Coins

Manawatu Herald, 17 November 1892, Page 3

Coins

which had been given to her by her grandfather. They afterwards passed to Mrs Jane jTermor who had a strong propensity for hiding away money. The jitry found that the money was treasure -trove and the coroner demanded the coins back from the bank to hold on behalf of the ti easnry. Mr Fermor intimated that he would make a claim for tlie coins. The bank seems to come out tho worst of this jumble.

The Mrtiittder that there were 1 surth coins fts seven shilling gold pieces, mentioned in the account of the treasure-trove case, has led us to look up the subject of coinage. We find that the first coinage was at Goldbeater 1 , or ds it was then known Camalodunum, in 1216. During the reigns of the Stuarts the coinage was greatly debased by clipping pieces from the coins, something similar to the state of some of the coin of the present day, but which is declared not legal tender. Thus a threepenny bit with a circle out of it paid into a church plate, is, in a fashion, a holy coin, but is not good for anything more than twopenny piety. It was not till 1816 that English and Irish money was assimilated. The first time gold coins were struck was in Henry Ill's reign in 1257. From Edward III.s do we get the horrid lawyer's fee of ds Bel, as he introduced gold six shilling pieces and the gold nobles of six shilling and eight pence. The lawyers of those days, being the many great grandfathers of jihe present race, apparently look the larger coin of the two, when there was a choice, as they do even unto now. The guinea, two guinea, five guinea pieces first appeared in 1068-4. The St. George and the Dragon design first appsared on the sovereigns in 1817, and having being discontinued for a time reappeared in 1871. In 1887 a • proclamation was issued making new pieces of gold of the value of £5, and silver pieces of the value of four shillings.

We find it mention 3d that quarterguineas were first coined in 1710, and gold seven shilling pieces first authorised in 1797.

Shillings were fhst coined in 1508, Crowns and half crowns in 1558 Shillings were first "milled" in 1081.

The first large copper coinage was made in IG2O, which put an end to the leaden pieces previously issued, and in 1672 the government issued copper coinage on their own account Half-pence and farthings had -however been made in 1665, but it was left to the year 1848 to witness the coinage of half farthings, or mites, a coin of utterly inappreciable value in this land overflowing with milk and honey. We must not forget those attrocious copper coins, the old twopenny pieces which first appeared in 1797 i a few of which wonld speedily weigh any ordinary man down : Contrasted with a silver two-penny bit the difference is remarkable, one looks a very throughbred tho other the heaviest draught entire. However the four silver coins, known as " Maunday " money, b3iug silver penny, twopenny, threepenny and fourpenny/ave not in general circulation and therefore not easily to be seen, but we may mention, so that any who may be interested in this matter might be able to have a view, that Mr Thynne has a set of this Maunday money and also the old fashioned twopenny piece and a half farthing with some other curious examples of copper "tokens," as the pennies i«3ued by private firms were styled, which no doubt he would be pleased to show.

It may ba worth putting the curious title to this small silver money clear before we leave the subject Of coinage. The Thursday before Easter, is known as Maunday, being either a corruption of the word mandati (dies mandati, the day of commandment) or from mauwh signifying a basket of gifts, from the custom Christiana were in the way of presenting to each other in token of mutual affection. In Etigland it is the custom of the lord almoner to distribute royal donations to the poor in the royal chapel at Whitehall on this day, and a parcel of these silver coins is a portion of the gifts.