but if the possessor were a Jew or Jewess, his or her body was to be kept during the King's pleasure thus we find the Hebrew people subject to special legislation. On his English coins we find Johannes and Johannes Rex, and on the reverse, as usual, the name of his moneyer and mint. Though mention is made of dies being sunk for coining round halfpennies and farthings as well as pence, four years after the accession of his son Henry III, none have yet been found; still sufficient proof is given that they were issued. Up to this time if a halfpenny were required a penny would be broken in half by means of its being bent at the cross; a farthing or fourth-thing was a penny broken into four parts divided at the cross. In 1227, while Parliament sat, an order was given that "The English grote should be coyned at a certaine weight, "and of the one side the King's picture, and on the other "side a cross, as large fully as the grote, to aduoyd clypping ;" but no specimens are now known. In 1247 clipping was again found to have reached a great height-to such a degree, indeed, that people actually refused to take the coin of the realm unless 2d. or 3d. for 1d. Wherefore a new coinage was absolutely necessary, and in this new issue there were some very great improvements which are well worthy of note-1st, the cross, which had hitherto only touched the inner ring, (to which the clipping had extended, as the law forbade the circulation of any coin so clipped that the cross should have been touched, thus leaving the defrauders a means of evading the law, even though clipping at least one half the coin off, i.e. to the inner circle,) was now carried to the extreme of the outer circle or outside rim, with a view to prevent clipping; and, 2nd, the distinctive numerals or words equivalent, i.e. the number following, to shew to which King of a certain name the coin belonged, were re-introduced, having ceased to be used since LVILLEM DVO, the inscription being Henricus Terci and Henricus III. (See Plate III.) It is interesting that Henry III's reign forms a semi epoch |