CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THIS BOOK IS ONE OF A COLLECTION MADE BY BENNO LOEWY 1854-1919 AND BEQUEATHED TO CORNELL UNIVERSITY Cornell University Library CJ2492 .H49 Numismata Cromwelliana: or The medalllc 3 1924 029 825 373^ Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029825373 NUMISMATA CROMWELLIANA : OR, THE MEDALLIC HISTORY OF OLIVER CROMWELL lUnstraiefc bg his Coins, ffiibalst, ?*no .gtals, BY HENRY WILLIAM HENFREY, AUTHOR OF "A GUIDE TO ENGLISH COINS," MEMBER OP THE NUMISMATIC SOCIETY, MEMBER OP THE EOYAL ARCHEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, ASSOCIATE OP THE BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, HON. POEEIGN ASSOCIATE OF THE EOYAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY OF BELGIUM, ETC. JOHN RUSSELL SMITH, 36, SOHO SQUARE, "* 1877. [All Eights Resei-ved. 3 Entered at Stationers' Hall] TO THE MOST HONOUEABLE THE EMINENT STATESMAN, THE PATEON OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND AET, AND A DESCENDANT OF THE CEOMWELL FAMILY, THIS WOEK IS, BY HIS PERMISSION, . RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED. PREFACE. TN the present work, a complete historical description of all the Coins, Medals, and Pattern Pieces of Oliver Cromwell ( himself a coin-collector), is attempted for the first time. Vertue, Snelling, Folkes, and Ruding have all left but very imperfect notes and sketches of Cromwellian numismatics, and the late Mr. Hawkins never published anything on the subject ; so that many vexed questions have not hitherto been thoroughly discussed. In the following pages Oliver's Coins, Medals, and Seals are all carefully described, and the history of each piece given, as far as it is now possible to ascertain it. In Chapters III. and IV. will be found a full account of the Coins made in 1656 — 1658. The Author having personally searched all the State Papers of the period, now preserved in the Public Record Office, London, as well as the manuscripts, books, and pamphlets of the same period, preserved in the British Museum, has been enabled to print for the first time a large number of documents and entries relating to Cromwell's Coins and Seals, which throw great light on their history, and supply facts which were quite unsuspected by previous numismatic writers. With regard to the coins dated 1656, it is shown — where the bullion they were made of came from, how they were coined, who by, and in what place, and the quantity made, with a detailed description of the various denominations. A concise history of Peter Blondeau, and his work in England, will be found in Chapter III., whence it will be seen that Simon only engraved the dies, while Blondeau performed all the other processes of making the beautiful coins of Oliver. With regard to the interesting question whether the coins bearing Cromwell's head were ever current, the reader is re- ferred to pages 150 et seq., where he will find, given in full, the reasons why the Author is inclined to think that they were in circulation for a brief period. All the Pattern Pieces of Oliver, both gold and silver, will be found carefully distinguished and described in Chapters III. and IV. After a minute examination of the original steel dies and punches of Cromwell's coins, both those made ,by Simon and those executed by Tanner (which are now in the Royal Mint, London), the Author has ventured to suggest a new theory, viz : — that all the gold and silver pieces of Oliver that have not "do." in the obverse legend were struck by Tanner in the reign of George II., although he used the original punches of Simon in making the dies (see pages 137 et seq.). On pages 118 to 123 is a description of the Trial of the Pix that took place in 1657, with copies of documents from the records in the Royal Mint, taken by kind permission of the Deputy-Master, the Hon. C. "W. Fremantle. fnfnn. v In the account of the Pattern Farthings of Oliver (pages 154 to 158), the Author has offered a new suggestion as to who made them. A variety of one farthing, hitherto undescribed, is also noticed. The Medals have been fully described ; and, in the plates, representations are given of several pieces never before en- graved. Chapter VI. gives the result of the Author's researches concerning the Seals of the Protector. The State Papers in the London Record Office, and the Manuscripts and Seals in the British Museum have been laid under contribution, and Mr. Thomas Dickson has obligingly searched the Scottish Records. No trouble has been spared in endeavouring to collect as much information as possible on the subject of the work ; all the best cabinets of coins, both public and private, have been examined for their Cromwellian pieces, and the results embodied in their proper places throughout the book. The Plates (which give, by means of permanent photo- graphy, absolutely correct representations of almost all Crom- well's Coins, Medals, and Seals), have been executed by the Autotype Company, from very accurate casts made from the originals by Mr. Robert Ready. A few seals, which were too much damaged to be photographed successfully, are reproduced by means of wood-engraving. Apologies are due to the original subscribers to this work for the length of time which has elapsed between the publica- vi |frifitn. tion of the first and the issue of the last part. The delay has been chiefly caused by a long and serious illness, which for the time prevented the Author from attending to the book at all. In conclusion, the Author desires to express his most sincere thanks to the numerous gentlemen, both private collec- tors and curators of museums, who have favoured him x with detailed descriptions of Cromwellian pieces, or allowed him to examine their collections. At the same time, he desires to intimate that any further communications of new or remarkable coins, medals, or seals of Oliver Cromwell, will be gratefully acknowledged if addressed to him, care of the Publisher. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Including the Years 1650 — 1651. the dunbar medals (see also chapter v.) the lord general medal .... the pattern farthing of 1651 PAGE 1 12 CHAPTER II. From the 16tH December, 1653, to the end of 1655. the inauguration medal . . . . . .17 the great seal for england (see also chapter vi.) . .19 the privy seal „ „ „ » » • 20 the ordinance of treasons . . . . . .20 the irish petition . . . . . . .22 medals of cromwell and fairfax . . . . .25 the commonwealth coins . . . . . .29 mint affairs : officers of the mint . . . . .34 „ „ appointments of thomas simon . . .35 „ „ committee of council for the mint . . .36 ,, „ counterfeiters of coin . . . .38 „ „ sir ralph maddison's pamphlet . . .45 the peace of westminster medals . . . . .47 the pattern farthings of 1654 . . . . .52 CHAPTER III. Including the Years 1656 — 1657. peter blondeau and the irish mint . the coinage of 1656 : historical records 61 91 Vlll (CllllbntS. PAGE THE COINAGE OF 1656 : HISTORY OF THE BULLION USED . .98 „ „ THE FIFTY-SHILLING PIECE . . .102 „ „ THE TWENTY-SHILLING PIECE . . .105 „ „ THE TEN-SHILLING PIECE . , .106 „ „ THE HALF-CROWN .... 108 „ „ THE COINING PROCESS .... 109 „ „ THE PLACE WHERE THE COINS WERE MADE . 113 THE IMPORTATION AND EXPORTATION OF BULLION v . .115 THE TRIAL OF THE PIX IN 1657 .:.... 118 CHAPTER IV. Including the Year 1658. the coinage^ of 1658 : historical records DESCRIPTION of the crown . „ „ half-crown „ „ shilling . „ „ six-pence imitations of the protector's coins „ tanner's half-broad no. i. „ tanner's half-broad no. ii. „ tanner's crown . „ tanner's shilling ■ „ tanner's six-pence „ the dutch crown „ imitation shillings on the currency of oliver's coins the pattern farthings of 1658 the dutch satirical medals .... the funeral medals ..... 124 129 133 135 136 137 138 139 141 143 145 147 149 150 154 158 164 CHAPTER V. Miscellaneous Medals of Oliver Cromwell. THE DUNBAR MEDAL NO. IV. THE IMITATION INAUGURATION MEDAL DASSIER'S MEDAL . OCTAGONAL MEDAL 173 174 175 176 KIRKS MEDAL SMITH'S MEDAL COPPER TOKEN LEADEN TOKEN dunnbnts. IX PAGE 176 177 177 178 CHAPTER VI. The Seals of Oliver Cromwell. the private seals used before he was made protector . .179 the official signet used when he was general . . .184 the official seals of the protectorate : the great seal for england 186 the privy seal for england . 192 the seal for letters of state . 193 the signet for england . . .195 the seal for the english council . 196 the seals for the english law courts 199 the seals for the admiralty . 202 the seals for approbation of preachers . . . .204 the seal for the county of durham 207 the dover seal . . . 208 the great seal for scotland . 209 the quarter seal for scotland . 210 the privy seal for scotland . 211 the signet for scotland . .212 the seal for the scottish council 212 the great seal for ireland . 214 the signet for ireland . .215 the seal for the irish council . 216 the seals for the irish law courts 216 thomas simon's account for work done between 1650 and 1657 . 217 APPENDIX. ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES 224 . 229 e iPtvst, FEOM THE BATTLE OF DUNBAE, 3ed SEPTEMBEE, 1650, TO DECEMBEE, 1653. NTJMTSM ' TA CROMWELLIANA,- CHAPTER I. THE I'UKBaR IUEDA1.S. The Numismatic History of Oliver Cromwell commences with the Battle of Dunbar, on the 3d of September, 1650. For a full and clear description of this memorable victory we cannot do better than refer the reader to Thomas Carlyle's Letters and Speeches of Olicer Cromwell. There he will also find printed the letter of Oliver himself, addressed to the Hon. William Lenthal, Speaker of the Parliament of England, and dated the day after the Battle, the 4th of September, 1650. This rather lengthy epistle was first published in the contemporary newspaper Several! Proceedings in Parliament, under the date of September 8th, on which day probably it was read before the House. See Cromwelliana, pp. 87 to 91. From this account we learn, that Cromwell, with an army of scarcely eleven thousand men, totally routed the Scotch force of twenty-two thousand under General David Lesley. Three thousand of the enemy were slain on the spot, and the prisoners numbered ten thousand more, while the Parliament lost not thirty men. Captured, to use Oliver's own words : " all their train, about thirty guns great and small, •besides bullet, match and powder, very considerable Officers, about two- hundred colours, above ten-thousand arms." — Letter to Ms brotlier Richard Mayor, Esq., 4th September, 1650. Two days after the receipt of these great news the House of Commons made a resolution, important to our Medallic History, that Medals should be given to the officers and soldiers engaged in this service in Scotland. This is the first instance in English History where the same medal was distributed to officers and men alike, as is our present practice ; and it was never done again 2 fhiraismafa; ©uffmtoflliana. by the Supreme Authority until the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, when a general distribution of silver medals to every man present at the action, was authorized by the Sovereign's command. Many medals were, from much earlier times than Dunbar up to the date of Waterloo, struck as merely commemorative of great events, and a few were presented during this period to officers of high rank, captains, and commanders of successful expeditions ; but in the whole space of our history preceding the Battle of Waterloo, the Commonwealth with its Dunbar Medals stands alone in the instance of its liberal gift of medals to be worn as personal decorations by every man of every grade of the army. The Order is thus recorded in the Journals of the House of Commons, vol. vi., page 465 — " Die Martis, 10 Septembris, 1650. " Ordered, " That it be referred to the Committee of the Army, to consider what Medals may be prepared, both for Officers and Soldiers, that were in this Service in Scotland ; and set the Proportions and Values of them, and their Number; and present the Estimate of them to the House." Besides ordering an Estimate, the Parliament sent to Edinburgh an Official Medallist to take the Effigies, Portrait, or Statue — as it is variously called — of the Lord General, to be placed upon the Medals. This Thomas Symonds, Symons, or Simon as it is now spelt, was, on the 25th April, 1649, appointed sole Chief Engraver to the Mints and Seals, but as we intend to give a detailed account of his Life further on in our work, we will leave him for the present. Fortunately for our object, there has been published a very interesting and characteristic letter of Oliver relating to this journey of Simon from London to Edinburgh. It is dated from the latter place on the 4th of Feb- ruary, 1650-1, and addressed to the Committee of the Army at London. Where the original manuscript is now preserved, we have not been able to discover, after many enquiries. In 1772 it was in the possession of James Lamb, Esq. of Fairford, Gloucestershire ; in 1780 it belonged to' John Eay- mond, Esq. of the same place. But here all further trace is lost. This letter was printed first in the Appendix to Harris's Life of Oliver Cromwell, 1st edition, London 1761, page 519 (2nd edit. 1772, pp. 538-9), and again by E. Gough in his edition, the second, of George Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, London 1780, page 74*. We reprint from Gough's ver- sion, as although differing slightly in orthography from Harris's copy, it appears to have been carefully collated with the original manuscript, and to be therefore more accurate — " For y e Hono Ue the Comittee for the army these. Gentl. It was not a little wonder to me to see that you should send Mr. Symonds so great a journey about a business importinge so little as far as it relates to me, when as if my poore opinion may not be rejected by you, I have to offer to that w ch I thinke the most noble end, to witt the comemoracon of that great mercie at Dunbar, & the gratuitie to the Army, w ch might better be expressed upon the meddal by engraving as on the one side the parliam' w oh I heare was intended & will do singulerly well, so on the other side an Army w th this inscription over the head of it, The Lord of Hosts, w ch was o r word that Day ; wherefore if I may begg it as a favo r from you I most earnestly beseech you if I may do it w th out offence that it may be soe, & if you thinke not fitt to have it as I offer, you may alter it as you see Cause, only I doe thinke I may truely say it wil be verie thankfully acknowledged by me, if you will spare the having my Effigies in it. The Gentlemans paynes & trouble hither have been verie great, & I shall make it my second suite unto you that you will please to Conferr upon him that imploym' in yo r service w ch Nicholas Briott had before him, indeed the man is ingenious and worthie of incouragem' . I may not presume much, but if at my request & for my sake he may obteyne this favo r , I shall putt it upon the accompt of my obligacons w oh are not a few, & I hope shal be found readie gratefully to acknowledge & to approve myself, Gentl. Yo r most reall serv* , 0. Cromwell. Edinburgh, 4th of Feb. 1650. In the original, Gough says that the name of Nicholas Briot is inserted in another hand. 4 Humismafa; ©rum&tjlliaita;. This letter is also printed in Appendix ii. pp. 234, 235, vol. ii. of " The Origin and Services of the Coldstream Guards. By Colonel Mac Kinnon. " 2 vols, 8vo, London 1833. It will also be found, with the spelling and punc- tuation modernized, in Mr. Carlyle's Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell, vol. ii. pp. 109, 110, of the 1st edition, 1845. Both are taken from the above mentioned Life by Harris. As we shall presently see when we come to the description of the medals, Oliver's suggestions concerning their design were all carried out, with the exception that the Parliament were resolved to have his bust upon them. The House of Commons sitting, a view of the Army in the Battle, with the word of the day The Lord of Hosts, are all there, in addition to a life-like portrait of the General. His recommendation of Simon to the place of Briot, was also adopted. Nicholas Briot was a foreign artist, a native of Lorraine, and sometime Graver-general of the Monies in France. Quitting that kingdom in disgust at the treatment he received, he offered his services to King Charles I., who immediately gave him great encouragement. Charles established him in the Mint at the Tower in 1628, and afterwards granted to him, upon the 27th of January, 1633, the office of one of the Chief Engravers of the Irons for the Mint in the Tower of London, during pleasure. See Euding's Annals of the Coinage, 3rd edition 1840, vol. i. page 385, and Hawkins's Silver Coins of England, 1811, p. 164. Mr. Carlyle remarks "We may subjoin, rather than cancel, the following authentic particulars. In the Commons Journals of 20th August, 1642, it is : ' Ordered, That the Earl of Warwick,' now Ad- miral of our Fleet, ' be desired that Monsieur Bryatt may have delivery of his wearing apparel ; and all his other goods stayed at Scarborough, not be- longing to Minting and Coining of Monies.' — This Nicholas Briot, or Bryatt, then, must have been Chief Engraver for the Mint at the beginning of the Civil Wars. We perceive, he has gone to the King northward ; but is here stopt at Scarborough, with all his baggage, by Warwick the Lord High Admiral ; and is to get away. What became of him afterwards, or what was his history before, no man and hardly any Dilettante knows." — Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell, 1st edition 1845, vol. ii. pp. 110, 111. However, Horace Walpole, in his Anecdotes of Painting, makes the following statement, on what authority we do not know, though to judge by $$t ^xuiIkv nivalis. 5 the passage just quoted from the Commons Journals, it seems extremely probable : — " Briot returned to France about 1642, having formed that excellent scholar Thomas Simon." See Horace Walpole's Works, edition of 1798, vol. iii. page 179. George Vertue, in his Works of Thomas Simon, 1st edition 1753, pp. 60, 61, says that Briot returned to France in 1646, but the last figure is probably a misprint, as Briot appears to have gone to France from Scarborough in 1642. To return to the Dunbar Medals. Mr. Carlyle mentions " an Order, in favour of one whose name has not reached the Clerk, and is now indicated only by stars, That the Council of State shall pay him for ' making the Statue of the General,' — ■ doubtless this Medal or Effigies of the General ; the name indicated by stars being again that of Symonds. The Order, we observe, has the same date as the present Letter ( Commons Journals, 4 Feb- ruary, 1650-1 )." See Letters and Speeches of Oliver Crom/cell, 1st edition 1845, vol. ii. page 111. It is now time that we should give the reader some idea of the Medals themselves. There are three varieties : one of a large size with a design on both obverse and reverse ; a second smaller in size with both obverse and reverse ; and a third the same size as the second, but with a plain reverse. Medal No. I. — Obverse, a profile bust of the General, Oliver Cromwell, to the left, bare-headed, and in armour with slight drapery. Under the shoulder is the artist's name in small letters, ti-io. simon. he., for " Thomas Simon fecit." On either side of the bust a view of the Battle of Dunbar is seen in the distance. The legend over the head — T™ B A T • THE LORD OF HOSTS . T ™6. Eeverse, a view of the House of Commons sitting. No legend or inscription on this side. Oval, size L35 by l'l inches. This Medal no. 1 is rather common in silver, and sometimes occurs in copper ; there is a proof in the British Museum, struck from the same dies upon a circular piece of lead L75 inches diameter. Bepresentations, more or less accurate, will be found engraved in — J. Evelyn's Discourse of Medals, 1697, page 117 ( but there is an engraver's error of ' 13 ' for ' Y. 3.' on the obverse ), Van Loon's Histoire Metallique des Pays-Bas, 1732, vol. ii. p. 356, G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xii. A, The Medallic History of England, 1790, plate xxii. 3, 6 gunmntafa; SrflrafosIIisna. Colonel Mac Kinnon's Origin and Services of the Coldstream Guards, 1833, vol. i. plate A, Thomas Carter's Medals of the British Army, 1861, div. ii. p. 4, and by J. Hulett on a separate plate about the middle of the last century. Vertue remarks that the bust on this medal has a great resemblance to a portrait of Oliver by Walker, done about the same time. Horace Walpole, in his Anecdotes of Painting, thus mentions this artist, "Eobert Walker, a portrait painter, contemporary with Vandyck, but most remarkable for being the principal painter employed by Cromwell, whose picture he drew more than once."— Works, 1798, vol. iii. p. 278. Walpole then enumerates four of these pictures, and their possessors. The obverse legend gives the " word of the day," as Oliver mentions in his Edinburgh letter printed above, and also in the long letter giving the account of the Battle : " The enemies word was ' the Covenant,' which it had been for divers dayes. Ours, ' the Lord of Hosts.' " — See Letter to the Hon. W. Lenthall, 4th September, 1650. The representation of the House of Commons on the reverse, is a minute reproduction of the design, by the same artist Thomas Simon, on the Great Seal of the Parliament 1648, and also on the Great Seal of England 1651. The small size of the numerous figures on this medal is very extraordinary, but much more so on our next medal, No. II., which is, as will be seen, considerably smaller. In the first edition of the Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, Vertue says in a note on page 13, that the die of the large Dunbar Medal, No. I., was kept in the Cromwell family, for on pulling down a house at Hursley, Hants, which was once theirs, this die was found in the walls. In the second edition, 1780, of the same book, we read that the Seal of the Parliament of the Com- monwealth of England was also found there. Vertue, who saw it in 1741, supposed it to be the very seal which Oliver took from the Parliament. However this may be, we have now before us "a curious pamphlet, which supplies some valuable information relative to the history of the dies. It is entitled Narrative relating to the real embalmed Head of Oliver Crom- well, now exhibiting in Mead-Court in Old Bond-Street, 1799: Pages 14 to 20 are explanatory of the original dies of the Dunbar Medals, which were exhibited at the same time and place. We will give the account of their discovery exactly as printed on pages 1 9 and 20 of the pamphlet — "Of the two dyes now exhibited and here spoken of, the accurate and spirited expression of parts so uncommonly minute, the singular beauty of the heads, and their exact likeness both to the original, and to each other ( of which latter felicity, it has been asserted that there is no equal instance in the history of this art) sufficiently prove their authenticity ; it only remains to say, that they were found, near fifty years ago, by Mr. Thomas Gardner, comptroller of the salt-works at Southwold in Suffolk, in the shop of a black- smith at that place, who asserted that he, or his father, had purchased them (with other articles of iron work) out of a house at Southwold that had belonged to the protector Richard. Vertue's account of their having been found at Hursley may therefore be erroneous ; but it is not at all material to the subject. This unlucky fellow, wholly ignorant of the nature and value of those exquisite monuments both of art and of the English history, had al- ready appropriated the reverse of the lesser dye, to make one of those steel instruments with which iron is divided on the anvil. Mr. Gardner instantly rescued all the parts which remained ; and on one of his annual jouriiies to London, presented them to Mr. Cox, on condition that the latter should occasionally furnish him with impressions from them. Mi'. Gardner was then far advanced in years, and died soon after, when but a very few of the impressions engaged by Mr. Cox had been taken ; and it is now more than twenty years since the dyes were used at all, except for a few impressions from the remaining obverse side of the smaller one. It has already been shewn from Vertue's opinion that these medals exhibit the best likenesses of Cromwell, that have ever been obtained in this mode of imitation. " The late Mr. Pingo, engraver to the mint, out of a generous regard to the arts, undertook to inclose both parts of the larger dye, at his own expence, in a strong iron frame, in order to its greater safety, and better preservation ; and it was done accordingly, in the manner in which it now appears." We consider that many of the silver specimens of Medal No. I., that are now in existence, are original impressions, struck in 1650, and worn by some of the Army. We have, however, seen others, which appear to have been struck after the discovery of the die by Mr. Gardner, as mentioned in the above extract. They are distinguished by flaws or cracks on either side, probably on account of age and decay in the die. 8 fjttraijsmats ©uffrafoilliatts. Medal No. //.—Obverse and reverse exactly similar to the large Medal, No. I., being an accurate and beautiful reduction of it, by the same artist. The name under the shoulder is, however, abbreviated into t.simon.f., and the size is 1 inch by -875 of an inch. This Medal is extremely rare, for we know of only one specimen in gold and one in copper. They are both in the collection at the British Museum. The copper impression is apparently an original artist's proof ; but the gold one has a loop for suspension, and was, we consider, intended to be worn by some officer of high rank in the army, if not actually so worn. Eepresentations will be found engraved in : George Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xii., and The Medallic History of England, 1790, plate xxii. 4. Medal No. III. — This is merely the obverse side of No. II., struck from the same die, but the reverse is left quite plain, without any impression ; size, the same as the preceding medal. It is common both in silver and in copper. Two specimens in each metal are preserved in our own cabinet. We have carefully examined a great many specimens of this medal with the obverse only, and we find that they are all struck from the same die, and when the die was in the same condition. Now the gold impression of No. II. has the obverse also struck from the same die, but a great difference is to be remarked. When the gold one was struck, in 1650, the die was new, and the consequence is a perfect impression, with all the details and letters of the in- scription quite sharp and clear, and without any cracks or flaws. But on the other hand, all the medals in silver and copper with the obverse only ( No. III.) have several slight cracks, and imperfections in the letters of the legend. This is especially observable in the word "septem". No specimens have a loop for suspension, or any other contrivance for wearing it, therefore none of them probably were worn by the army. These facts point to but one conclusion — that all the copies of No. III. Medal were struck after the discovery of the die by Mr. Gardner about the year 1750. The reason moreover, why none of them have the reverse, is supplied by the fact of the destruction of the reverse side of the smaller die by the blacksmith, as described in the extract on the preceding page. The time during which the obverse die had lain by, had corroded and otherwise injured it, and thus we have the cracks and other imperfections on the more recently struck impressions accounted for. In concluding our History of the Dunbar Medals, we may submit to the reader's consideration our final conviction that the only impressions struck at the time and worn by the Parliament's army, were some of the large silver ones ( No. I.) and the small gold one ( No. II ). All other specimens, except perhaps the lead and copper proofs of Nos. I. and II., have been struck in modern times since the discovery of the dies. The large silver ones were most likely given to the greater part of the army and the gold medals only to those high in command. THE « LOED GENEEAL " MEDAL. Probably some short time after the completion of the Dunbar Medals, and during the year 1651, Thomas Simon executed that beautifid work of art — his medal of Oliver Cromwell as Lord General of the Army. On the 26th of June 1650, was passed an Act of Parliament appointing "That Oliver Cromwell, Esquire, be constituted Captain- General and Commander- in-Chief of all the Forces raised and to be raised by authority of Parliament within the Commonwealth of England." See Journals of the House of Commons, 26th June, 1650. " The Lord Fairfax, being pleased this day (June 26) to lay down his commission, it was received by the Parliament, who thereupon voted the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland to be General of their forces in Enqland, &c." From the newspaper, Mercurius Politicus, June 20 to 27, 1650, quoted in Cromwelliana, page 82. Vertue rightly places this medal next in order after those for Dunbar, but the author of the Medallic History of England supposes it to be the first of Cromwell. Now from the letter of the 4th of February 1650-1, printed above on page 3, we perceive that Simon was sent a very difficult and dan- gerous journey, all the way from London to Edinburgh, expressly to draw the portrait of Oliver. We may therefore ask, if Cromwell had already sat to Simon, and if Simon had already executed a medal with his bust, would io guraiumaU ©tmrrafotlUaita. the Official Medallist have been sent so long and expensive a journey merely to draw the Lord General's portrait over again ? We certainly think not, Further, it is very probable that, seeing his success with the Dunbar Medal, Cromwell subsequently, in 1651, gave Simon a special order to execute his portrait on a medal for himself, as many other persons of position also did about the same time. For instance, Simon, in pursuance of private orders, made medals of the Speaker William Lenthall, the Secretary Thutioe, the Clerk of the Parliament Henry Scobell, Mr. and Mrs. Cleypole, [Dorcas Brabazon, and several others. In the letter printed on page 3, we also per- ceive Cromwell's high opinion of the artist : " indeed the man is ingenious, and worthie of incouragement," and it was not Oliver's custom to use any superfluous words. This Medal may be described as follows : Obverse, three-quarter-face bust of Oliver Cromwell to the right, in armour, and draped. This head is a very fine likeness and in high relief. Legend — oil. cromwel. milit. parl. dvx. GEN. (Oliver Cromwell, Lord General of the Parliament's Forces.) The Eeverse is quite plain. The design is oval, size l - 2 by 1*1 inches. All the original impressions struck in Cromwell's time are impressed upon a circular piece of metal 1 "4 inches in diameter. They are extremely rare, one in gold is in the possession of the Eev. J. H. Marsden ; a silver and a copper specimen are in the British Museum. It appears that the die very soon cracked near the edge. On the silver impression in the British Museum, a slight crack is just visible at the top, running through the let- ters el. mil., in the words CROMWEL. MILIT. The copper specimen in the same cabinet shows this piece of the die broken quite off, thus destroying a small portion of the design. Probably the occurrence of this accident hindered the medallist, Simon, from striking any more copies, for an extremely small number are now known. George Vertue says on page 14 of his 1st edition, " This Dye, 'tis said, was conveyed into Holland, about thirty years since, and many were struck off in silver, &c. And tho' crack'd, the Medal sold for an high price here." This statement of Vertue was published in 1753, which brings the date of the striking of the new impressions to about 1723. One of these more recently struck copies is in the Author's cabinet. It is a silver medal, of an oval shape, but only the exact size of the design, 1*2 by 1*1 inches, and it has the flaw showing where the edge of the die was broken. The medal exhibits signs of the decay in the die through lying by during the period 1651 to 1723, and many of the details are not nearly so sharp as in the original impressions. The reader may easily distinguish them, by remembering that the original medals are circular and 1 '4 inches in diameter ; and that the modern impressions, struck from the old die about 1723, are oval, and 1-2 by 1-1 inches in size. The " Lord General " Medal is engraved in G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xii. b, and in The Medallic History of England, 1790, plate xxii. 2. It was on the anniversary of Cromwell's great victory at Dunbar, in the following year, that the crowning Battle of Worcester was fought — 3rd of September, 1651. "He here sheaths his war-sword ; with that, it is not his Order from the Great Captain that he fight any more." See Thomas Carlyle's Letters and Speeches of Oliver Cromwell, 1st edition, vol. i. p. 149. We believe that it was after the Lord General's arrival in London, and during the latter part of the year 1651, or possibly in 1652, that this Medal was struck ; our account of which may be appropriately concluded by the following lines upon these ever memorable events — SONNET to the Lord General Cromwell Written by John Milton, May 16th, 1652. Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a cloud Not of war only, but detractions rude, Guided by faith and matchless fortitude, To peace and truth thy glorious way hast plough'd, And on the neck of crowned Fortune proud Hast rear'd God's trophies, and his work pursued ; While Darwen stream, with blood of Scots imbrued, And Dunbar field resounds thy praises loud, And Worcester's laureat wreath. Yet much remains To conquer still ; Peace hath her victories No less renown'd than War ; new foes arise Threat'ning to bind our souls with secular chains : Help us to save free conscience from the paw Of hireling wolves, whose Gospel is their maw. 12 fumt5ma!a Qturnktllnv*. THE PATTEEN FABTHING OF 1651. We now come to a perplexing point in the History of Oliver Cromwell. There exists a pattern for a Copper Farthing, which may be thus described : Obverse, a badly executed bust of Oliver in profile to the left, laureate, and with drapery round the neck. Legend — OLIVER. PRO. ENG. SCO & IRE. A mullet or five-pointed star over the head. Eeverse, a garnished and crowned shield with the arms thus — Quarterly, 1st and 4th, St. George's cross for England ; 2nd, St. Andrew's cross for Scotland ; 3rd, a harp for Ireland. On an escutcheon of pretence, a lion rampant, the family arms of Cromwell. Legend — convenient change, with a mullet at the end of each of these words. The date 1651 above the arms. The edge of the coin is quite plain. Copper, very rare, the only specimen that we have seen is in the British Museum. It is engraved in Thomas Snelling's View of the Copper Coin and Coin- age of England, plate 6, no. 9 ; and in Folkes's and Euding's plates of the Silver Coins of England, plate xxxii., no. 10. An author, one of the first who described this curious coin, remarks that " If there is no mistake in this date, we should suspect the protector- ship had been long concerted before it was effected." See Thomas Snelling's View of the Copper Coin and Coinage of England, folio, London 1766, p. 33. The Eev. Eogers Euding adopts the same view of the case, he says " It is remarkable that those ( farthings ) with the date 1651 have the image and superscription of Cromwell, as protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland, although he was not publicly invested with that title until the 1 6th of De- cember 1653. If therefore there be no mistake in the above date of 1651, his assumption of the protectorship must have been determined upon some time before it was actually effected." — Annals of the Coinage, 3rd edit. i. 413. Looking at this question in a numismatic point of view, we have not the slightest doubt that the date of 1651 is really either a mistake, or a wrong date placed on the coin wilfully, but for what purpose cannot now be discovered. In the first place, the design of this farthing is clearly the same as Simon's crown of the Protector, dated 1'658, and it is not very likely that Simon himself would copy the types of the whole of his celebrated coinage of 1656 and 1658 from an obscure pattern farthing by an unknown '§« H a H $ r- n f aHijing b! 1051. 13 artist. The drawing and execution of it are both very bad, and could never be attributed to such an artist as Simon, and therefore Simon certainly did not reproduce Ms own design by copying this farthing, although one of the two coins is evidently copied from the other. In the next place, it bears the arms of the Protectorate, exactly as they first appeared upon the Great Seal made by Thomas Simon upon Oliver's Inauguration as Lord Protector, 16th December, 1653. The arms upon the Commonwealth's coins current in 1651 are only the St. George's cross and the Irish harp. The only plausible explanation of this date of 1651 is then, as we have said before, that it is a false date ; the whole design of the farthing being copied, with the exception of the inscriptions, from Simon's silver crown of 1658, though done by a very inferior hand. The bust on the obverse looks the same way, has the same laurel wreath, and also the same drapery. As to the reverse, the arms and shape of the shield and the form of the crown, are exactly similar. From this we conclude that the 1651 farthing was a private pattern, made probably in the year 1658. The proper place for it in our work would therefore be under the latter year, but we considered that our readers might be able to find this piece more readily under the old date of 1651. ARMS OF THE PROTECTORATE FROM THE INAUGURATION OF OLIVER CEOMWELL AS LORD PROTECTOR, 16th DECEMBER, 1653, TO THE END OF THE YEAR 1655. CHAPTEE II. THE INAUGURATION MEDAL. " Heaven, that hath placed this island to give law, To balance Europe, and her states to awe, In this conjunction doth on Britain smile : The greatest leader, and the greatest isle ! " So sings Edmund Waller in the ablest of his productions, A Panegyric to my Lord Protector, of the present Greatness, and joint Interest, of Ms Highness, and this Nation, written about 1654. It is in this position of " the greatest leader of the greatest isle," that we have now to record Cromwell's Medallic History : as " Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Dominions thereunto belonging." For a graphic account of his appearance at the Installation in Westminster Hall, and other important matters, the reader should peruse the passage in Carlyle's Letters and Speeches of Olirer Cromwell, 1st edition, 1845, vol. ii. pp. 226 et seqq. See also the contemporary newspaper report of the cere- mony, reprinted in Cromurlliana, pp. 130, 131. We give below, for the benefit of the curious reader, a faithful copy of the original Proclamation, taken from a rare Collection of Ordinances, Pro- clamations, 8fc, from Pec. 16, 1653, to Sep. 3, 1654 ; small folio, London, 1654. One of the original printed broadsides is exhibited in Case XII. No. 24 of the King's Library, British Museum. " BY THE COUNSEL. 1XTHEKEAS the late Parlament dissolving themselves, and resigning i ? their Powers and Authorities, The Government of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by a Lord Protector, and Successive Triennial Parlaments, is now established ; And whereas Oliver Cromwel, Captain-General of all the Forces of this Commonwealth, is declared Lord Protector of the said Nations, and hath accepted thereof : We have there- fore thought it necessary ( as we hereby do ) to make publication of the Premisses, and strictly to Charge and Command all, and every person and persons, of what quality and condition soever, in any of the said three Na- tions, to take notice hereof, and to conform and submit themselves to the 18 fhtraisnufa £i ; flntbnlliaiu. Government so established. And all Sheriffs, Majors, Bayliffs. and other Publike Ministers, and Officers, whom this may concern, are required to cause this Proclamation to be forthwith published in their respective Coun- ties, Cities, Corporations, and Market-Towns, To the end none may have cause to pretend ignorance in this behalf. Given at White-Hall, this sixteenth day of December, 1653. " Thomas Simon executed one of his finest medals in commemoration of this auspicious event. The original ( struck ) impressions are among the rarest of Cromwell's Medals, though inferior casts in silver not unfrequently occur at the present day. The Inauguration Medal may be thus described : Obverse, profile bust of Oliver Cromwell, bare-headed, to the left, in armour and draped. Under the shoulder is the artist's name in small letters, sthox". p for "Thomas Simon fecit." Legend — oltvervs . dei . gea . retpyb . axglle . sco . et . bib . & . protector. ( Oliver, by the grace of God, Protector of the Common- wealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, etc.) Eeverse, a lion sejant, crowned with a wreath of laurel, and holding a shield bearing the arms of the Protectorate : Quarterly, 1st and 4th, St. George's cross for England ; 2nd, St. Andrew's cross for Scotland ; 3rd, a harp for Ireland. On an escut- cheon of pretence, a lion rampant, the family arms of Cromwell. (See ante, page 13.) Legend, the motto — pax qv^rttvr bello. (Peace is sought by war. ) A circular medal, size 1 - 5 inches in diameter. The design is a beautiful work of art, in high relief, and is executed in a bold and masterly style combined with the highest finish and delicacy of workmanship. This medal is extremely rare ; the only examples that we have seen are one in gold and one in silver, both in the British Museum. The Inauguration Medal is engraved in — Gregorio Leti"s Vita di 0U- viero Cromrelc, Amsterdam 1692, vol. ii. p. 316 ; La Vie cVOlivier Cronucel, Amsterdam 1694, vol. ii., J. Evelyn's Discourse of Medals, 1697, p. 118; Gerard van Loon's Histoire Mctalliqite des Pai/s-Bas, 1732, vol. ii., p. 367 ; George Yertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xii. e e ; The Jl'dallic History of England, 1790, plate xxii. no. 6 ; and by J. Hulett on a separate plate about the middle of the last century. In all these repre- %}jt &mt §ul fin Inglautt. 19 sentations there are errors in the obverse legend. One engraver has put olivarivs for olivervs, some have repvb. instead of reipvb., and all the engravers have omitted the " &." THE GREAT SEAL FOR ENGLAND. When Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector, upon the 16th Decem- ber 1653, a Great Seal for England was made according to orders by Thomas Simon. The following is a description of it — Seal or Obverse, the Protector on horseback to the left, in full armour, bare-headed, and with his sword in its sheath at his side. He holds a baton or truncheon in his right hand, and in his left the horse's bridle. In the field, to the right, is an oval garnished shield bearing the arms, Quarterly, 1st and 4th, the Cross of St. George ; 2nd, the Saltire of St. Andrew ; 3rd, the Harp of Ireland ; on an escutcheon of pretence a lion rampant. Under- neath, in the background, appears a view of the City of London, the River Thames, and London Bridge. Legend — olivarivs . bei . gra . reip . ang- LI2E . scotle . et . HiBERNi^i . &c. protector. ( Oliver, by the grace of God, Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, etc. ) Counter-seal or Reverse, a square garnished shield bearing — Quarterly of four, 1st and 4th, the Cross of St. George ; 2nd, the Saltire of St. Andrew ; 3rd, the Harp of Ireland ; over all, on an Inescutcheon, a Lion rampant, the paternal arms of Cromwell. The shield is surmounted by the royal helmet, ensigned with the royal crown, supporting the Crest of England — a Lion statant-guardant, Imperially crowned. Supporters — Dexter, a Lion guard- ant crowned ; Sinister, a Dragon. Beneath the shield is the Motto — pax QViERiTVR bello (Peace is sought by war), upon an ornamented label. Above the shield, and behind the helmet, is an elaborate mantling. Legend — magnvm . sigillvm . reipvb : anglle . scotle . et . hibernljE &c. ( Great Seal of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, etc. ) Both sides of the Seal are surrounded with a closely woven oak wreath. Size, 5-75 inches in diameter. 20 fumtsnuta £t-flrafo*lIianE. THE PRIVY SEAL. After the Great Seal, the Privy Seal of the Protector next demands a notice. The design is circular, 2-5 inches in diameter, on one side only, and is also the work of Thomas Simon. In the centre are the Arms, Crest, Supporters, and Motto, exactly as upon the Great Seal. They are encircled by the legend olwar . dbi . gra . reipvb . anglle . scoti^) . et . hibernle . & . protector. Round the edge is a closely woven wreath of oak leaves. A representation of this seal is engraved by George Vertue upon plate xxxviii. of his account of the Works of Thomas Simon. It is copied from " the Impression of the Original Dye in Steel, which was in the Possession of Thomas Freman of Chelmsford, in this County of Essex, Gent, untill the Year 1749 ; to whose Hands it came by Descent, from his Ancestor, Keeper of this Seal, and is now in the Possession of his Son Thomas Freman of Chelmsford aforesaid ; who favour'd me with this Opportunity to oblige the Publick." — Vertue, 1st edition, 1753, page 65. THE ORDINANCE OF TREASONS. The first act of the new government concerning the Coinage, and the next occurrence in the order of time relating to the Numismatic History of the Protector, was the publication of an Ordinance by his Highness and his Council, declaring what offences should be adjudged High Treason, 19th January, 1653-54. The part relating to the counterfeiting and clip- ping of the current coin is, as the Rev. Rogers Ruding remarks, " nearly in the same terms as the act of 1649, chapter the 44th." — Annals of the Coinage, 3rd edition, vol. i. page 418. We reprint this portion from the same book which we have quoted above for the Proclamation : the Collection of Ordinances, Proclamations, 8fc, from Dec. 16, 1653, to Sep. 3, 1654, (page 29.) "An Ordinance declaring that the Offences herein mentioned, and no other, shall be adjudged High Treason itithin the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Dominions thereunto belonging. " Or if any person or persons shall counterfeit the money of this Com- monwealth, or shall bring any fals money into this Land, either counterfeit or other, like to the money of this Commonwealth (knowing such money to be fals ) to the intent to Merchandize, or otherwise ; Or if any person or persons shall hereafter falsly forge or counterfeit any such kinde of Coyn, either of Gold or Silver, which is not the proper Coyn of this Commonwealth, and yet is or shall bee current within the same ; Or shall bring from the parts beyond the Seas into. this Commonwealth, or into any the Dominions of the same, any such fals or counterfeit Coyn of money being current within this Commonwealth, as is abovesaid (knowing the said money to be fals and counterfeit . to the intent to utter or make payment with the same, within this Commonwealth, by Merchandize or otherwise ; Or if any person or persons shall Impair, Diminish, Falsifie, Clip, Wash, Eound, File, Scale or lighten for wicked lucre or gains sake any the proper moneys of this Com- monwealth, or of the Dominions thereof, or of the moneys or Coyns of any other place allowed or suffered to be current within this Commonwealth, or the Dominions thereof ; Then all and every the Offences abovementioned shall be and are hereby deemed, ordained and adjudged to bee high Treason ; And the Offenders therein, and their counsellors, procurers, aiders and abet- ters, being convicted according to the Laws of this Nation of any of the said Offences, shall be and are hereby deemed and adjudged to be Traytors against this Commonwealth, and shall suffer and have such pains of death, and incur such forfeitures, as in case of high Treason is used and ordained. " Provided always, That neither this Ordinance, nor any thing therein contained as touching the moneys and Coyns aforesaid, nor any attainder of any person or persons for the same, shall in any wise be adjudged to make any corruption of blood to any the heir or heirs of any such Offendor or Offendors, nor to make the wife of any. such Offendors to lose or forfeit her Dower of or in any Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments, or her Title, Action, or Interest in or to the same. 22 lumisraaia (EiDrafotlliana. " Thursday the 19. of January, 1653. " Ordered by His Highness the Lord Protector, and His Counsel, " That this Ordinance be forthwith Printed and Published. " Hen. Scobell, Clerk of the Counsel." In Scobell's Acts, etc., folio, London 1658, on page 278, the title only of this Ordinance is given, thus : — " Anno 1653. Cap. 8. An Enumeration of several Offences, which shall be taken and adjudged to be Treason. 19 January, 1653. " THE IRISH PETITION. On the 16th of February, 1653-54, the Council in Ireland addressed the Lord Protector, in the following petition, representing the deplorable state of the current coin in Ireland, and praying for the erection of a mint at Dublin : — " To his Highness the Lord Protector. " Feb. 16, 1653, " May it please your highness, " The inclosed is a coppie of a letter sent in July last to the committee at Whitehall for Irish affairs, representing the necessity of a mint in this country, but they being through multiplicity of business hindered, and nothing since effected in it, we have taken the boldness humbly to apply our selves to your highness, in regard the inconvenience which we find to have happened to your affaires here since our first application for a power to coine the forreigne money into English (for the reasons formerly sett forth) is soe great, and that sort of money generally soe falsifyed, that the stock of the countrey (in money) is conceived to be detrimented thereby above one third part, there being scarce any coine now left but foreigne, and that for the most part course Peru pieces. The English money (and for want of that ) the best sort of Spanish being bought up by merchants to make their returns into England, for want of commodities in barter to exchange here. A proof of the value of which course Peru hath, by our order, been lately made, by which it did appear that six hundred thirty- five pounds of Peru money, at the rate of foure shillings and six pence each piece (being the rate now currant) melted down, did yield in sterling money, upon an exact assay thereof, but foure hundred and one pounds, soe that two hundred thirty and three pounds was lost in that small parcell at the rates now usuall ; beside this losse in the course Peru, we fmde, by the relation of your officers here intrusted with the receipts of the revenue, that very much of the forreigne money, which runne in payment, is alto- gether brass and counterfeit upon the whole, therefore we humbly conceive, that unlesse some speedy course be taken to call in all base forreigne moneys, and reduce it into English coine, there will be in a short time noe money left to pay your forces, or for necessary exchange amongst the peo- ple, but counterfeit and bad money, and consequently your affairs here will unavoidably fall into disorder : all which we conceive our duty to represent to your consideration, to doe therein as in your highness prudence shall be thought fitt, and are, fyc. " (Enclosure.) " To the committee for Irish affairs in England. "July 15, 1653. Some few monthes since, we took the boldness to represent to the councell the pressing necessities of a mint to be appointed in this country, by reason of the great want of the small English money ; for finding it adviseable, as the only means appearing unto us, to prevent the abuse of English coyne, in clipping and counterfeiting of it, to call in all the bad and clipped money, and to forbid the currency of it in payment unlesse by weight. The greatest part of the English money proving bad and clipped, small payments could not easily be made either to the soul- diers, or unto others, where by much distraction was occasioned. This our desire was transmitted to the Parliament, who were pleased to make an order for one hundred thousand pounds to be coyned in Ireland, refering it back to the councell of state for settling it, in the progress and debate of which there appearing some difficulty about sending persons over out of England for it, and that way there proposed amounting to an excessive charge, the inclosed expedient was tendered to us by some inhabitants of this towne, who are esteemed honest knowing men, which comeing to the council but a few days before the late change, we againe humbly offer to 24 j$urai$raaia d^orafojlliaita. your consideration, being the more induced at this season to doe it by rea- son of very much corruption and abasement discovered every day to grow more and more, 8fc. To prevent which we know not a more probable expedient than the speedy erecting of a mint here, 8fc. " See James Simon's Essay on Irish Coins, quarto, Dublin 1 749, Appendix Nos. LI. and XLIX., where these documents are transcribed- from the Coun- cil office booh, A. 90. p. 616, and p. 516. The necessity for the erection of a mint in Dublin was also strongly urged by General Fleetwood in a letter to Secretary Thurloe, dated upon the same day as the above Petition. The following is an extract : — - "Sir, I have one thinge more to adde, that the coyne heere is exceedingly debased and corrupted, and this countrie will be ruined, if not tymely prevented. I must therefore entreate your speciall assistance in pro- cureing us a minte here, according to the letter to my lord protector from the commissioners heere. Excuse this trouble from your very affectionate friend and servant, "Charles Fleetwood." "Dublin, 16 Febr. 1653." See page 94 vol. ii. of A Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, London 1742, 7 vols, folio. We shall print another Petition to His Highness on the same subject under the year 1656; but, although it was thus frequently pressed, we do not find that this request was ever granted. MEDALS OF CKOMWELL AND FAIRFAX, We have now to describe two very curious and interesting medals, one made in England, and the other in Holland, but both bearing on the obverse the head of Oliver Cromwell, and on the reverse that of General Sir Thomas Fairfax. The first medal of Cromwell and Fairfax ( see our plate ii. no. 1 ) has on the Obverse, a profile bust of Oliver Cromwell, bare-headed, to the left, and draped. Legend — olivar . d . gr . ang . sco . HIB . & . peot. ( Oliver, by the grace of God, Protector of England, Scotland, Ireland, etc. ) Reverse, a profile bust of General Sir Thomas ( afterwards Lord ) Fairfax, bare-headed, with long hair, to the left. He wears a large falling collar, a cuirass, and a mantle fastened on his shoulder, below which appear t. s. f. ( for " Thomas Simon fecit " ) in very minute letters. Legend — genneral Fairfax. A circular medal, size 1*2 inches in diameter. Our illustration is taken from a copper specimen in the British Museum. The only other that we have heard of as at present existing, is said to be a silver impression, in the Hunterian Collection at the Glasgow University. We have not yet — July 1873 — been able to verify this, since the coins and medals are packed away in the bank cellars, during the removal of the University to new buildings. However, through the courtesy of Dr. John Young, Keeper of the Hunterian Museum, we hope to be able to give further particulars of it in the Appendix at the end of this work. A silver specimen, probably the Hunterian, " was shewn by Mr. Vertue" at the Antiquary Society, 1745, from the collection of Commissioner Fairfax." See G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 2nd edition, 1780, page 12. It is engraved in — George Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xi. ll ; and The Medattk History of England, 1790, plate xxii. no. 1. The head of Oliver on this medal is identical with the head of his equestrian figure upon the English Great Seal, and is in good relief. The bust on the reverse is from the same die as that on an unpublished silver medal of Sir Thomas Fairfax in the British Museum. For the sake of comparison a representation of it is given on plate ii. no. 2. This latter medal is, in all probability the only one of Sir Thomas Fairfax ever exe- cuted by Thomas Simon. The type and inscriptions are copied' from the 26 fumiismafa ©namfoelliainr. oval medals, dated 1645, which are common, and clearly by a different hand than Simon's ( see Verhie, plate xi. I and K ). It is circular, size 1 -2 inches in diameter, and very faintly struck on a thin piece of silver. Obverse, bust as on No. 1, but the artist's initials are not under the shoulder. Legend — tho . FAIRFAX . miles . milit . parli . dvx . gener. A rose at the commence- ment of this legend. Eeverse, the word mervisti in the centre, with POST. HAC . meliora around it. In the Appendix, page 76, of the 2nd edition of Vertue it is said that there was an impression of the obverse of this medal on a thin piece of silver in the Hunterian Collection. A crack in the die was undoubtedly the cause of the artist's proceeding no further with this piece than to strike a few trial proofs. It was probably intended to be a presentation medal for the army, like the oval medals previously mentioned, and must have been engraved in the period between the Battle of Naseby, 1645, and Fairfax's resignation of the post of Lord General in 1650. The life of Thomas, Lord Fairfax, the celebrated Parliamentary general, is too well known to need the repetition of any particulars of it here. Suffice it for us to remark that he possessed cultivated tastes, was a warm friend to learning, and was himself not undistinguished as an author. He had a great love for English Antiquities, and made, among other collec- tions, one of coins and medals, which were purchased by the father of Ealph Thoresby, the eminent antiquary of Leeds, who lived 1658 — 1725. After his resignation of the chief command, already mentioned ( amtea page 9 ), Lord Fairfax retired to his house at Nun-Appleton in Yorkshire, where he lived quietly during the Protectorate, not again taking part in public matters until 1659, when he joined General Monk to assist in the restoration of Charles II. With reference to the Cromwell and Fairfax Medal, plate ii. no. 1, George Vertue says, " These two Heads on one Medal, seem to have been thus artfully struck, to indicate the Decline of General Fairfax, and the Uprising of Oliver to the Protectorate.'''' — Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, page 12. This conjecture is certainly without any foundation, for since the head of Cromwell on the medal in question is taken from a punch of that on the Great Seal for England, and this Great Seal could not have been executed before 1653, and was really not made until 1655 ( see our article (Brflmfotll ani fair-fax fffifcal*. •zt on Seals at the end of this chapter ), the date of the medal must be after 1654 ; thus it can scarcely indicate the decline of Fairfax, who had resigned his command in 1650, and had been living in retirement for some years. The two dies of the obverse and reverse were in our opinion only struck upon the same blank from a whim of the artist, and both being cracked, they would only serve for the two or three proofs which now exist, and could not be used for a finished medal of which a considerable number had to be struck. Simon apparently took the cracked die of the obverse of Fairfax's medal, plate ii. no. 2, and joined it to the obverse of an unfinished medal of Cromwell, the die of which was also cracked, probably in the process of hardening. The result is the extremely rare proof piece now presented to the reader's notice, and which also furnishes another example of an uncom- pleted medal by Thomas Simon being laid aside after the striking of a few proof impressions, in consequence of a crack appearing in the die : the Lord G-eneral Medal being the first one described in this work ( antea p. 9.) The second medal of Cromwell and Fairfax is hitherto unpublished in this country, and was obligingly pointed out to our notice by M. Renier Chalon, President of the Royal Numismatic Society at Brussels. The Obverse bears a head of Cromwell, crowned with a kind of imperial crown. The head is double, and when reversed there appears that of a demon. In front of the faces is the word Cuomwel. The legend, in Dutch, is sur- rounded by two inner circles, and reads — den . een . mens . IS . den . A . snN dvivel (Ben een mens is den anderen siin duivel ) , meaning "this one C Cromwell ) is the evil genius of the other ( Fairfax ) ." Reverse, a similar 28 guraismata iFrflrafojIHaua. reversible head of Fairfax in a large Puritan's hat, joined to a fool's head with the cap and bells. In front of the faces, the word farfox. A similar Dutch legend, also surrounded by two circles, reading — deen . SOT . IS . D . A . S . gek . (Been sot is den anderen siin gek) , signifying " this simpleton ( Faiifax ) is the other's ( Cromwell's ) fool or dupe." A circular medal, size 1-5 inches in diameter. This medal is extremely rare, since we have only heard of two examples, the finest of which is in the possession of M. le General Meyers, of Anvers. It is of copper, cast and chased, and was found, in 1825, among the foun- dations of a house in Maestricht. Another specimen, not so well preserved, is in the cabinet of the " Bibliotheque Eoyale de Belgique" at Brussels. The accompanying engraving is taken from a woodcut on page 407, tome ii. le serie, of the Revue de la Numismatique Beige, 1846, where there is an article explanatory of it by Al. C. Piot. This very curious and scurrilous medal was probably the work of one of the inferior Dutch medallists, who produced so many satirical medals about this period, and the occasion seems to have been the retirement of Fairfax and the appointment of Cromwell to be Lord General, on the 26th June, 1650. However, from the imperial crown upon Cromwell's head one might imagine that the medal had been made after his assumption of the Protectorate, unless the artist intended to signify by it that Oliver was already the chief man in the state. It will be observed that the design of the reversible heads very much resembles the common medals that have the Pope's head and the DeviFs similarly conjoined. The satirical inscriptions, pointing out Fairfax as the .imbecile tool of Cromwell's superior and more diabolical geniuis, appear to have reference to some influence which Cromwell was supposed to have over him, and which ended by Cromwell's succeeding to his post of Lord General. The Earl of Clarendon, in his History of the Rebellion, refers to this in the following words : — " Hereupon Cromwell was chosen general ; which made no alteration in the army ; which he had modelled to his own mind before, and commanded as absolutelv." Vol. vi., p. 450, Oxford edition, 1839. THE COMMONWEALTH COINS. During the whole of the Protectorates of Oliver and Richard Cromwell, and even to the year 1660, the Mint continued to coin and issue money with the Commonwealth's type, as fixed by the Act of Parliament, anno 1649, cap. 43 ; which enumerates the several denominations thus : — " One piece of Gold of the value of Twenty shillings Sterling, to be called, The Twenty shillings piece, stamped on the one side with the Cross, and a Palm and Lawrel, with these words, The Commonwealth of England; and on the other side with the Cross and Harp, with these words, God with us : One other piece of Gold money of Ten shillings, to be called, The Ten shillings piece : and one other piece of Gold money of Five shillings, to be called, The Five shillings piece, with the same Words, Inscriptions, Pictures and Arms on each side, as the former : And for Silver moneys, pieces of five shillings, and pieces of two shillings and six pence, and pieces of Twelve pence, and pieces of Six pence, having the same Words, Inscriptions, Pic- tures and Arms on each side as the former ; Also pieces of Two pence, and One peny, having the same Pictures and Arms as the former, without any Words or Inscriptions ; and the Half peny having on the one side a Cross, and on the other side a Harp." See Henry Scobell's Collection of Acts and Ordinances, part ii., page 64. The following coins, therefore, appropriately receive a space in our Medallic History of Oliver Cromwell, as bearing the dates of the years of his Protectorate, viz : — 1653 to 1658. Gold Twenty-shillings or Broad Pieces. Obverse, a plain shield bearing St. George's Cross, surrounded by a palm and a laurel branch. Legend — the . commonwealth . OF . ENGLAND . ; at the end of which is the mint- mark, either a sun or an anchor. Reverse, two shields conjoined, one bearing St. George's cross, and the other the Irish harp. The numerals xx., for 20s., the value, above ; the whole being within a beaded inner circle. Legend — GOD . with . vs . , and the date. Those issued during Oliver's Protectorate have the dates 1653, 1654, 1656, and 1657, with the mint- mark of a sun. The full weight of a twenty-shilling piece was 140-4878 grains Troy ; and the standard of all the gold coins was twenty-two carats of fine gold to two carats of alloy, or eleven parts fine out of twelve. 30 gumij&maia tomfonlliaita. Ten-shilling Pieces or Half-broads : exactly similar in type to the twen- ty-shilling pieces, but having the numeral X., for 10s., instead of xx., above the shields on the reverse. Dates 1653 and 1654, with mint-mark sun. Full weight 70-2439 grains. Fice-shillhuj Pieces : also similar to the two higher denominations, but with v., for 5s., over the shields on the reverse. Dates 1653 and 1654 with mint-mark sun, and 1658 with mint-mark anchor. Full weight, 35-1219 grs. For engravings of the Gold Coins, see Vertue plate ix., Smiling pi. vi., and Folkes and Euding pi. xiv. Silver Croivns : exactly similar in type to the twenty-shilling pieces, but with v., for 5s., over the shields on the reverse. The dates are 1653, 1654, and 1656, with the sun mint-mark. Weight 464-514 grains. The standard of all the silver coins was 11 oz. 2 dwts. fine silver to 18dwts. alloy, or 11-1 parts silver to -9 part alloy. Half-crowns : same type, but with II. vi., for 2s. Cd., as the value. Dates 1653, 1654, 1655, and 1656, with the sun mint-mark ; and 1658 with an anchor as mint-mark. Weight 232-257 grains. Shillings: same type, but with xn., for 12 d., on the reverse. Dates 1653, 1654, 1655, 1656, and 1657, with sun mint-mark; and 1658 with anchor mint-mark. Weight 92-9028 grains. The shilling of 1655 in the British Museum has clearly been altered from one of 1654, although Mr. Hawkins has not noticed this alteration in his Sikrr Coins of England. Six-pences : also of the same type,* but with VI., for 6d. Dates 1653, 1654, 1655, 1656, and 1657 with sun mint-mark; and 1658 with anchor mint-mark. Weight 46-4514 grains. Half-groats or Two-pences. Obverse, a plain shield bearing St. George's cross, surrounded by a palm and a laurel branch. Reverse, two shields con- joined: one bearing St. George's cross, the other the Irish harp. The numerals II., for 2d., above. No legend or date on either side. Weight 15-4838 grains. Pennies : exactly similar in type to the half-groats, but with I., for Id., above the two shields on the reverse. Weight 7-7419 grains. Half-pennies. Obverse, a single shield bearing St. George's cross. Reverse, a single shield bearing the Irish harp. No legends or numerals. Weight 3-3709 grains. £jj£ (Eflmra0tifoulih (Biriits. si For engravings of the Silver Coins, see Vertue plate viii., Smiling pi. xvi., and Follies and Ending pi. xxxi. None of the above coins are the work of Thomas Simon, the execution and design both fall far short of this celebrated artist's known productions. The types and inscriptions were agreed upon by the House of Commons, but whether the dies were engraved by John East, the Under Graver, or not, we have no evidence to show. It is very probable that most of the silver coins just described, more especially those dated 1653, 1654, and 1655, were coined out of the Dutch silver seized in the three ships Sampson, Salvador, and George. It will not be out of place, therefore, if we here give a short account of the seizure and disposal of this silver, since it is mentioned in T. Violet's True Narrative, 8fc, as " all the Silver now coyning in the Tower : " the now referring to August, 1653. These three Dutch vessels, with several other ships, " came into com- pany all together from Cadiz" on the 13th October, 1652, and were soon after brought into the Eiver Thames as prizes. They did not, however, surrender to the English without some resistance, as was evinced by the marks of cannon shot in their hulls. On the 8th December, Thomas Violet, a goldsmith of the city of London, laid before the Council of State a paper begging for a strict enquiry relative to the three ships — the Sampson, Sal- vador, and George — which were then awaiting judgment in the Court of Admiralty. He represented that these were Dutch ships, and that the silver bullion on board of them was chiefly also the property of merchants of Amsterdam. If this was the case, the whole of the treasure could be sei- zed as the property of the enemy, since war had been declared against the United Provinces on the 9th July, 1652, and engagements had taken place between the hostile fleets on the 19th May, the 16th August, and the 28th September. But on the other hand, the Spanish Ambassador claimed to have the silver released, pretending it to be the King of Spain's property. Accordingly it was ordered by the Council of State, on the 13th December, " that Master Thomas Violet doe assist " Dr. Walker, the Commonwealth's advocate, in prosecuting the three ships. 32 fjumismafa toraiinniaita. On the 1 7th December in the same year, Violet made a protest in the Court of Admiralty against the Sampson, Salvador, and George, and the ships and silver were consequently stayed by order of the Council of State on that day. The cargoes were seized on the 29th April, 1653, and in May it appears that the Government had then unloaded and deposited in the Tower all the bullion from these ships. On the 28th June, 1653, Colonel John Barkstead, the Governor of the Tower, was ordered by the Council " to take into his Custody, care, and charge all such Summes of money as then were or should be coynd of the Silver lately Seized and carried into the Tower of London." The coining of this large amount of treasure occupied almost an entire year ; for on the 31st August, 1654, Colonel Jones reported to the Council of State from the Committee of the Mint, that " the account of John Barkstead, Esq., Lieu- tenant of the Tower, for the monyes by him received, being brought into the Mint out of the ships Sampson, Salvador, George, Morning Starr, and the Angell Michael, from the vi of June 1653 to 10 May 1654" amounted to £278276. 8s. M., thus:— Silver seized in the before-mentioned ships : weight in standard silver 92234 lbs. 3 oz. 4 dwts. 1 grain : value at £3 per pound weight £276702 . 16* . (V. Gold taken from the Morning Star : weight in stan- dard gold 14 lbs. 9 oz. 3 dwts. 18 grains : value at £40 5s. per pound weight 594 . 6.s . 4rf. Shew of the whole : gold parted from the silver . 979. Qs.ld. Total— £278276. 8.s.5r/. The foregoing particulars are gathered from the Draft Order Book of the Protector Oliver's Council of State, No. 80, pages 51, 55, 56 ; and also from two curious and scarce tracts, entitled : — "A True Narrative of som Eemarkable Proceedings concerning the Ships Samson, Salvador, and George, and several other Prize-ships depending in the High Court of Admiraltie : most humbly presented to the Parlament of the Common-wealth of England, and to the Eight Honorable the Council of State by Autoritie of Parlament, and to the Honorable the Council of &\}t SffmrauittBialtji ©fling. 33 Officers, of his Excellencie the Lord General. By Tho. Violet of London, Gold-smith. London, Printed by William Du-Gard, An. Dom. 1(153 ; "' and " Proposals humbly presented to His Highness Oliver Lord Protector of England, &c. and to the High Court of Parlament, now assembled. By Tho. Violet of London Goldsmith. London, Printed Anno Domini 1 656 ;" folio. The following curious passage, also bearing upon this subject, is extracted from a subsequent work by Thomas Violet, addressed to King Charles II., and entitled — " An Appeal to Caesar : wherein Gold and Silver is proved to be the Kings Majesties Koyal Commodity. London, Printed in the Year 1660 ; " quarto. On page 39 Violet says : — " At last I ingaged Cromwel to take up the Silver from aboard the Ships, Sampson, Salvador, and St. George, and that he would dissolve the Parliament ; the same night that he dissolved the Ipng Parliament, he could not sleep for it about the 15 April 1652 (-3). Cromwel sent Mr Sadler the Town-Clerk of London, and Coll. Bingham to me, to come presently to him at the Cock-pit, to give him the Coppies of all the Bills of these Ships Lading, and the value of the Silver, which I did ; and after he had them Cromwell could not sleep till he had the Silver in Barksteads custody in the Tower... being 29 April 1653. Oliver Cromwell sent a guard of Souldiers to seize on the Silver aboard these Ships, the Sampson, Salvador, and St. George, the 20 day of April 1652 (-3). Bradshaw tore his Hair before me, "and a Friend of mine, Bradshaw telling him that Cromwell had undone them all by forcing the Parliament, and that now he saw apparently he was an undone man. Bradshaw storming at me Tho. Violet, saying, I was the fatallest man that ever was to the Councel and Parliament for staying this Silver, and that had I not set the Councel and Parliament to stay this Sil- ver, till that every mans claim was particularly proved, the Silver had been all Transported, and Cromwell never durst have dissolved the Parliament, had he not got the Silver in these Ships, being three hundred thousand pounds into his hands." On page 45 he says in a note : — " This Silver which I stayed was the only cause of blowing up the Long Parliament, which I knew at that time an Army of 40000 men could not have done." The Long Parliament was dissolved by Oliver Cromwell on the 20th April 1653; and it seems to us likely that Violet only seized upon the coincidence of dates to fabricate the above extraordinary assertions after the Restoration. 34 funmmafa: ©rcmfoslHoa. MINT AFFAIES. Under this head we purpose including sundry matters relating to the Coinage and to the Mint in the Tower of London, during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. I. — The Officers of the Mint. The Officers of his Mint were in all probability nearly the same persons, with the same salaries, as those approved by the House of Commons on the 6th July, 1649. This supposition is confirmed by the circumstance that we have found two persons named in the Council Order Books of the period of the Protectorate as then holding the same offices as they did under the Parliament, viz : — Thomas Simon, Chief Graver, and Eichard Pight, Clerk of the Irons and Surveyor of the Melting House. We therefore give the following list of officers with their salaries, from the Journals of the House of Commons, vol. vi. pp. 212 and 252, orders of 21st May and 6th July, 1649, as representing, to a great extent, the Mint establishment under the Lord Protector Oliver: — Per Annum- Dr. Aaron Guerdain, Master of the Mint • John St. John, Warden . Walter Grime, Warden's Clerk Henry Cogan, Comptroller Peter Fenton, his Clerk Andrew Palmer, and Thomas Woodward, Assay Masters Their Clerk — Bingley, and — Beale, Auditors : to each for his Clerk And to each for parchment, ink, paper, and other necessaries Anthony Knivet, and Tellers . Their Clerk .... Eichard Pight, as Clerk of the Irons As Surveyor of the Melting House His Clerk .... Tho. Symons, Graver of the Irons John Eeynolds, Under Assayer John East, Under Graver £. s. d. 400 100 20 66 13 4 13 6 8 66 13 4 10 10 (l 10 33 6 8 10 13 6 8 26 13 4 10 30 40 40 iliit! Iffuit'S. 35 Per Annum — XI. a. d. Daniel Brattle, and , Sinkers of the Irons . . 20 — Hodgins, Smith 10 John Dendy, Porter 10 Vening, Parson of the Chapel in the Tower, for his tythes -13 4 Symson, Sexton of the same Chapel . . . . — 4 4 For the diet of the Officers M James Howard and John Eeinolds, Clerks, each . 20 II. — Appointments of Thomas Simon. The following unpublished extracts from the original Draft Order Books of the Protector Oliver's Council of State, now preserved in the Public Becord Office, afford us some interesting information respecting Thomas Simon's appointments in the Mint. We learn from them that on the 15th February, 1654-5, it was ordered by his Highness the Lord Protector, by and with the advice and consent of the Council of State, that Thomas Simon be Sole Chief Engraver for the Mint and Seals ; and on the next clay it was ordered that he be Medal- maker for the State. The first order was approved on the 6th March ; but on the 1 6th of the same month another order was made at greater length, recommending that Thomas Simon should have the salary of twenty marks — £13 . 6s. Sd. — per annum for " the sole making of all Medals for his High- ness and the public service, and of the Chains to the said Medals," and that he should also have the salary of thirty pounds per annum as Chief Graver of the Mint and Seals. This order was approved on the 20th March. We now present our readers with these extracts verbatim et literatim : — Thursday, 15th February, 1654-5. — " Ordered by his Highness y e Lo. Protector by and w h the advise and Consent of the Counsell 5. That M 1 ' Thomas Symon be sole Cheife Ingraver for the Minte and Seales, and have y e ffee of p. ann. annexed to his place." — Pae/r 38, Draft Order Book No. 82. Friday, 16th February, 1654-5. — "Ordered by [his Highness the Lord Protector ] by and with the advise of the Counsell, That Thomas Symon be Medall maker for the State."— Page 40, Draft Order Booh No. 82. 36 ^umij&mata © r- ff in tu 5 1 li a it rt . Friday, 10th March, 1654 5, (pout meridiem ).— Ordered "That it be offered to his Highness as the advise of y e Counsell, That Thomas Symon be constituted and appoynted Meddall maker, and to have the sole makeing of all Meddalls for his Highness and the publique service, and of the Chaines to y e sayd Meddalls, w th a Salary of xx*y Markes p ann, as Med- dall maker, and Libty to have the free use of such presses, Roles, and Cutters w th other Instrum ts necessary for that worke as are or shall belong tp y e Coffton Wealth in the Tower or elsewhere, And that his Highness would be pleased to graunt the sayd Office w th the sayd Sallary, and the Office of Cheife Graver of the Mint and Seales w th the Sallary of 30 l p ann. to the sayd Thomas Symon by patent accordingly." — Page 88, Draft Order Book No. 82. The Patent alluded to in the last Order was granted by the Protector to Thomas Simon on the 9th July, 1656, and it confers on him the same offices and emoluments as those mentioned in that Order. He is to be " Sole Chief Engraver of the Irons of and for the moneys of us and our successors within our Tower of London," with the salary of thirty pounds a year, commencing on the 25th March, 1655. He is further granted the sole right of making, cutting, or engraving the arms of the Protector or of the Commonwealth on certain articles ; and is constituted the sole maker of medals and the chains thereto belonging, at a yearly salary of £13 . 6.s. 8d., also to begin on the 25th March, 1655. He had, moreover, the privilege of choosing the Under Engraver and Sinker of the Irons. This Patent was inrolled on the 11th November, 1657 ; but, as the wording of it is very lengthy, we reserve our copy of it for the Appendix. III. — Committee of Council for the Mint. We find that the Protector appointed a Committee of Council for Mint Affairs, since the Council of State on the 16th February, 1653-4, ordered — " That these be a Cofnittee for considering of the Regulacon of y e Mint, Ma. Gr. Lambt, Col. Jones, S r Charles Wolsley, M r Strickland, Col. Mack- worth, or any three of them." — Page 4, Draft Order Book No. 77. On the 7th of March, Col. Sydenham was added to this Committee (Page 85, Draft Order Book No. 17) ; on the 27th of April, Col. Fiennes was added (Page 66, Draft Order Book No. I'd) ; and on the 28th of April, Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper was added (Page 76, Draft Order Book No. 79,). glint gHaiu. 37 It may interest our readers if we give here a few brief notes respecting the connection between the Protector and the persons forming this Com- mittee ; although very little is known regarding the lives of some of them. The majority of the Council, however, had been leading officers in the Commonwealth's army. Major-General Lambert is a prominent and well known name in this period. He was a member of Oliver's first Parliament, which met on the 3d of September, 1654 ; and was also one of the Major-Generals of Counties appointed on the 9th August 1655, his district including five of the northern counties of England. His active employment under the Protectorate ceased with his dismissal from all his appointments in July, 1657; for, having offended Cromwell by not presenting himself when the members of the Council took the oath of fidelity to the new government (just confirmed by Oliver's second installation as Lord Protector on the 26th June, 1657 ), and showing himself dissatisfied with that condition of things, he was deprived of his commissions ; but received instead a retiring pension of £2000 per annum. Colonel Philip Jones was member for Brecknockshire in the Long Parliament. Under the Protector he was " Comptroller of His Highness's Household ", and one of his House of Lords, with the title of " Philip Lord Jones." Sir Charles Wolseley, Baronet, was member for Staffordshire in Oliver's first and second Parliaments ; and was one of his peers, under the title of "Charles Lord Wolseley." Mr. Walter Strickland was member for Minehead in the Long Parlia- ment, and had been some time the Commonwealth's Ambassador in Holland. He was also elected a member in both of Cromwell's Parliaments, and made one of his peers, as "Walter Lord Strickland." Colonel Humphrey Mackworth was a lawyer of Shrewsbury, and Gover- nor of that place when Charles II. unsuccessfully summoned it on his road to Worcester in 1651. He died about a year after his appointment as one of Oliver's Privy Councillors, and was buried on the 26th December, 1654, in Henry VII. 's Chapel, at Westminster Abbey. His was one of the twenty-one bodies of Commonwealth worthies, exhumed by order of Charles II. on the 38 guraismata ©mmbnlliain. 12th September 1661, and re-interred in a pit dug in St. Margaret's Church- yard. ( See Dean Stanley's Historical Memorials of Westminster Abbey, 2nd edition, London 1868, page 237 et seq.) Colonel William Sydenham was member for Melcombe Eegis in the Long Parliament, and was also member of the two Protectorate Parliaments. Oliver made him one of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and a member of his House of Peers under the title of "William Lord Sydenham." Colonel the Honourable Nathaniel Fiennes was the second son of the Viscount Say and Sele; he was member for Banbury in the Long Parliament, and was also a representative in both of Oliver's Parliaments. The Protector made him one of the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal in 1655, and in 1657 one of his peers as "Nathaniel Lord Fiennes." With regard to Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, Baronet, afterwards the first Earl of Shaftesbury, we would refer the reader to his Memoirs, Letters, and Speeches, etc., edited by W. D. Christie, 8vo, London 1859 ; remarking here only that he was elected for Oliver's two Parliaments, but was one of the members excluded from the second. IV. — Counterfeiters of Coin. In the Council Order Books there are several entries relating to the counterfeiting of the current coin ; and the false coiners seem to have been very numerous at this period. From their dates it appears that these orders must refer to the money bearing the Commonwealth's type, just described ( antea pp. 29, 30 ); and in the British Museum, as well as in several private collections, specimens of such counterfeits are still preserved. The earliest orders on the subject are Contained in the following extract: Tuesday, 3d April, 1655. — "Col. Jones reports the service pformed 1 to the Coffton wealth by Ei chard Pight, Clerk of the Irons and Surveyo r of the melting houses in the Mynt, in his discovering and prosequuting of Counter- feit Coyne, and the psons 2 guilty of Counterfeitting the same ; Ord. [ by his Highness the Lord Protector ] by and w th the Counsells Advise That a warr t3 be issued to M r Grualter Frost for paym* of L u to the s d 5 Eichard Pight towards y e Charge and Eecompence of that service, out of the Coun- sells Contingencies. ^performed. 2 persons. 3 warrant. 4 £50. 5 said. fflini Iffairs. 39 " That it be referred to Col. Sydenham, Col. Jones, y e E. 1 of Mulgrave, Col. Mountagu and M r Rouse or any 2 of them to speake with the M r 2 and Warden of the Mint, and to informe themselves what service is due from those officers by vertue of their places in relacon to the Counterfeiters of Coyne, and if it shall ap Te 3 p * i of the Duty of those offic 8 5 to take care that Counterfeit 1,3 of Coyne be discovered and prosequuted, then to informe themselves further how it comes to pass that the service is pformed by ano- ther hand to y e increasing of the Comonwealth's charge, and to make report to ye Counsell."— Page 1, Draft Order Book No. 83. The first order, relating to Richard Pight, who was Clerk of the Irons and Surveyor of the Melting House in the Mint (see page 34 above), was approved on the 5th of the same month, and a copy of the warrant to pay him £50 is entered in the Money "Warrant Book of the Council of State, No. 126, page 143. It is dated the 6th April, 1655, and is addressed to Mr. Grualter Frost, Treasurer of the Council's Contingencies. The " other hand " referred to in the latter order would be of course Eichard Pight, and it would therefore appear that the discovery of false coiners being no part of his official business, he received extra remuneration for such services. The report ordered in the last two lines of the above extract cannot be found, after a careful search, and it does not seem to have ever been made. A further order of the Council, for paying Mr. Pight another sum of fifty pounds for the same service, is dated — Thursday, 12th July, 1655, (ante meridiem). — Ordered "That the Corhittee of the Counsell to whom y e peticon of Eichard Pight, Clerke of the Irons and Surveyo r of the melting houses in the Mint, conc'ning his charges in discovring and prosequuteing of Counterfeiters of Coyne was referred, doe meet in ord r to a report, and that in the meane tyme there be p'd him out of the Counsells Contingencyes the sufhe of fiftie pounds ; and that a warr* to M r ffrost be in that behalfe issued." — Page 44, Draft Order Book No. 84. This order was approved by the Protector in person, and a warrant dated on the same day, for paying £50 to Richard Pight, is entered in the Money Warrant Book No. 126, page 167. 1 Earl 2 Master 3 appeare 4 part 6 officers 40 guraisraaia ©iffratoiUiatu. We give here two further extracts relating to the same subject : — Wednesday, 9th January, 1655-6. — Ordered "That it be referred to Major Gen 11 Baxter, 1 L* 2 of the Tower, L* Col. White, and Edward Cresset esq r or any 2 of them, to take consideration of the peticon of Eichard Pight, Clerke of the Irons and Surveyo 1 of the Melting house to his Highness Mint, and to informe themselves of the Services by him pformed, about discovring, apprehending, and prosecuteing false Coyners, and of the charge, and im- portance thereof, and in what way the sayd Service may be further pursued, w th most advantage to y e Cofnon Wealth, and in ord r thereunto, to consider his proposalls annexed to his peticon, and what may be fitt to be allowed the pet r 3 , both as to tyme past, and for the future, in consideracon thereof, and to make their report upon y e whole matt r w th the 1 st oportunity." — Page 119, Draft Order Book No. 86. Thursday, 7th August, 1656. — "On reading of a Eeport from S r John Berkstead kn* , and Edward Cresset Esq r , dated the 14 th of May 1656, in pursuiance of the Counsells reference of y e 9 th of January last, upon the peticon of Eichard Pight, Clerk of the Irons and Surveyo r of the Melting house to his Highness Mynt, togeather w th y e proposalls thereunto annexed, touching the Services by him pformed 4 about discovring, apprehending, and prosequuteing false Coyners, They thereby certifying, the pet rs 5 diligent attending of the sayd Service for the space of five yeares, and his prosequu- ting about 50 false Coyners, in sevrall p ts 6 of this Nacon ; For his charge wherein he hath received onely one hundred pounds, being short of his Costs,' expences therein sustayned; and that the pet r is a fitt p'son? for the execu- con of y* 8 Service ; Ordered by [his Highness the Lord Protector] and the Counsell, That according to y e teno r of the sayd report, there be paid unto the sayd Eichard Pight the Sum of Seaventy pounds for and in lieu of y 6 Services by him already pformed, to the date of the sayd report, as also the Sum eighty two pounds three shillings for sevrall Contingent Charges by him disburst in y* Service to y* tyme, since the 20 th day of March 1655; And " That it be referred to S r John Barkstead kn* , and M r Cresset, w th L* Col. Francis White, or any 2 of them, to view as well the quantity, and quality of all Irons, instrum ta , utensiles, and other materialls for Counterfeit 1 Barkstead 2 Lieutenant 3 petitioner i performed 5 petitioner's 6 parts 7 person 8 that Hint Iffaiu. 41 Coyning, as also all Counterfeit peices of Coyne, plates, mettalls, and other materialls prepared for that use, that have been seized by the sayd Richard Pight, and brought into the Tower of London, and to cause the sayd Irons, instrum ts , and utensiles, Counterfeitted peices of Coyne, mettalls, and mate- rialls to be defaced and made useless ; and the sayd moneys and mettalls to be melted downe, and an assay thereof taken, and the true value thereof estimated, and deliv'red into y e hands of the sayd Richard Pight, for and towards the sayd Sumes of Seaventy pounds, and eighty two pounds three shillings soe ordered to be paid unto him ; And to c'tyfy * what y e same amounts unto, y* further provision may be made for y e remaynd r thereof." —Pages 315, 316, Entry Booh No. 105. On Saturday, 13th September, 1656, His Highness gave his approbation to the foregoing order of the 7th August [Entry Book No. 105, p. 394) ; and the whole matter appears to have been brought to a conclusion by the Coun- cil's order of — Thursday, 4th December, 1656. — " On reading a report from S r John Barkstead kn* , & Lievt. Col. ffrancis White, in pursuance of the Councell's order of the 7 th of August 1656, whereby it was referred to them, to view the Instrum ts , materialls, and Counterfeit Coyne, seized by Richard Pight, Clerke of the Irons &c, and to cause the said Instrum ts &c. to be defaced, and the value thereof, and of the said Coyne to be estimated, to the intent the same may be applyed towards satisfying him the severall sumes of Se- venty pounds and eighty three pounds, ordered to be payd him for service, and disbursem ts , in discovery of Counterfeit Coyners ; They certifying, that the premises amount unto Thirty seven pounds two shillings, which is deli- vered to the said Richard Pight, towards his satisfaction ( besides a great press for the Coyning of money, formerly stolne out of the Tower, being most of it brasse, w oh if defaced, will amount to y e value of fourty shillings) Ordered by. his Highness the Lo. Protecto r and the Councell, That the said presse be continued for the service of the Mint, and delivered into the charge of the proper Officer thereof, And that in satisfaction of the residue of the said sufhes, there be payd to the said Richard Pight, out of the money arise- ing from the proffits of the Mint, the surhe of one hundred & fifteene pounds, 1 certify. 42 gunmntata tovvmiatllnun. eighteene shillings, And the Warden of his Highness Mint at the Tower is hereby empow'red, and required, to pay y e same accordingly." — Page 557, Entry Book No. 105 of the Council of State (in the Public Eecord Office). According to a memorandum in the margin, this order was approved in person on the same day, His Highness the Lord Protector being present. The following extract from a contemporary newspaper affords us an interesting example of Eichard Pight's proceedings against the false coiners. It is exactly copied from The Publick Intelligencer, Number 4, from Monday October 22 to Monday October 29, 1655. " An Advertisement. " There is a great offendor of this Commonwealth, whose name is Abraham Stapley, thirty years of age, a Sussex man, brown haired, of middle size, whitely coloured, very slender, usually going in sad coloured clothes ; he first lived in Westminster, at the Mill-bank ; from thence he went to Red-rose street in Covent-Garden, from thence into Dirty Lane in Saint Gileses; from thence to Saint Scweries dock ; from thence to Betford. This Abraham Stapley is a false Coiner of money, for, in his house at Detford were found several false Coining Irons for half Crowns, and false half Crowns, Coined with the date 1655. and this is to give notice to all persons whatsoever, that shall receive any of this said money of Stapleys, dated 1655. there being none of that date in his Highness Mint coined to this day the 26. of October; If they do not give notice to me Richard Pight, I shall wheresoever I finde them, prosecute them according to the Law : whosoever shall apprehend this party, and bring certain Intelligence to Master Pight in the Tower, Surveyour of the Melting-house in his Highnesse Mint, shall receive five pounds for their faithful service to the Commonwealth. "Richard Pight:' It is perhaps unnecessary to remind the reader that Stapley was liable to the punishment of death for counterfeiting the coin of the realm ( see page 21 above) ; for this crime had been held to be high treason ever since the year 1351 (25 Edward III. chapter 2.) The statement of Pight in this advertisement, that no money had been coined with the date 1655 up to the 26th October in that year, is interesting; IliiTt affairs, +3 although it is very likely that a few shillings and six-pences were made in November or December, 1655. We have never seen any gold coins of that date, nor any genuine silver crowns or half-crowns ; yet one of the latter is said to have been in the Wigan collection. In the British Museum are plated forgeries of half-crowns dated 1654 and 1655; that of 1655 being probably one of the identical false half-crowns made by Stapley. Mr. John Evans, F. E. S. &c, has also kindly favoured the author with the loan of a false half-crown of base metal, dated 1656. This latter piece, as well as a rude imitation of the half-groat in the British Museum, is no doubt one of the contemporary productions of the counterfeiters of Commonwealth coins, against whom Bichard Pight was so active. It should be distinctly under- stood, however, that all the foregoing remarks refer only to coins with the Commonwealth's type, as described on page 30 above, and not to any coins with the Protector's bust. We further observe, by the Council Entry Book No. 105, that four per- sons having been condemned at the Northampton Assizes for this crime of coining, the Protector granted a reprieve to the fourth criminal, on the 5th September, 1656 ; and in the Privy Seal Book No. 13, we also find the inrol- ment of a Letter of Privy Seal, issued by the Protector Oliver, 10th March, 1656-7, for paying to Eobert Worrall, Keeper of Grettam Lodge in the Forest of Rockingham, Northamptonshire, the sum of fifty pounds, " as a reward for his paines, expences, and service, in apprehending of certaine persons, attainted of high-treason for counterfeiting the coyne of this Com- monwealth." These were no doubt the same persons as those mentioned in the Council Book. In October, 1659, Bichard Pight again appears as a prosecutor, the defendant this time being Cecil Lord Baltimore, whose money for his terri- tory of Maryland is well known to all American numismatists. The shilling, six-pence, and groat, of silver, are represented in Folkes's and Budinys plate xxx. nos. 6, 7, 8.' They each bear the bust and name of Lord Baltimore on the obverse, with his arms, the value, and a motto on the reverse. From the Council Entry Book, Interregnum, No. 107, p. 646, we learn that Richard Pight gave information to the Council of State " that Cicill Lord Baltamore and diverse others with him, and for him, have made and transported great Sums of money, and doe still goe on to make more." The Council thereupon ordered, on Tuesday, 4th October, 1659, "That a warrant be issued forth to the said Eichard Pight for the apprehending of the Lord Baltamore and such others as are suspected to be ingaged w th hirn, in the said offence, and for the seizeing of all such moneys, stamps, tooles & Instrum* 3 for Coyning the same, as can be met w th , and to bring them in safe custody to the Counsell." On the following day, however, the Council made another order, which is in less severe terms, and was perhaps substituted for their former one, viz : Wednesday, 5th October, 1659. — "The Councell being informed that a great quantity of Silver is coyned into peeces of diverse rates & values, and sent into Maryland, by the Lo. Baltamore or his order. Ordered, That the said Lo. Baltamore be sumoned to attend the Cofnittee of the Councell for Plantacons, who are to inquire into the whole business, and to report the state thereof to the Councell." — Page 653, Entry Book No. 107. No further notices about this matter can be found among the records, and we conclude that the report of the Committee for Plantations was never made, the Council of State being dissolved by Lambert on the 1 3th October 1659, only eight days afterwards. It will scarcely appear surprising that Eichard Pight had raised up many enemies by all these proceedings, and accordingly we find, amongst the State Papers of the Interregnum, a curious petition from him, addressed to the Council of State appointed by authority of Parliament, printed on one side of a folio sheet, without date. It must, however, have been printed somewhere between the months of May and October 1659, during which time only this Council sat. In this Petition, Pight complains that the Under Graver, Nicholas Birch, had combined against him with Thomas Violet and several of the false coiners whom he had previously prosecuted. Pight also states that Violet had charged him with keeping correspondence with the false coiners, when on the contrary he had instituted proceedings against many of them, " and preferring a Bill of Indictment against Thomas Webb and Mary White for Coining false Dollars, 1655, although the Witness did make it fully appear they were guilty of the same, yet they were acquitted both by the Judgment of the Bench of Justices and Jury, there being ( as they said ) no Law in force to convict them of the said fact." Pight goes itiiif glfaius. 45 on to say that in the last four years (1655 — loo 9 ) he had prosecuted more than eighty persons for false coining, and had not received one penny for his disbursements in doing so, or salary since 1651 ; £500 being now due to him, and £100 for his salary for his office in the Mint.* He then requests " to be protected and indemnified from such suits as are now pending ( in particular by Henry Cole), and from the violence and malice of Thomas Violet,f and all other Offenders and Confederates, which are your Petitioner's enemies for his faithful service done to this Commonwealth, daily seeking his ruin." He concludes by asking for full power to prosecute such false coiners. See p. 597, vol. x. of Interregnum Petitions, Public Eecord Office. It does not appear, after a careful search, that any response was made to this Petition, and there seems no doubt that the unsettled state of the government effectually prevented anything being done. In 1660, however, Richard Pight again presented a petition, this time addressed to King Charles II. He prays for confirmation in his office in the Mint, and annexes an account of eighty-six false coiners prosecuted by him from August 1650 to 1659 ; and he also alleges that £100 of his Mint salary, and £500 for prosecuting these coiners, are still due to him. (Mrs. Everett Green's Calendar of Domestic State Papers, 1660 — 1661, page 10.) It is probable that Pight was, like many others, continued in his former employ- ment ; although we do not know who filled the offices of Clerk of the Irons and Surveyor of the Melting House for twelve years after the Restoration. * The reader will nevertheless have observed that over £252, in money and goods, had been ordered to be paid to him by the Protector, and that a large portion of it had actually been so paid. t The same person as the T. Violet who discovered the silver ships, etc., see pp. 31 — 33 above. V. — Sir Ralph Maddison's Pamphlet. A curious pamphlet on Mint Affairs, written by Sir Ralph Maddison, Knight, is among the King's Pamphlets in the British Museum, no. 18, vol. 625. According to a contemporary manuscript note on the title-page, it was published in December, 1654, although the printed date is 1655. It is a small quarto of twenty-three leaves, composed of the title and epistle- dedicatory on two leaves, followed by pages 1 — 42. The title runs thus : 46 furaismata ©Mrafojlliana. " Great Britains Eemembrancer, Looking In and Out. Tending to the Increase of the Monies of the Commonwealth. Presented to his Highness the Lord Protector, And to the High Court of Parliament now assembled. By the Author Balphe Maddison, K* . London 1655." This tract consists of an essay on the five following subjects : 1. Unequal Exchange, or the Merchants' Exchange. 2. The Balance of Trade. 3. A Bank and a Banker. 4. A standing Council for Mint-affairs. 5. Free Ports. The author discusses at length these and similar commercial and monetary ques- tions, and offers many propositions ; but, although it seemed advisable to point out the existence of this pamphlet for the benefit of those readers who may wish to further investigate the subject, it contains no information con- cerning the mint and the coins of the period which seems to require special notice in this place. It should be observed, however, that a large portion of the subject matter in Gh'eat Britain's Remembrancer is reproduced from an earlier pam- phlet by Maddison, also on trade and currency questions, of which two editions are in the Library of the British Museum. The title of the first edition is — " Englands Looking In and Out. Presented to the High Court of Parliament now Assembled. By the Author R. M. Knight. " London, 1 640, seventeen leaves, small quarto. The second edition is exactly similar, and apparently from the same types, the only difference being the alteration of the date on the title-page from 1640 to 1641. Respecting the author himself, we have not been able to find much information. On the 16th August, 1649, a Committee of the Council of State was appointed to speak with him about the business of the Coin, the means whereby the Mint might be set to work, etc. ( See Violet's Mysteries and Secrets of Trade and Mint-affairs, London, 1653, page 161.) Maddison may have been, therefore, a goldsmith of some standing, whose experience in monetary matters was esteemed by the Council. THE PEACE OF WESTMINSTEE MEDALS. Before proceeding further in our Medallic History, it will be necessary to describe tlie Dutch Medals that were made on the occasion of the Peace of Westminster. This treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive, between the Commonwealth of England and the United Provinces of the Nether- lands, was signed at Westminster on the 5th April, 1654, and proclaimed in London on the 26th April. A Proclamation for the cessation of all acts of hostility between the two countries was made on the 2nd May. M. Bizot, in his Histoire Metallique de la Republique de Hollande, edit. 1688, torn. ii. p. 226, says that the three medals — Nos. I. to III. described below — were struck at Amsterdam on the publication of this Peace. Also Nos. IV. and V., since they bear Dutch inscriptions, obviously belong to the same country. Gerard van Loon further states that Nos. I. to IV. were pro- duced at Amsterdam. Medal No. I. Obverse, Neptune on a car, drawn by two sea-horses : the shields of arms of England and Holland resting on his knees, between which is a wreath. He holds a trident in his right hand, and above his head is the caduceus, which supports Mercury's winged hat, between two palm branches. On each side of the car is a Triton swimming in the sea, and blowing a conch. The artist's name, " Jerian Pool" is engraved at the sides of Neptune's head. Around the whole is the legend : amantivm ira amicitle redintegratio est (The quarrelling of friends is the renewing of friendship), an altered line from Terence, Andria, act iii., scene 3, line 23. At the end of this legend are the words "fecit Amsterdami," in small letters, evidently intended to be read thus — " Jerian Pool fecit Amsterdami." Eeverse, a Dutch inscription in fifteen lines, as follows: — "Ter Memorie der Vrede, Unie en Confasderatie, den 15 April solemnelyek gesloten tot West Munster, tusschen zyn Hoogheyf den Meer Protecteur vande Republique van Engelant, Schotlant, en Trlant ter eener, en de Hooghmogende Heeren Staten Generael ter andre syde ; daer op wederzyts Ratificatie in behoorlycke forme den 2 der maent May is uytgewisselt, en gepubliceert den 27 der selver Maent. Anno 1 654." ( In memory of the peace, union and confederation solemnly concluded 48 fumismata (BcffrafoilltEtni. at Westminster, the 15th April, between His Highness the Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland, on the one part, and the High and Mighty Lords the States General on the other part ; of which the ratifica- tions were duly exchanged by both parties the 2nd May, and published the 27th of the same month, in the year 1654.) These dates are according to the new style, then in use in Holland, but not in this country. This medal is circular, size 2-3 inches in diameter ; there is a silver specimen of it in the British Museum. It is engraved in — M. Bizot's Histoire Metattique de la Republique de Hollande, 1688, vol. ii., facing page 226, Eaguenet's Histoire ' were obligingly ascertained by Dr. W. Flight, of the Museum. Blondeau, in his Most Humble Remonstrance, 1653, thus defends himself from the charge that his patterns were plated : — " Essay [assay] hath been made at Grold- smith's-hall and in the Tower of the Patterns of Coin made by the said Blondeau ; and they have been found of the same silver and goodness, or a little better than the ordinarie Coin ought to bee, and of the same Silver within, as they are without." A mere glance at any of Eamage's pattern pieces will show that both their design and execution are far inferior to those of the undoubted works of Thomas Simon. Who actually engraved the dies of Eamage's patterns has been a question, but we have no doubt that Eamage himself did them. Snelling, however, in his View of Pattern Pieces p. 51, suggests John East as their engraver. Blondeau, in his Most Humble Memorandum, points out several defects in Eamage's patterns, and says that, although they had the use of the coin- ing implements that were already in the Tower mint, the Corporation of the Moneyers, in making the dozen trial pieces called Eamage's, expended £100 in new tools and other costs of coinage. In Violet's Answer, etc. p. 37, the Moneyers acknowledge that they only made a dozen pattern pieces, but say that they can, if commanded, strike many thousands with the same tools. With reference to Blondeau's allegation that their patterns had cost the State £100, they submit an account for the making of patterns in July, August, and September, 1651, upon the trial with "Peter Blondeau the Frenchman." The portion relating to Eamage's patterns is as follows : — "Inprimis in fitting of tooles and instruments for the work . £50 . Os.Od. "In Gold and Silver for making of the tryall 11. is . 3d. " Expended by the Moniers at severall times, when they wai- ted upon the Committee of the Mint in the tryall . . 26 . 14.s . 2d. Total— £87 . 18s . U. The name of David Eamage is no. 44 of the Moneyers in the "List of Fellow Moneyers and Labourers of the Mint in January, 1652," printed by Violet on pages 40, 41 of the Ansicer of the Corporation of Moniers, etc. Having fully described the pattern pieces made by Eamage, we must now turn to those of his rival, Blondeau. All the specimens of the latter at present known are in silver, although we have Blondeau's own statement that he made some in gold. 70 fumisraafa (Brirratoilliaiu. Blondeau's Half-crown No. 1 . Obverse, a shield . bearing St. George's cross, surrounded by a palm and laurel wreath. Mint-mark, sun. Legend — THE . COMMONWEALTH . OF . ENGLAND . Reverse, the two shields of England and Ireland conjoined; with the numerals II. VI (for 2s. 6d. ) above. All within a beaded inner circle. Legend — GOB . WITH . VS . 1651 . The edge bears the following inscription in relief — trvth . and . peace .1651 PETRVS . blond^vs . inventor . FECIT. A palm branch after 1651, and after FECIT. Diameter of the coin : 1-3 inches. A very fine specimen in the British Mu- seum weighs 232-3 grains. The inscription on the edge must not be taken to mean that Blondeau engraved the dies, but that he made or struck the coin, and did the edging. Blondeau's Half-crown No. 2. The. obverse and reverse are from the same dies as no. 1, but the edge is inscribed — IN . the . THIRD . yeare . OF . freedome . by . gods . blessing . restored . 1651 . A very fine specimen in the British Museum weighs 233 - 3 grains. Blondeau's Shilling. Similar in type to the half-crowns, but with the numerals xn (for 12c?.) above the shields on the reverse. The edge is milled with straight lines. Diameter of the coin: 1-05 inches. A fine specimen in the British Museum weighs 92*7 grains. Blondeau's Six-pence. Also similar to the half-crowns, but with " VI " on the reverse. Diameter : -9 of an inch. Edge milled with straight lines. One in the British Museum, very fine, weighs 46 - 3 grains. It will be noticed that the weights of these pieces are not so irregular as those of Ramage's patterns, being in fact nearly the same as the stan- dard weights of the current coins of the period. All Blondeau's patterns are beautifully finished, and, both as regards the engraving of the dies and the perfection of the coining process, are far in advance of anything previously done in England. The beauty of their execution shows that the dies were engraved by Thomas Simon ; several of the characteristics of his work, such as the fine frosting of the St. George's crosses, may be plainly perceived. Mr. Cuff and Mr. B. Nightingale were both of opinion that these patterns were the work of T. Simon, as " the work is in every respect so like Simon's, the same hand so easily traceable throughout, that the most experienced and practical numismatists entertain no question as to the dies having been en- graved by Simon." (Numismatic Chronicle, 0. s. vol. iv. p. 218.) Even if we were unable to recognize Simon's work on these coins, the mention of him together with Blondeau in the Mint Committee's order of the 4th July 1651, printed above, would be almost sufficient to establish the fact. From this order it appears that Simon was engaged in producing these patterns, to- gether with Blondeau. Simon supplied the engraved dies ready for stamping, while Blondeau's portion of the work was to bring the blanks to an equal size and thickness, to strike them from dies already prepared for him, and to edge them with legends or graining; all of which processes he performed by his newly invented (or newly introduced) machines. Each one of Blondeau's patterns has the equal size, roundness, and evenness of relief which he claimed for them, and many examples retain to this day their fine polish and gloss. Blondeau states that he made about three hundred pieces of his pattern coins, chiefly in half-crowns, shillings, and six-pences, but " some gold pieces." He delivered all of them, together with his Proposition, to Sir James Harrington, Chairman of the Committee of Council for the Mint. Harrington took them to the Council of State when he made his report to it, and the coins were nearly all taken by mem- bers of the Council and of the Parliament, so that very few remained in his hands, and Blondeau had great difficulty in getting the remainder of the pieces returned to him. — See MS. annexed to P. Blondeau's Petition of the 21st April 1654, Interregnum State Papers. It appears from a statement of Violet's (p. 21 of the Answer, etc.), that Blondeau made his patterns in a private house in the Strand, doubtless in order to prevent the mint officers from discovering his secrets. The moneyers thereupon endeavoured to bring a charge of treason against him for coining, but apparently without success. As Blondeau had, in his Proposals to the Parliament, June, 1650, offered to make proof of his inventions without charge to the State, it seems that all his three hundred pattern pieces were made at his own expense, especially as we have not been able to find any claim on the government for their cost, nor any record of the Parliament having paid for them. There is thus a great contrast in this trial. Eamage makes only a dozen roughly executed patterns, at a cost to the nation of £87, while Blondeau delivers in three hundred pieces, superior in every way, without any charge. The reader will recollect that, together with their patterns, each party was to deliver to the Mint Committee a written Proposition for coining 72 guiimnt&fa GnrmfonUiBna. current money in a similar manner. The moneyers did not present any proposition at that time (p. 11 of Blondeau's Most Mumble Memorandum), but they had previously, on the 28th February, 1650-1, drawn up a paper entitled : " The humble Proposition of the Provost and Moniers of the States Mint in the Tower of London," addressed to Sir James Harrington. It is printed on pages 22 and 23 of T. Violet's Answer of the Corporation of Mo- niers, etc. The moneyers herein offer to make coins equal to Blondeau's, " as exactly as any French-man in the world, and at a cheaper price than the French-man hath offered;" and they state that they receive at present 9d. per pound, Troy weight, for silver struck with the hammer, but they offer to make "fair mill-monie" for I2d. per pound. Also that they now have 2s. 5d. per pound weight for coining gold, and that the State has 15s. for the coinage, but that they will undertake to make "fair mill-gold, as fair as the gold coynes in France, for 5s. the pound weight." Blondeau states (p. 11 of his Most Humble Memorandum) that he pre- sented his Proposition at the same time as his patterns, viz : in July 1651, and that, after some alterations, " it was received and accepted of by the whole Committee, who ordered it to be reported to the Council of State, according to the order of the said Council." It is difficult to determine, with any certainty, which of the documents now remaining was the Proposition presented by Blondeau to the Committee of the Mint in July 1651. We however believe that an unpublished manu- script in the Public Eecord Office (Interregnum Letters and Papers No. 815J is the original or a copy of it. It is not dated, but has the indorsement : " Peter Blondeau's last Proposition." From the mention in it of the Parlia- ment, it must have been written before the dissolution in April 1653 ; and there appears to us no reason why this document should not be the Proposi- tion delivered to the Committee in July 1651. It is apparently written by a clerk, in a minute hand, on two pages, quarto size, but has Blondeau's autograph signature at the end. It commences thus : — "Peter Blondeau's Proposition concerning the Coyne, humbly presented to the Honorable Committee for the Mint. " I doe offer to coyne the money of this Commonwealth, according unto the patterns I have lately made here by order of the Committee for the Mint, which can neither be moulded, nor clipped, viz. both Gold and Silver marked on both flatt sides and upon the thicknesse or edge to the six pence inclusive, for the price of 16 pence the pound Troy of Silver, and for 7 shelings the pound Troy of Gold : the State affording unto me the Gold and Silver cast into plate of the necessary biggnesse and length, cleane and ready to worke, as also the stamps or dyes ready graved and polished and fitt for the presses." Blondeau goes on to say that he would only charge the State for the first cost of the tools and machines, keeping them in repair, and replacing broken and worn out ones at his own expense. He would also find the wood and coals, and bear the loss of the second melting, and of melting down the clippings, etc. He estimates that all the charges of melting the plate and making it ready for work, would be ten-pence per pound troy for gold, and three half-pence per pound for silver, at which price he offers to undertake it. He then states that — " To furnish the Mint with stamps or dyes ready for the presse, which ought to be done by the ablest in the art of graving, to avoyd counterfeit- ing ; for the forging, softning, filing, sinking, graving, hardning, and polish- ing ; together with all necessarys there unto, as iron, Steele, coales, and all manner of utensills, will cost two pence for the pound troy of gold, and one penny for the pound troy of silver. And in case the Graver be not willing to undertake it at that rate, I doe offer to undertake it my selfe, and to im- ploy and pay what Graver the State please to admit of." This paragraph appears to prove that Blondeau could not engrave dies himself. In continuation of this Proposition, he calculates that the clear profit to the nation from the coinage of bullion will be seven shillings on every pound troy of gold, and five-pence halfpenny on every pound of silver. Only four or five officers would be required, and all the tools and machines for coining £10,000 worth of silver weekly could be provided for £1,000. For £400 more Blondeau would erect the necessary buildings for coining weekly the before-named amount of silver. In order that the State may be certain that he could do what he proposes, he offers to make trial at the Mint, at his own expense and risk. He does not require to have the custody or disposal of the bullion, and he would employ only such workmen as are approved by the Committee of the Mint. He then notices the methods of inscribing the edges of coins — " There be two different ways to make the pieces marked about the thicknesse or edge. One is auncient, knowne to several! men, and according whereunto David Eamage, workeman of the Mint, hath made some bigg pieces ; but that way is very tedious, requireth much time, spoyles abon- dance of stamps and engines, and cannot be done upon the currant money, which is thynne. And that is the reason why in France, for making of those bigg pieces, they pay a crowne for the ounce of gold, and half a crowne for the ounce of silver, I say for the ounce. As touching the new way, which is ready and expeditious, and can be used upon the thynne and currant money, I am the Inventor of it, and only I knowe itt, as I can make appeare'by experiences, if it be the pleasure of the State to imploy me."* Blondeau further beseeches that an Act of Parliament may be passed, prohibiting any one from using his new invention for twenty-one years, except himself or his assigns, and fixing the prices and terms for his pro- posed coinage. His reward he leaves to the pleasure of the Parliament. He concludes by stating that the hammered coins made since the establish- ment of the Commonwealth have cost much more than they would have cost if coined by his process. Nothing appears to have been done regarding this Proposition, and ac- cordingly Blondeau, about October in the same year (1651), published another statement of the benefits that would be received from the use of his inventions, entitled : " The humble Representation of Peter Blondeau, as a Warning, touching sever all disorders happening by Monie ill-favoredly Coined, and the only meanes to prevent them." It is reprinted in T. Yiolet's Answer of the Corporation of Moniers, etc., pages 4 to 10, inclusive. Blondeau com- mences by describing the evils to which the hammered coins are liable, such as clipping, and the practice of culling, or picking out the heaviest of these unequal-sized coins ; pointing out also the ease with which pieces so badly struck could be imitated. He urges that every coin ought to be issued of the exact full weight and size, as is done in his own process ; and then he goes on to refute the objections to his invention, in nearly similar terms to his Answer to severall objections, etc., noticed above (p, 64) under the year 1650. He describes the thieves' practice of washing, which, he says, cannot be safely practised on his coins, because they would at once * The earliest coin with a legend on the edge is a, pied-fort of Charles IX of France, 1573. A very fine specimen may be seen in the British Museum. The first piece struck in this country with an inscribed edge is the gold coronation medal of Charles I. by Briot. ^thi Slohittr. 75 lose their beautiful polish and gloss. The hammered money can be coined with very small implements, but Blondeau's only with many and large " engines." He accuses the officers of the Mint of culling the heaviest coins for their private profit, and of other dishonest practices. Although he had been two years in England, and the Mint officers had been con- tinually endeavouring to discover his secret, they had completely failed. He concludes by offering to make coins like his patterns, marked on both sides and on the rim, for eight shillings* per pound weight in gold (which is the same as the State then paid for hammered gold coins), and for sixteen pence per pound weight in silver (the hammered silver money costing fourteen pence). In these prices the government was to pay for melting the metal and for engraving the dies ; but Blondeau would pay the other general expenses, including the wages of the workmen and the cost of the machinery. On the 18th November, 1651, the officers of the Mint drew up an answer to this Representation of Blondeau's. It is headed : " The Provost and Moniers Answer to the Objections of Peter Blondeau" and is signed by Symon Corbet, Provost, and thirty-six of the moneyers."f They say that the trial of the pix effectually prevents such frauds in the fineness and weight of the money as Blondeau accuses them of ; and they " affirm the money of gold and silver delivered out of the Tower of London the most exact for the weight and fineness in the world." The moneyers also repre- sent that the abuse of culling and meltiDg the coin is not caused by the inequality of the coining process, as Blondeau affirms, but by the uneven- ness of the raising of the price of silver. They state that in the five years, 1640 to 1645, they have coined for the Parliament about six millions of silver, and cleared their account to a penny. They further contend that their gold and silver patterns with letters on the edge are " more fair and exacter " than Peter Blondeau's pieces. They state that Blondeau, in his first proposition, demanded fourteen shillings per pound weight for coining gold, and twenty pence per pound for silver ; but we cannot find so high a * Seven shillings only was demanded in the manuscript Proposition last noticed. Still less was asked in Blondeau's former proposals of June, 1650 (see pp. 63, 64, above), viz : five shillings for gold, and twelve pence for silver per pound ; but the State was then to pay the expenses of machinery, etc. + Printed on pp. 25—29 of T. Violet's "Answer of the Corporation of Moniers." 76 gUmismata (CrnmmHlioEE. price named in any of Blondeau's documents now extant. The moneyers offer, in conclusion, to make money like their patterns, exactly rounded, and with a double graining, for ten pence per pound weight for silver, and three shillings per pound for gold, all " by way of the hammer ;" and they have delivered in a Proposition to bear all charges, except for the coining irons, at fourteen pence per pound for silver, and four shillings for gold, also by the hammer. Nothing seems to have been done all through the next year, 1652, but in January, 1652-3, Peter Blondeau issued a small printed pamphlet of eight leaves, small octavo, entitled : " A most humble Memorandum from Peter Blondeau, etc." It is very scarce, but a copy is in the British Museum, and it was reprinted in T. Violet's Answer of the Corporation of Moniers in the Mint, folio, London, 1653, on pages 11 to 20, inclusive. The first page sets forth that the Memorandum is concerning the offers made by Blon- deau "to this Commonwealth, for the coyning of the monie, by a new Invention, not yet practised in any State of the world ; the which will prevent counterfeiting, casting, washing, and clipping of the same ; which Coyn shall bee marked on both the flat sides, and about the tbickness or the edge ; of a like bigness and largness, as the ordinarie coyn is, and will cost no more then the ordinarie unequal Coyn, which is used now." Blondeau commences by explaining : " First, the reason why the Coyn of this Common-wealth is clipped and light, so that few pieces are to bee found weighing their true weight ; As also the reason why so much fals Coyn is now dispersed. And secondly, the onely way to remedie the said inconveniences, and to settle a good and constant order in the Mint." The reasons of the first-mentioned abuses are, the facility and cheapness with which hammered coins can be counterfeited, and because such coins cannot be made exactly round, nor equal in weight and size. Much coin is also made too light even at the Mint, as Blondeau has found by weighing coins received from the Mint. This encourages persons to cull the heaviest pieces, and to melt or export them. He asserts that the workmen of the Mint do not deliver the coin by tale, but by the pound weight, so that they often make a larger number of pieces to the pound than there should be, and also themselves cull or pick out the heaviest pieces to melt down again. There is no remedy for these evils but by making the money in Blondeau's way, with devices not only on both sides, but also on the edges. Pieces made by his method cannot be clipped, because of the marks on the edges ; and, having perfectly equal weights and sizes, with a fine polish, prevent culling and washing. Ordinary hammered money may be moulded and cast, but Blondeau' s, because of the inscribed edges, cannot be success- fully cast. He suggests that a certain officer should be appointed in the Mint, whose business should be to weigh the coins piece by piece when they are finished, rejecting the light ones for re-coinage. He also suggests that, in order to maintain the standard, any goldsmith should be allowed to assay the current coin, and complain to the Commissioners of the Mint if he finds it faulty. Blondeau then describes the circumstances of his coming to London, as quoted above (page 62). He also details his proceed- ings with the Committee of Council for the Mint, the opposition of the officers of the Mint, and the circumstances of the trial of skill, with par- ticulars concerning the pattern pieces, already noticed. He sets forth several objections to Eamage's patterns, and their great expense; and asserts further that the moneyers could never find out how to make the money by his way, although they had spent much time in unsuccessful endeavours. The workmen of the Mint having given to understand that they are two hundred poor families, maintained by the work of the Mint, and would become destitute if Blondeau was employed for the coinage ; he totally denies this, and says they are hardly thirty masters, who are all rich. If employed, Blondeau will engage only such workmen a's are approved by the State, and will not desire to have the custody of the bullion or of the dies. In conclusion, he draws attention to the exact equality of his coins, their being very difficult to counterfeit, and much cheaper than the hammered money ; and states that he has no other em- ployment in England but " to attend the pleasure of the State." Immediately after the publication of the Most Humble Memorandum, a pamphlet was issued by Thomas Violet on behalf of the Moneyers, en- titled : " The Answer of the Corporation of Mo'niers in the Mint, at the Tower of London, to two false and scandalous Libells printed at London, and lately come forth without date. The First intituled, The humble Representation of Peter Blondeau, as a warning touching severall disorders hapning by Money ill- favouredly coyned, and the only means to prevent them. The Second intituled, A most humble Memorandum from Peter Blondeau- Which not only intends 78 jP j ni is in Eta Crura tin Hi no. maliciously to sandall* Us, the Corporation of Moniers, of the Common- Wealth of England: But also most falsly to imprint in the hearts and mindes of all People in Christendoms, and more especially the good People under the obedience of the Parliament of England ; That (by Us the Cor- poration of Moniers) the Moneys of this Common-Wealth, both for Gold and Silver, are not justly made, according to Our Indenture. Set forth to undeceive all the good People that have seen or read the said Peter Blon- deau's false and scandalous Libells. — Printed for the Corporation of Moniers. 1653." London. Folio, forty-one pages. On pages 1 and 2 is printed a letter from Violet to the Clerk of the Corporation of Moneyers, mentioning that Blondeau's Humble Memorandum had come into his hands "this day," 25th January, 1652-3, and advising the Corporation to prosecute him for libel. On page 3 is the answer of the Money ers, dated the 27th January, desiring Violet to reply on their behalf to the accusations of Blondeau. Violet then prints at full length Blondeau's Humble Representation and Humble Memorandum, which we have already described. The remaining pages of the pamphlet are chiefly occupied with Violet's replies to the assertions in these two documents. He maintains that Eamage's patterns are superior to Blondeau's, and accuses the latter of treason, for making his pattern pieces in a private house. He says that the Committee of the Mint sent and seized the instruments and tools in Blondeau's house, and deposited them in the Tower Mint. Violet then denies the great expense of Eamage's pattern pieces, and prints the account. He says that many of the Corporation of Moneyers are poor, aud not rich, as asserted by Blondeau, and on the last two pages gives a list of the Fellow-moneyers and Labourers employed in the Mint on the 27th January, 1652-3, amounting to fifty-nine moneyers and fifty-one labourers. Until the month of April, 1653, the matter remained in the same state, viz : the Committee of the Mint retaining in their hands Parnate's and Blondeau's patterns, and the proposals and representations of both sides. The Chairman pf this Committee, Sir James Harrington, was then requested to present to the Parliament these propositions, by an order of the Council of State of— * Scandal! fittn 38Uttilnnr. 79 Friday, 15th April, 1653. — Ordered "That S r James Harington bee desired humbly to present to y e Pari'* ye Propositions made by Peter Blondeau on ye one part, and ye Moneyers of y e Mint on y e other part, Concerning y e Coyning of money in a way differing from w*f hath beene hitherto practised and used in this Cofhonwealth and w ch is propounded to bee for ye securing of Coyne from being Counterfeited or Clipped." — Interregnum State Papers, Council Draft Order Book, No. 69. And on the same day the Parliament ordered — " That the Council of State do make the Eeport, touching preventing Clipping of Money, on Thursday Morning next." — Journals of the House of Commons, vol. vii., p. 278. As the Thursday mentioned was the 21st April, 1653, and the Par- liament was dissolved by Cromwell on the preceding day, Wednesday the 20th, it is obvious that the report in question was never made. The books of the Council of State do not contain any further notices of Blondeau until the 7th May, when the Council ordered that Sir J. Har- rington's report should be made to them, instead of to the Parliament, since no Parliament was then sitting. Saturday, 7th May, 1653. — Ordered " That the report concerning the Mint and M r Blondeau be brought in upon Wednesday next, and that S r James Harrington be sent unto for the papers relating to that businesse." — Page 31, Entry Book, No. 97. Probably from pressure of more important business, the report was not read on the Wednesday, viz : the 11th May ; but on Tuesday the 24th, the Propositions of Peter Blondeau were referred to a Committee appointed on the same day for the business of the Mint (page 142, Entry Book, No. 97). This Committee was composed of Colonel Jones, Colonel Bennett, and Major-General Lambert. In their hands the matter remained, and we cannot find any further orders concerning Blondeau during the remainder of the year 1653. It is therefore very probable that nothing was done by the authorities, especially as Blondeau, in September of this year, published another printed petition. We are indebted to Mr. K. W. Cochran Patrick, F.S.A.Sc, for bringing to our notice the only copy known, which is preserved among the family papers of Lord Hopetoun. Through the * Parliament. f what. 80 Stnmnm&ia tfrnramilliiMii. courtesy of Mr. James Hope and Mr. Thomas Dickson, of Edinburgh, we are enabled to give the following particulars of this little tract. The first page commences thus : " A most humble Remonstrance of Peter Blondeau, concerning the offers by him made to this Commonwealth," etc. It then continues in almost the same words as the Most Humble Memoran- dum from Peter Blondeau, described above. Blondeau says, on page 1, that his milled money " will cost no more to those that bring their Bullion to bee coyned, than the ordinarie Coyn, viz., 15 shillings for the pound weight of Gold, and 2 shillings for the pound weight of silver." This tract, called the Most Humble Remonstrance, is, in fact, an enlarged reprint of Blondeau's previously issued Most Humble Memorandum. It is printed with type of the same size, on paper of a similar size, and comprises twenty-three printed pages on twelve leaves, small octavo. The text is the same as the Memorandum, with additions on pages 4, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, and on page 23, which is not numbered. The date, " September 4, 1653," is given at the end of page 22. We have now completed the history of Blondeau and his inventions down to the period of the Protectorate. At the commencement of Oliver's government as Protector, Peter Blondeau had been more than four years in England, without having received any reward or pecuniary encouragement for his useful inventions. He had made voluminous petitions and proposals, and sent in the best executed pattern-pieces ever seen in this country up to that time; but nothing had been done, and the Mint continued to strike the very inferior hammered coinage commenced in 1649. It was Oliver Cromwell who first made use of Blondeau's valuable inventions, in having a complete series of coins struck by his process. The Protector also rewarded him with a pension of £100 a year, and granted him other sums of money for various purposes on several occasions ; as we shall now proceed to set forth from the original documents, hitherto unpublished. It appears that Blondeau sent in a petition (which is not now extant) to the Protector soon after his accession to power ; for we find the following entry in the books of the Council of State — Thursday, 16th February, 1653-4 {post meridiem).— " The humble peticon of Peter Blondeau being referred to ye Councell by his Highnes $itn 98Imtfoo. 81 was now read. Ordered That these be a Comittee for considering of the Eegulacon of ye Mint, Ma. G. Lambt, Col. Jones, S r Charles Wolsley, M r Strickland, Col. Mackworth, or any three of them, & that ye peticon of Peter Blondeau and M r Squibbs p'posall and other peticons concerning y e Mint be referred to that Comittee, & Col. Jones to take care thereof." — Pages 4, 5, Draft Order Boole, No. '77. It will be observed from this order that several other petitions, some perhaps concerning the making of farthings, were made on the subject of the coinage. "We have not been able to find any of them, nor do we know who " Mr. Squibbs " was. Among the Interregnum Letters and Papers in the Eecord Office, bundle No. 820, is the subjoined report, written in a clerk's hand, and signed by Major-G-eneral Lambert and Sir Charles Wolseley, two of the Committee for the Mint mentioned in the order last quoted. There is no date on this manuscript, but, from a careful consideration of several circumstances, we consider it to be the report made to the Council in pursuance of their order of the 16th February, 1653-4, and most probably read at the meeting on the 7th March. Eepoet. — " According to yo r Lordships Order of reference, We have considered of the petition and proposealls tendred by M r Blondeau con- cerning the Mint, wherein he proposeth severall wayes of advantage to the State in reference to Coyning, viz', That the money coyned in his way shall not be subject to Clippinge, That all peices of the same Species shall be of the same weight, The varying in which hath beene heretofore looked upon as a great Inconveniency in the ordinarie way of Coyninge, and will for y e further Satisfaction herein be obliged to receive in the Bullion by weight, and pay it out by tayle full weight according to the Standard. That it shall be very Chargeable and difficult to be counterfett, and not at all to be done by ordinarie privat persons as now, nor by any but good Artists, and at a great Charge, and by such Engines as are hard to b kept private, And Lastly, That this Coyne shall be very handsome to y e eye. To make good which, he hath shewed to this Com ee severall peices of his Coyning, which upon due Consideration had, We conceive will in great measure answer what is before mentioned, We have also received his de- mand concerning the rate for coyning w ch is as followeth viz* : 82 Unraisradfl €nmmi[\nna. 30 lb weight Troy will make 372 Crownes 30 ... . 744 halfe Crownes . >At l sh : 6 d . 34 ... . 2108 Shillings 6 744 Sixpences 100 3968 peices. 5H b weight Troy will make 1265 halfe Crownes 42 ... 2604 Shillings : ; 7 . . . . 868 Sixpences ! 100 4737 peices. 56 lb : 3 ounces will make 2325 : 18 d peices 37 . 6 ounces . . . 2325 shillings J- At 1*. 7. — " Whereas it was ordered on the 19 111 day of Aug 1 last, y l 1 a quantity of Portugal! money to the value of Two thousand pounds Sterls should be Coyned in his Highness Mint, at y e Tower, by Peter Blondeau ; Ordered, That, instead thereof, two thousand pounds of y* bullion that is to [be] brought in by M r Backwell be Coyned by the sayd M r Blondeau"— Page 384, Entry Book, No. 105. A little farther on is an order of the same date, directing the needful preparations for the projected coinage, in these terms : — " Ordered, That for accommodateing M r Peter Blondeau in Coyning two thousand pounds, p't 2 of the Bullion that shalbe brought into the Mynt by M r Edward Backwell, the Wardens of the Mynt, at the Tower, doe putt the sayd Peter Blondeau in poss'ion 3 of that house in the Tower, wherein M>ieur Briott* did form'ly* worke ; And that the sayd Msieur Blondeau be authorized to make use of such Forges, Tooles, and Utensills, as are already in the s'd 5 House, and of such other Tooles, and lustrum's 6 in the Tower as are necessary or useful! for his Coyning of ye sayd money ; and M r Symon ye Graver of his Highness Mynt and Seales, is authorized and re- quired to prepare the Dice, 7 w* such Stamps and Inscripcons, as shalbe thought fitting."— Page 385, Entry Book, No. 105. 1 that. 2 part. 3 possession. l formerly. * said. 6 Instruments. 7 dies. * Engraver to the Mint in the reign of Charles I., see p. 4 above. therefore the letters on the edge would protect the letters on the sides. The full weight of the fifty-shilling piece is 351| grains Troy, and the metal is of the same standard as that now in use, viz : 22 carats fine gold to 2 carats alloy, or eleven parts fine out of twelve ; being of the same fine- ness as the gold coins of the Commonwealth's type, and those of Charles I. (except his angel). This is one of the rarest of Oliver's coins or patterns, and it is commonly called the fifty-shilling piece from the fact that its weight corresponds to the value of fifty shillings of the period, being 351J grains, or exactly two-and-a-half times the weight of a twenty-shilling piece, 140£ 104 Jhntisrantii cCrnminpllintia. grains. We believe that no other piece of this value was ever coined in England, and its unusual denomination and great rarity prove that it must have been a pattern or trial piece. It is our own opinion that the so-called fifty-shilling piece was really a pattern broad, or twenty- shilling piece, struck on a heavier piece of metal to prevent its being taken for an ordinary coin. This practice of making patterns heavier than the usual weight of the coin they represented, was often resorted to, and is well known to numismatists. "We shall meet with other examples of it among Oliver's silver coins. Blondeau probably at first intended to make the broads with an in- scribed edge, like we see on these fifty-shilling pieces, which are struck from the same dies as were subsequently used for Oliver's broad pieces. Finding, however, that pieces of the value of twenty shillings would be too thin to take the inscription on the edge, he no doubt abandoned his first intention, giving to the broads a milled edge instead, as will be described when we come to those coins. A few patterns or first proofs of the broad piece, with the inscribed edge, have therefore remained to the present day, and are generally known to collectors as Cromwell's fifty-shilling pieces ; but Thomas Snelling, as long ago as 1763,* also suspected them to be proofs of the twenty-shilling piece, since they differ from the latter only in weight and thickness, and in the inscription on the rim. The fifty-shilling pieces are of great rarity, very few specimens having been struck. There is one in the British Museum, weighing 348 - 7 grains. Another, much rubbed, is in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, from Browne Willis's cabinet ; it weighs only 299 grains. A third is in the collection of the Imperial Hermitage, St. Petersburg. A very fine specimen in the possession of Mr. Sholto Vere Hare, weighing 348 - 5 grains, was formerly in the cabinets of Thomas Hollis, H. H. Duncombe, and C. R. Taylor. Mr William Brice, of Bristol, has one, in brilliant condition, weighing 3516 grains. It was formerly in the cabinets of the Earl of Pembroke and Mr. Edward Wigan. Mr. Samuel Addington has another, very fine, weight 350 grains, which came from the collections of the Eev. J. W. Martin and Captain B. M. Murchison. One of the finest known specimens, weighing * View of the Gold Coin and Cqinage of England, folio, London, 1763, p. 28. €I;b (Cuinngi nf 1656. 105 350 grains, passed through the cabinets of M. Trattle, A. Edmonds, and Wi^'am Forster. Others were in the collections of Messrs. Thomas Thomas, J. D. Cuff, Eichard Whitbourn, and Thomas Brown. At public sales the fifty-shilling pieces have sold as follows : — M. Trattle, 1832, lot 3065, £100 ; T. Thomas, 1844, lot 814, £35 ; Earl of Pembroke, 1848, lot 161, £76 ; J. D. Cuff, 1854, lot 1294, £41 10s. ; Eev. J. W. Martin, 1859, lot 304, £46 ; Capt. E. M. Murchison, 1864, lot 382, £70 ; W. Forster, 1868, lot 137, £51 ; H. H. Duncombe, 1869, lot 122, £44 ; T. Brown, 1869, lot 608, £10 ; C. E. Taylor, 1874, lot 347, £43. This piece is engraved in — Part iv. tab. 19, of Nummi Anglici et Sco- tici cum aliquot Numismatihus recentioribus collegit Thomas Pembrochia et Montis Gomerici Comes, the cabinet of Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pem- broke, quarto, London, 1746; G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate ix. BB ; T. Snelling's View of the Gold Coin and Coinage of England, 1763, plate vi. no. 16 ; Folkes's and Ruding's plates, Gold Coins, plate xiv. no. 7. Twenty-shilling piece or Broad. Obverse and Eeverse struck from the same dies as the fifty-shilling piece. The coin, however, is thinner, and its edge is milled with straight lines, instead of bearing an inscription. The full weight of the broad is 140J grains, and its fineness is the same as that of the piece just described. For illustration, see Plate III., No. 1. The broad, although somewhat scarce, is one of the commonest of Oliver's coins, and sometimes occurs in a worn and rubbed condition. Many very fine specimens, however, have been hoarded, and preserved in collectors' cabinets, so that they still retain the brilliant polish claimed by Blondeau as one of the peculiar advantages of his method of coinage. Our illustration, plate iii., no. 1, is taken from the broad in the British Museum, which weighs 1401 grains. Other specimens are in the following collections: Bank of England; Museum of the Eoyal Mint, London; Bodleian Library, Oxford; Hunterian Museum, Glasgow; National Cabinet of France; Collection of the Imperial Hermitage, St. Petersburg ; Eoyal Cabinet, Copen- hagen; Eoyal Cabinet, Stockholm; and in many private cabinets. At public sales they have sold as follows:— M, Trattle, 1832, lot 3066, £17; A. Ed- 106 Jfttmistiinin &tnmml\ianti. monds, 1834, lot 93, £10 ; Duke of Devonshire, 1844, lot 403, £8 . 12s. ; T. Thomas, 1844, lot 670, £8, lot 671, £6 . 16s. 6d. ; Col. Durrant, 1847, lot 759, £4 . 16s., lot 760, £5 . 5s. ; J. D. Cuff, 1854, lot 1295, £3 . 7s. ; Rev. J. W. Martin, 1859, lot 305, £3 . 7s. ; Capt. R. M. Murchison, 1864, lot 374, £5 . 10s. ; H. H. Duncombe, 1869, lot 123, £4 . 12s. ; Sir George Chetwynd, 1872, lot 85, £5 ; J. B. Bergne, 1873, lot 894, £6 . 5s. ; C. R. Taylor, 1874, lot 348, £5 . 15s.; E. Wrighton, 1874, lot 136, £6 . 2s.; W. T. B. Ashley, 1876, lot 218, £6. The usual price for a fine specimen is from five to eight guineas. It may be interesting to mention here that Mr. Henry William Field, a lineal descendant of the Protector, has shown the author a fine example of the twenty-shilling piece, one of several that have been handed down in the family from Oliver's time. In the British Museum is a proof of the broad struck in silver from the same dies, and also with straight milling on the edge. It appears to be a contemporary proof. Another proof in silver from the die of the broad formed lot 385 of the Thomas sale, 27th February, 1844. A third specimen, highly preserved, was in the Devonshire and Durrant cabinets ; and one was in lot 256 of the late Mr. W. H. Johnston's sale, May, 1876. Another silver proof, with plain edge, weighing 173 - 36 grains, is in the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. The broad is engraved in the Earl of Pembroke's plates, 1746, part iv, tab, 18. For other references, see above, under fifty~shilling piece, as the two coins are identical in the types of both sides. Ten-shilling piece or Halfrbroad. Obverse, bust of the Protector, as on the preceding gold coins. Legend— OLIVAR • D • G • RP ■ ANG • SCO • HIB &c PRO. Reverse, garnished shield of arms, crowned. The date • 1656 • above. Legend— PAX ' QV^ERITVR • BELLO. The edge is sometimes plain, and sometimes milled with diagonal or slanting lines. See Plate III., No. 3. These half-broads are made of gold, of the same standard as the broads, and they each weigh between 70 and 72 grains Troy. There are two in the British Museum, both from the same dies, one with the edge milled, and the other with the edge plain. They weigh 70-6 and 71-5 grains respectively ; the latter being not so well preserved as the one with <£-{jt (Cninngt nf 1656. 107 the milled edge. A brilliant specimen of the same coin is in the cabinet of Mr. William Bnce, the edge milled with straight lines. It is as fresh as from the die, weighs 71'5 grains, and was formerly in the Tyssen, Thomas, Durrant, Cuff, and Wigan collections. From their being each about the correct weight of a current ten- shilling piece of the period, 70 J grains, and also being milled like current coins, we consider that some of these pieces were either intended for general currency, or that they were finished patterns for current coins. Other specimens of this type, having plain edges, are evidently proofs. Besides the one in the British Museum, weighing 71'5 grains (rubbed), there is another very fine specimen from the same dies, also with plain edge, and weighing 71 '4 grains, in the Bank of England collection, at present deposited in the British Museum. Mr. S. Addington possesses another, with plain edge, very fine, weighing 71'5 grains ; formerly in the cabinets of the Earl of Pembroke, Capt. B. M. Murchison, etc. A similar half-broad, very fine, with plain edge, passed through the cabinets of Messrs. Dimsdale, Durrant, and Duncombe. Mr. William Forster had -another, from the Bev. J. W. Martin's collection ; and Mr. Thomas Brown also had one. In the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, is one of these half- broads, with plain edge, weighing 701 grains. The original dies of this coin, as well as Simon's steel punch for the bust on the obverse, are still preserved in the Museum of the Boyal Mint, London. The dies are much cracked, aud that for the reverse has had the date altered to 1658. It is curious that so few examples of the half-broads of 1656 are in existence, while the the twenty-shilling pieces are compa- ratively numerous, and it is very difficult to account for the great rarity of the former, unless we suppose that the die cracked before more than a few proofs could be taken. It is impossible, however, to ascertain precisely at what period they were broken. The ten-shilling pieces are, as we have already stated, very rare. At some of the sales by auction they have sold as follows : — T. Thomas, 1844, lot 815, £24 . 10s. ; Col. Durrant, 1847, lot 761 (plain edge), £22 . 10s. ; lot 762 (milled edge), £10. 5s.; J. D. Cuff, 1854, lot 1296, £21; Eev. J. W. Martin, 1859, lot 306, £14. 5s.; Capt.E. M. Murchison, 1864, lot 381, £20; W. Forster, 1868, lot 136, £20. 10s.; H. H. Duncombe, 1869, lot 126 £26 . 10s. ; Thomas Brown, 1869, lot 611, £2\. 108 #ii mi if mat it edited by W. J. Thorns, London, 1842 ; and the engravings in J. T. Smith's Antiquities of London, folio, 1791, and E. W. Brayley's Londiniana, 1828, vol. iv., p. 301. The second Drury House, and the one in which we think Blondeau to have worked, was in the parish of St. Clement's Danes, and occupied the site of the present Drury Lane Theatre. Drury House was built in the I Delinquents'. 2 said. 3 proper. i Warrant, €\)i Smpnrtntinit nub (gipurtatinn nf Skllinit. H5 reign of Elizabeth by Sir William Drury, Knt., but William Lord Craven (who lived 1608-1697) became its owner in the time of Charles L, and partially rebuilt it. All Lord Craven's property in England, including, of course, Drury House, was confiscated by the Commonwealth in March, 1650-51, so that it is most likely that Lord Craven's house was the one used for the sittings of the Committee for the Sale of Delinquents' Estates and for Blondeau's coining operations. For further particulars of Drury House, Drury Lane, we refer the reader to Brayley's Londiniana, vol. iv., pp. 292-4, and Peter Cunningham's Handbook of London, 2nd edit., 1850, p. 45. THE IMPOKTATION AND EXPORTATION OF BULLION. •In the year 1656 Thomas Violet, the goldsmith who had procured the seizure of the Dutch silver ships (see pp. 31 to 33, above), published a thick folio pamphlet, entitled — " Proposals humbly presented to his Highness Oliver Lord Protector of England, 8fc. and to the High Court of Parlament, now assembled By Tho. Violet of London Goldsmith. — London, printed Anno Domini M.DC.LVI." Among the representations made to the Protector in this book, Violet prays " that an Act against Transporters of Gold and Silver out of this Nation may be forthwith passed" {Epistle Dedicatory); and on pages 104 to 112, part i., he prints his " Most Humble Petition to his Highness and the Parliament, for the speedy passing the Act against Transporters of Gold and Silver, and against the cullers and melters down of the heavy coins of this nation, and such as buy gold or silver above the price of the Mint." It is dated " September 29, 1656." In this petition Violet adverts to the appointment of the Committee of Council for the Mint in August, 1649, and states that it was at the recom- mendation of this Committee that a clause was inserted in the General Pardon or Amnesty of February, 1652, excepting all offences committed by any person in transporting gold and silver coin or bullion out of England 116 Jluraismnta (CinntnulUoit. without licence, as well as in unlawfully buying, selling, exchanging, or melting the current money (page 105). He also says that in 1651 the draft of an Act of Parliament for the appointment of Commissioners for enquiring into the abuses of transporting gold and silver, was drawn up by order of the Committee for the Mint, and placed in the hands of Mr. Augustin Garland, member for Queenborough in the Long Parliament. This bill having been twice read in the House, it was called for again and appointed to be finished, about the 12th April, 1(553, but as Violet says (p f 109), "other mighty business did intervene," Cromwell dissolving the Parliament on the 20th April. Violet asserts that some merchants, who had been guilty of transports ing bullion, hindered this act from passing. He also says that out of about twenty million pounds' worth of gold and silver coins made in the Tower between 1622 and 1645, scarcely anything remained but a little clipped and light money. "All this gold is already transported, the currant silver coyns all culled, and the heaviest transported or melted to make gold and silver lace " (page 110). He adds that — " Som Goldsmiths in Lumbert street (contrary to the law) have bought and sold Milions of Gold, till now at last they have bought and sould all the Gold out of the Nation, and the currant Silver coyn of this Nation is following after a great pace, and will stil follow except a strict Law bee made to discover the offendors, and bring them to severe justice to deterr others, there will be no mony left in the Nation, neither gold nor silver." — Proposals, part i., p. 111. Among the State Papers of Cromwell's period, now preserved in the Public Eecord Office, London, we find several notices concerning the ex- portation of bullion. On the 2nd December, 1656, John Child petitioned the Protector to be allowed to export £5000 in pieces of eight ; and in January, 1656-7, the Council of State gave permission to Sir Thomas Viner and Edward Backwell, goldsmiths, to export £10,000 in pieces of eioht, and fifty bars of silver, part of the prize plate captured from the Spaniards in September, 1656, and which these two merchants had bought of the Government by contract. Viner and Backwell were allowed to export this amount custom free, upon their giving security before the Master of the Mint that they would, within six months, import into this countrv the like full quantity, and bring the same to the Tower Mint, to be there cpined. See Entry Booh No. 105 of the Council of State. $jj.e SmpnrtiitinE aub €xpxkiin nf SoUintt. n? On the 12th March, 1656-7, Edward Backwell petitioned for a warrant to transport, custom free, £400 in wrought plate ; and the warrant was granted him by the Council on the 19th March. In April, 1657, Backwell addressed another petition to the Protector, in which he quotes the Act of Parliament of the 9th January, 1650-1, which gave a merchant liberty to export two thirds of any parcel of bullion or foreign specie, previously imported, upon paying thereon one per cent, custom, and on condition that he caused the other third part to be coined in the Tower of London. This law is also mentioned in several other similar petitions, until the end of the Protectorate. For a copy of it at length, see Henry Scobell's Collection of Acts and Ordinances, London, 1658, part ii., page 150, anno 1650, cap. 41. Adverting now to the importation of bullion, we find among the State Papers a series of Propositions for the encouragement of the importation of bullion into the Commonwealth, endorsed as received the 20th February, 1654-5. The more important of these proposals are : that a declaration be passed by his Highness and the Council that all bullion should be freely imported by natives or foreigners, without being liable to seizure or de- tention upon any pretence (as was enacted in the above-mentioned Act of Parliament of the 9th January, 1650-1) ; that no letters of reprisal should extend to the taking away of any bullion intended to be landed in this nation ; that convoys should be allotted as desired by the merchants ; and that the entry of all bullion should be made to one person, appointed by the Protector, who should be sworn to secresy. The document concludes by urging that some steps should be immediately taken in the matter. Nothing, however, appears to have been done until June, 1657, upon the 8th of which month a bill for the encouragement of the importation of bullion was read for the first time in the House of Commons, and ordered to be read the second time on the following day (Journals of the Home of Commons, vol. vii., p. 550). It was accordingly read for the second time on the 9th June, and committed to the Committee for Trade, who were to consider the bill, and fill up the blanks in it (Journals, vol. vii. p. 552). On Monday, the 22nd June, 1657 — "Mr. Noell reports Amendments, to the Bill for Importation of Bullion: Which were read the Pirst and Second time ; and, upon the Question, re-committed to the same Com- H8 Mumitmiia CtimmlVnuz. mittee : To sit the First Tuesday of the next Meeting of the Parliament, at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon, in the Duchy-Chamber." — Journals of the House of Commons, vol. vil, p. 568. The first session of this Parliament closed with the Protector's second inauguration on the 26th June, and in the short and stormy second session, 20th January to the 4th February, 1657-8, no further proceedings were taken in regard to the encouragement of the importation of bullion. THE TRIAL OF THE FIX IN 1657. In the seventeenth and preceding centuries, all money made in England was coined under the provisions of an indenture or agreement between the Government and the Master of the Mint. In order, therefore, to prevent fraud, and to test the correct weight and fineness of the money so coined, a Trial of the Pix was held at intervals, and if the verdict was satisfactory the Master of the Mint received his discharge. The trial was thus conducted — a certain number of pieces of each denomination were laid aside out of every coinage, and placed in a box, anciently termed the pix, to await the trial. When thought necessary, a warrant was issued to the Lord Chancellor and the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, autho- rizing them to cause a trial of the pix to be made. On the day appointed, a jury of twelve London goldsmiths, chosen from the Goldsmiths' Company, having been summoned, several pieces taken at random from the whole number of pix coins were assayed, weighed and tried at Goldsmiths' Hall, in the presence of the Lord Chancellor, and other official personages. After comparing the coins with the standard trial plates, and ascertaining whether they were within the remedies allowed as to weight and fineness, the jury delivered their verdict, which was authenticated by the signatures of the goldsmiths and the Lords Commissioners. During the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell only one trial of the pix took place, on the 3rd December, 1657. Previous to this, however, the Council of State made the following order, requiring to know where two of the trial plates or standards were — Thursday, 19th November, 1657 (post meridiem). — "Whereas on the «ht «tinl of tljB fii in 1657. 119 9 th of Nov: 1649, it was ordered by Parliamt That the Lords Com rsl of the Great Seale, and others the Com rs for tryall of the pixe money, and the Jury impannell'd for y t2 purpose, should proceed in tryall of the sayd moneys, by that p't s of the Standard w ch4 remayned in the Exchequo r , with that remayning at Goldsmiths Hall ; And whereas the Counsell was this day enformed, That a tryall was made accordingly, being in respect of the want of a sufficient p't of the Standard of Crowne gould ; and, That by an order of the then Counsell of State,. of the 14 th of Nov: 1649, The Company of Goldsmiths were appoynted to make 2 Standard peices, The one of Crowne gould, the other of Silver ; In pursuiance whereof they provided the sayd peices, and divided each peice into fower indented peices, and deliv'ed y e same in to the sayd Counsell of State y e 22 th of Nov: 1649, at w<* tyme the said Counsell of State redelivered to y e Warden of y e said Company, one p't of the sayd peices of gould, and one of Silver; and y 1 the other p't of the s'd respective peices ought to have been deliv'ed into the Exchequo r , w* was donne ; Ordered That it be referred to the Clerkes of the Counsell to speake herein w & the Lord Bradshaw, then Lord Presid', and M r Gualter Frost, Sonne to the then SecT of the said Counsell, and informe themselves, if they cann, how the other p'ts of y e sayd Standard peices were disposed of, and to give an accompt thereof to this Boord." — Page 292, Council Entry Book, No. 106, in the Public Eecord Office, London. On the 25th of the same month the Council's Treasurer produced the two missing trial plates, and they were ordered to be delivered to the Com- missioners of the Treasury — Wednesday, 25th November, 1657. — " Mr Gualter Prost p'nted 5 to y e Counsell, this day, two plates indented, the one of Gould, the other of Silver, being peices made for Tryall of the Standard of Gould and Silver, by order of the late Counsell of State, and to them deliv'ed 6 in Nov., 1649, Ordered That the sayd peices be deliv'ed to y e Lords Com rs of his Highness Th'rey, 7 to be by them disposed of, to the Charge and keepeing of the prop 8 Offic r of the Exchequo r , in ord r to his Highness and y e Cofnon Wealths Service as there shalbe occasion. And y l 9 M r Gualter Frost be discharged thereof." — Pages 304, 305, Council Book as above. 1 Commissioners, 2 that. 3 part. * which. 6 presented. 6 delivered. 7 Treasury. ! proper. 9 that. 120 Snmisnuita Crnrom?lluEir. In the margin of the book, opposite this last entry, is a memorandum stating that this order and the trial plates were sent to the Commissioners of the Treasury on the 26th November " per Eoger Jenyns." These standards or trial plates were most probably used at the trial of the pix that was held in the next month, i.e., on the 3rd December, 1657, The Warrant ordering the trial was signed by the Protector on the 9th November. A copy of it is on fo. 29, verso, of a book preserved among the records of the Eoyal Mint, London, entitled — " A Booke of Entries of all the Assaies and Verdicts of y e Pixe, taken before y e Eight Hon ble y e Lords of His Ma ties Privy Councill and others, ab initio regni Eegis Jacobi l mi & deinceps." This warrant has been printed before, but very inaccurately, on pages 99 and 100, footnote, of the Soeiety of Antiquaries' edition of Martin Eolkes' Table of English Silver Coins, quarto, London, 1763. It is also quoted, from Folkes, in the Eev. E. Euding's Annals of the Coinage, edit. 1840, vol. i., p. 72, note 10. The subjoined copy of it has been care- fully made from the original manuscript book above-named — " Oliver P. " Whereas amongst other weighty Affaires of the Cofnonwealth, the care of Assaying and Trying of the moneys & Coyne thereof by the Standerd of England, according to the Antient Custom of ye Eealme, beincr not ye least, Wee, Judging it necessary That y e Tryall and Assay of the s dl Money & Coine be forthw 411 made, Doe therefore hereby signify our will and pleasure to' be contending you forthw* to cause a Tryall and Assay to be made of the Pix, now being in the Mint w th in the Tower of London, by a Jury of Goldsmiths of our s d Citty of London, of integrity and experience, to be Impanelled and Sworne on a day certain, to be by you in that behalf appointed, in the Place accustomed w' h in our Pallace of Westmr; and that ye Lords Comissionrs of our Tre'ary, 2 The Justices of the sev 113 Benches, and Barons of the Excheq r , or some of them, bee then there present and Counselling and Assisting unto you in ye due execucon of this our Service. " Given at Whitehall this 9 th of Novemb r , 1657. " To our E' Trusty and E' well beloved Nathaniell Fiennes & John Lisle, Lords Comission rs of our Great Seal of England." 1 said. 2 Treasury. 3 several. fKjli €t'ni nf tji* $u in 1657. 121 On fo. 29 of the same book it is stated that the trial of the pix took place on the 3rd December, 1657, "near to the Star Chamber at West- minster," before the Right Hon. Nathaniel Fiennes and John Lisle, Com- missioners of the Great Seal ; Sir Thomas Widdrington and William Sydenham, Commissioners of the Treasury ; and John Glynn, Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench. The coins then tried by the jury of gold- smiths had been made according to an Indenture under the Great Seal, dated at Westminster the 27th July, 1649, between " the late Keepers of the Liberty of England by authority of Parliament " on the one part, and " Aaron Geurdain, Doctor of Phisick," Master and Worker of the Mint in the Tower of London, on the other part. The Warden of the Mint at the time was John St. John, Esq., and the Comptroller Thomas Bamar- diston, Esq. This trial was of the money coined between the 9th November, 1649, and the 3rd December, 1657, viz : the coins of the Commonwealth's or " harp and cross " type, which are described above, on pages 29 and 30 of this work (not including any of those with Oliver's name and bust). They are dated from 1649 to 1657, inclusive, and all have the sun mint-mark. The new mint-mark of an anchor was adopted in 1658, subsequent to this trial of the pix. The different denominations of the coins tested were — unites or twenty-shilling pieces, double crowns or ten-s hilli ng pieces, and crowns or five-shilling pieces, of gold ; and crowns, half-crowns, shillings, sixpences, twopences, pennies, and halfpennies, of silver. The following is a copy of the report and verdict of the jury of goldsmiths, from the same Book of Assays in the Boyal Mint, fos. 29, and 29 verso : — " Gold of y e Standerd of 22 Carretts 1 taken out of y e Pix, ye Privie mark being (The Sunne), according to the afores d Ind're, 2 weighing — 3 1 ' weight iiij ounces 5 d weight IS graines, 3 making in coyned moneys, con- sisting of Unites, Double Crownes, and Crownes, y e Suihe of — 137 1 '. 15 s , arising in the pound weight to— 41 11 . 00 s . 7 d . and half farthing ; Is found 1 Carats. 2 aforesaid Indenture. 3 3 lbs. 4 oz. 5 dwts. 18 grs. Trov ; the value as current money being £137 . 15s.; a pound weight of gold thus being coined irito £41 . 0s. Id. and a half-farthing. At present (1876) a pound weight of gold of the same standard is coined into £46 . 14s. 6d. 122 SttmisniEta (CrntnmillintiE. at the Assay agreable to the Standerd of the Comonwealth of England of his Highnesse y e Lord Protector's Treasury Dated y e 22 th day of No- vember, 1649. " Silver moneys taken out of y e same Pix, the Privy mark being (the Sunne), according to the afores d Ind're, weighing 237 u w ftl one oz. 19* 1 weight, 2 consisting of Crownes, half crownes, Shillings, halfe shillings, two pences, pence, & halfe pences, ye Sufiie of — 737 u : 3 s : 7 d , arising in the pound weight to — 3 U : 2 s : 2 d : (w l ) ; ffound at the Assay agreable to y* Standerd of the Comonwealth of England of his Highnesse the L d Pro- tector's Treasury Dated ye 22 th day of Nbvemb 1 1649. " The Verdict: ""Wee find by the Assayes & Tryalls of y e sev 113 moneys above- menconed — That they are agreable to the Standerds of the Comonwealth of England of his Highnesse theL d Protector's Trea'ry, 4 & Coven's 5 in the afores d Ind're, 6 and in weight, Tale, and Assay w&in the remedyes or- dained, in such manner & forme as is above expressed and declared accord- ing to our best knowledge and discretions. Tho: Vyner, W m Symonds, & al.' 7 '■ Present— Nathaniell Fiennes ),.,_, „ „ , j i r- I i Lords CommK 8 of the Great Seal of England. S r Tho: Widrington Kn', Speaker of the Parliam 4 , ) Comm" of his High- s'" Bidstrode Whitloek Kn, & W Sydenham ] nesse Trea'ry. John Glynne, ~L£ Chief Justice of the Upper Bench." Sir Bulstrode "Whitelock, in his Memorials, mentions his attendance at 1 weight. 1 237 lbs. 1 oz. 19 dwts. Troy; the value sa current money being .£737 . 3s. Id.; a pound weight of silver thus being coined into £3 . 2s. 2d. At present (1S78) a pound weight of silver of the same standard (37 parts fine out of 40) is coined into £3 . 6s. 3 several! * Treasury. 5 covenants. 6 Indenture. ' and others. 6 Commissioners. Secry Thurloe .and Col. Sydenham be added to the Com ee3 to whom the buisiness touch- ing M r Blondeau is referred." — Page 56, Entry Book, No. 106. Several brief orders, fixing days when Blondeau's business should be taken into consideration, were made by the Council on the 13th August, 27th August, 4th November, and 17th November, a.m., but nothing was done in the matter at those meetings. At the afternoon sitting, however, ,on the last mentioned day, a lengthy order was made to enable Blondeau to conduct a coinage of a much increased amount. The Council voted him money to defray the cost of the tools and machines that would be sufficient to coin £10,000 weekly, and more rooms were assigned to him in Drury House. It is therefore evident that the Protector and his Council at this time intended to issue a national coinage of milled money, executed by Blondeau with his new and secret machinery in Drury House. Such a large coinage as ten thousand pounds weekly could be nothing short of a national one, and must have been intended for universal circulation in England, if not in Scotland and Ireland also. There is no doubt that the pieces with Oliver's bust, dated 1658, are a portion of the great milled coinage thus ordered to be carried out by Blondeau. The following is an exact copy of the Council's orders of — Tuesday, 17th Noy ember, 1657, p.m.—- " On reading a Eeport from the Com ee4 of the Counsell to whom the humble peticon of Peter Blondeau is 1 Secretary. 2 persons. 3 Committee. 4 Committee. 125 Mvuaismaia (Crnmrnjllinnit. referred, he thereby praying, That, for forwarding his worke of Coyning and prepareing necessary Engins for the same, some money may be ordered him, according to his former proposicons and the Counsells Eesolves ; The Engines and workeing tooles p'nted 1 by M r Blondeau, as necessary to be provided for Coyning Tenn thousand pounds weekely, being contayned in a List annext to the Eeport, the price whereof is by him estimated at 1440 1 , and the weight at 30000 Lw" 2 besides the forges, Great Hafhers, Anviles, and other great Tooles, not accompted therein. " Ordered, That, to the intent money may be in a readyness to be issued out to him for provideing of the said Tooles, in a meet proporcon, It be offered to his Highness, as the advise of y e Counsell, That his High- ness will please to issue his Warr t3 to y« Com" 4 of his Highness Th'rey, 5 for empowering and requireing them, out of such moneys as shall come into the Eeceipt of his Highness Exchequo r , to satisfy and pay (for the purpose aforesaid) to S r Thomas Vyno r kn 1 , the sum of One thousand pounds, and that the said S r Thomas Vynor be authorized and empowered forthw 111 , on Eeceipt thereof, to pay to y e s'd G Peter Blondeau 200V as money advanct upon accompt of the said Service, and all the rest to pay and deliv to y e said peticon r7 Blondeau, by p'cells, 8 proportionable to the value of the Tooles and utensills w ch he shall from tyme to tyme bring in. The said Value being from tyme [to tyme] certdfyed to S r Thomas Vync, under the hand of Henry Slingsby esq r , whose certificate to be a sufficient Warrt from tyme to tyme to the said S r Thomas Vyno r for his paying to the said peticon r Blondeau proporconably to the Value that shalbe soe certifyed ; and that S r Thomas Vyno r observe that Method till ye whole 1000 1 be issued, soe farr as it will extend, towards a quantity of Tooles and Utensills necessary for y e Coyning of 10000 1 weekely, according to M r Blondeaus Invencon. And it is further ordered, That upon M r Blondeaus receiveing of any proporcon of the said money, for any tooles by him brought in, as aforesayd, He the said M r Blondeau, togeather with Charles Eanville of Blackfryers, London, Taylo r , shall give to the sayd S r Thomas Vyno r proporconable Security that the tooles soe brought in shalbe pre- served, and from tyme to tyme forth comeing, for his Highness Service." — Pages 284, 285, Entry Boole, No. 106. 1 presented. 2 pounds weight. 3 'Warrant. i Commissioners. 6 Treasury. 6 said. 7 petitioner. 8 pareells. '(EjlE C-nbrtg? nf 1658. 127 The remainder of this entry, relating to Drury House, will be found printed in our account of the 1656 coinage, page 114, above. The original Eeport of the Committee and the List of Tools annexed to it, referred to in this order, do not now seem to be in existence, as we cannot find them in the Eecord Offioe. Sir Thomas Vynor, or Viner, was a wealthy and influential goldsmith of London. He was knighted by Oliver at the Grocers' Hall on the 8th February, 1653-4, when the Protector was entertained at a grand dinner given by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen. Viner was the Lord Mayor of London, 1653-4, and was Master of the Goldsmiths' Company during the same period. He appears to have served the Protector somewhat like a modern banker. Henry Slingsby was subsequently Master of the Mint to Charles IL, about 1670-^1678. He is frequently mentioned by Samuel Pepys in his well-known Diary. The following is a copy of the Warrant above-mentioned, taken from Oliver's Privy Seal Book, No. 13, pages 193, 194. Date of document, 11th December, 1657 ; date of inrolment, 3rd February, 1657-8. " OLIVEE by the Grace of God Lord Protecto r of the Comonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions & Territories there- unto belonging, To the Com rs of o r Tre'ary 1 and all others y e Offic rs and Ministers of o r Exeheq r att Westm r2 to whom theis o r L'res 3 shall app'- teyne 4 and to ev'y 6 of them Greeting, By the advice of o r Privy Councell exp'ssed 6 in their Ord r of the seaventeenth of Novenib r in this p'sent 7 yeare One thousand six hundred ffifty seaven, O r will & pleasure is, And wee doe hereby require and cornaund you, That out of such o r treasure as is or shalbee in y e Eeoeipt of o r s d8 Excheq r you pay or cause to bee paid unto S r Thomas Viner kn 1 , and Ald r man of o r Citty of London, the surhe of one thousand pounds of lawfull montey of England, to bee by him issued and paid to Peter Blondeau, in the s'd Ord r of o r Councell named, for p'paring 9 necessary Engines for coyning in such manner and by such proporcons as in and by the s'd Ord r is directed. And for soe doeing theis our L'res or the Inrollm' thereof shalbee yo r warr*. Given und r o r Privy Seale att our 1 Commissioners of our Treasury. a Westminster. 3 Letters. 4 appertain. 5 every. 6 expressed. 7 present. 8 said. » preparing. 128 Jlintnsmittii (Crnminillinnn. Palace of Westm r the Eleaventh day of Decemb r in the yeare of o r Lord One thousand six hundred ffifty and seaven. " Gervase Lawson, Pep tie of Miles Fleetwood." On Tuesday, the 22nd December, 1657, the Council ordered that this warrant should pass, and the money be paid, without charge or fees, being for the service of the State {Page 364, Entry Book, No. 106). The only other document that we have been able to find relating to this coinage, is an order of the Council for making arrangements to choose trustworthy workmen, and for considering what rules should be observed by the persons employed on the coinage. It is as follows — Thursday, 25th February, 1657^8.—" Upon reading of the humble peticon of Peter Blondeau, Ordered That it be referred to the Lord Chamb'len, 1 Lord Fleetwood, Lord Mountague, Lord Disbrow, Lord Strick- land, Lord Vise' Lisle, Lord Eichard Cromwell, Lord Jones, M r SecT, 2 or any two of them, to p'use 3 the former ord rs touching this buisiness, and to Consider what wilbe fltt to be further donne therein, haveing respect to y e fittness of the p sons 4 to be imploy'd and the Bules to be observed touching the same, and Eeport their opinion therein to y e Counsell." — Page 473, Entry Book, No. 106. It seems probable therefore that Blondeau completed his preparations, and re-commenced coining in the spring or summer of 1658, then produc- ing the milled coins of that date which are now extant. A considerable number of them have come down to our times, but we possess no informa- tion as to what was the quantity actually struck : we only know, from the above-quoted records, that the Protector intended that Blondeau should coin money to the value of £10,000 weekly. If we may suppose that Blondeau only commenced to strike the coins of 1658 shortly before Oliver's death on the 3rd September, 1658, that circumstance would fully explain the stoppage of the work before any very large number of coins had been made. However this may be, the coinage of £10,000 per week could mot have gone on for more than one or two weeks if indeed so long. -*o- 1 the Lord Chamberlain, Gilbert Pickering. 2 Secretary Thurlog. 3 peruse. 4 persons. 'I1)B C'flittttgB nf 1658. 12 9 II. — Description of the Coins. The commonest and best known of Oliver's coins are those dated 1658, which we will now describe in detail. They are silver crowns, half- crowns, shillings, and six-pences, all struck by Peter Blondeau from the dies engraved by Thomas Simon, Crown. Obverse, bust of the Protector, laureate, to the left, with drapery round the shoulders. Legend — OLIVAE • D • G ■ R ■ P ■ ANG- ■ SCO • HIB &c PEO. Eeverse, the usual arms (described above, p. 102) in an ornamental or garnished shield, crowned with an imperial crown. The date 1658 above. Legend— PAX ■ QViEBITVE • BELLO. The edge is inscribed with the motto— HAS • NISI • PEEITVEVS • MIHI ' ADIMAT • NEMO ; a mullet, or five-pointed star, between NEMO and HAS. See Plate III, No. 6. As will be observed on examining the plate, the design of this crown is similar to that of the half-crown of 1656, plate iii., no. 4, the only dif- ferences being in the obverse legend and in the date. The Protector's titles and the mottoes are explained in a previous section of this work, "The Coinage of 1656," see pp. 102, 103. The inscription on the edge was done by means of a steel collar composed of four pieces, as described on page 111. The joints are shown by the perpendicular lines in the following exact copy of the rim — HAS • NISI • PEEITVEVS | • | MIHI ■ ADIMAT • NEMO < # | • | Although the crowns of 1658 are rather numerous, one or two hundred being in existence, they are all struck from the same pair of dies. This is proved by the fact that all the examples of the crown have the trace of a flaw or crack in the obverse die. Most probably the die cracked in the hardening process, and the crack, at first very slight, became wider and wider as more impressions were struck. The late Mr. Edward Hawkins stated that he had " not seen a single specimen of Simon's crown piece of Oliver without some indication of the crack;"* and the author of the present work has also found the flaw in every crown that he has seen. The earliest struck examples show the crack only very slightly, but on the * Rev. E. Euding's Annals of the Coinage, 3rd edit., 1840, vol. i., p. 419, note 7. 130 J! ii mis mil tit firnramillianit. latest, the crack runs across the neck, through the drapery and the in OLIVAE., up to the edge of the coin. Nevertheless, two or three of the sale catalogues state that certain crowns were without the flaw, as in the sale of Sir Eobert Abdy's cabinet, 1841, lot 398 is said to be "before the fracture in the die." A crown in lot 369 of the Devonshire sale, 1844, was stated to have "no flaw." In the Pembroke sale, 1848, lot 136, the crown had "no flaw ;" and a proof, with plain edge, in the Thomas Thomas sale, 1844, was also said to be "without the flaw." These statements, however, are perhaps not quite accurate. All the specimens of the crown that we have seen exhibit a slight projection on the right hand side of the figure 8 in the date 1658, on the reverse. It may be just perceived in our illustration, plate iii., no. 6. This circumstance has led some persons to believe that the original die was first engraved in 1656, and that Simon afterwards altered the 6 in the die into an 8, the little projection at the side of the latter figure being the remains of the former 6. It is certainly singular that this is the only coin of Oliver dated 1658 that has any projection at the top or side of the 8 ; and the following story, told by the Eev. Mark Noble, gives some support to the idea of an alteration in the die from 1656 to 1658 : — "■ The Eight Hon. Lord Hawkesbury communicated to me through the Earl of Sandwich, some information relative to Oliver's coins, which I have never before observed — in 1656, he coined some silver money for circula- tion ; but finding that the people preferred that with the Commonwealth type, he coined very little of the latter sort, in the years 1657 and 1658 ; endeavouring, by this mean, to bring the money with his effigies into cir- culation : and to save a new die, that of 1656 was altered to serve for 1658, by cutting deeper the space between the shield and the inscription, and also between the letters, so that it raised the letters and figures so much, that the figure 6 might easily be altered to 8, and the whole legend appear still more bold and conspicuous ; this scheme answered in part the end he intended; his coins of 1656 are far the most scarce, and much better pre- served : though the latter could not be expected to be current after the restoration." — Eev. M. Noble's Memoirs of the Protectoral-House of Cromwell, 3rd edit., 1787, vol. i., p. 310, note. It is not clear whether the die of the crown or of the half-crown is -meant in the above extract, but none of the coins of 1658 present the 4§t iiuin&ftt nf 1658. 131 appearance of the dies having been altered as described. The half-crowns of 1658 are from perfectly different dies, both obverse and reverse, from the half-crowns of 1656. As to the crowns, we do not think that the collector who carefully examines a well preserved specimen will be able to detect any positive signs of alteration in the die. The letters and figures are not higher in relief than on the other coins of Oliver, as suggested in Lord Hawkesbury's story ; and he is also wrong in stating that the coins of 1656 are " much better preserved," since equally fine specimens are extant of all the coins of 1658. If the dies of the crown were originally engraved in 1656, why do no engraver's proofs exist with that date upon them ? There is no doubt that Simon would in that case have taken a few proofs from the dies, as he did of many other works that he en- graved. The original steel dies of the crown, engraved by Thomas Simon, are still preserved in the Eoyal Mint, London. They are both much worn, showing that many impressions were struck from them ; and the obverse die has the crack across it, corresponding with the flaw on the coins. Simon's original punches for the bust and arms of the crown piece are also preserved, and were subsequently used by Tanner to make the reproduc- tions known as "Tanner's crowns." These pieces will be described later on, with other imitations of Oliver's coins. The crown, as well as Oliver's other coins of 1658, is made of silver of the old standard, the same as that used for the coins of the Commonwealth and Charles I., viz : 11 oz. 2 dwts. fine silver to 18 dwts. alloy, or 111 parts fine out of 12. The full weight of this piece is also the same as that of the older crowns, 464£ grains. Oliver's crowns sometimes occur in a worn and rubbed condition, as if they had been in circulation. Most specimens are, however, well pre- served, as they have been hoarded for their beauty and curiosity. They are not rare, but, being much sought after, always realize a good price, especially when in very fine preservation. A good specimen sells from £2 to £5, but if extra fine is worth much more. One of the earliest im- pressions, in very fine condition, and showing very little of the flaw, passed through the following sales— M. Trattle, 1832, lot 2601, £9 ; Col. Durrant, 1847, lot 750,. £11 ; H. H. Duncombe, 1869, lot 101, £11. Mr. J. D. Cuff's crown, lot 1279 in his sale, 1854, sold for £28, in the " most beautiful 132 jBnntisrautB Crnm millinnn. preservation." At Col. Durrant's sale, lot 751, a highly preserved crown, from Tyssen's collection, realized £9 . 5s. Another early impression of the crown was in Mr. Duncombe's sale, lot 104, £9 . 9s. Other early-struck crowns, with very small flaws, were in Sir W. Baynes's sale, 1867, £7 . 5s., and Mr. J. B. Bergne's, 1873, lot 884, £7 . 10s. A very fine specimen sold at the Eev. J. TV. Martin's sale, 1859, for £2 . 14s., but the same coin realized £9 . 10s. at the sale of the cabinet of a " Lady in the North," 1873. A finely preserved crown, with slight flaw, formerly in the possession of Thomas Hollis, was lot 147 in A. Edmonds's sale, 1834, £5. Horace Wal- pole's specimen sold at the Strawberry Hill sale, 1842, together with a shilling of Oliver, for £3 . 7s. 6d. The same crown sold alone for £4 . 10s. at a sale in 1844. It afterwards became Mr. Duncombe's, and brought £2 . 9s. only at his sale in 1869. Our illustration, plate iii., no. 6, is taken from one of the best speci- mens we have met with. It is now in the cabinet of the British Museum (from the Cracherode collection), and weighs 465'2 grains. It may perhaps be a proof, it is certainly an early-struck impression, showing the flaw but slightly, to the right of the in OLIVAE. The British Museum also possesses two other examples of this crown. In the Bodleian Library, Oxford, are six specimens, five being from Browne "Willis's cabinet, and one from the Ashmole collection. This crown may also be found in the following cabinets — Bank of England ; Boyal Mint, London ; Hunterian Museum, Glasgow ; National Cabinet of France, the Louvre, Paris ; Eoyal Library, Brussels; Collection of the Imperial Hermitage, St. Petersburg (four specimens) ; Eoyal Cabinet, Stockholm ; Eoyal Cabinet, Copenhagen ; University of Christiania, etc. Besides those in public cabinets, almost every private collection contain sone or more specimens. All the preceding remarks refer to the ordinary crown, struck in silver, and with inscribed edge. TVe have observed, however, in sale catalogues, two notices of silver crowns with plain edges, which must have been proofs. In the catalogue of the Thomas Thomas sale, 1844, lot 382 was a crown with a plain edge, said to be " without the flaw : doubtless a very early impression, taken as a proof, before the injury to the die." Lot 315 of Mr. Eichard Whitbourn's sale, 1869, was also a proof crown with a plain edge. There are also two proofs of this crown struck in gold, with the motto €{je (Cninop nf 1658. 133 on the rim, and showing the flaw. One is in the collection of Mr. S. Ad- dington, and the other in that of Mr. C. S. Bale. The crown of Oliver hy Simon has been often engraved in various publications, of which the following are the best known — G. Van Loon's Beschryving der Nederlandsche Historipenningen, 1723, vol. ii., p. 433, no.- 1 ; G. Van Loon's Histoire Metallique des Pays-Bas, 1732, vol. ii., p. 419, no. 1 ; Earl of Pembroke's plates, 1746, part iv., tab. 13 ; G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xiv. ; T. Snelling's View of the Silver Coin and Coinage of England, 1762, plate xvi., no. 11; Folkes's and Muding's plates, Silver Coins, plate xxxii., no. 4; E. Bowyer's edition of David Hume's History of England, folio, 1806, no. 4 on a plate facing p. 482, vol. iv. ; Charles Knight's Pictorial History of England, 1840, vol. iii., p. 556 ; H. W. Henfrey's Guide to English Coins, 1870, frontispiece ; etc. Half-crown. Obverse, a bust of the Protector, similar to that on the erown. Legend— OLIVAE • D • G ■ EP • ANG ■ SCO - ET ■ HIB &c PEO. Eeverse, crowned shield of arms as on the five-shilling piece, date 1658, and legend— PAX • QV^EEITVE ■ BELLO. The edge is also inscribed with the motto— HAS • NISI • PEEITVEVS • MIHI • ADIMAT • NEMO. A cross between NEMO and HAS. See Plate III., No. 7. This half-crown is made of silver of the same standard as the crown, and its full weight is 232J grains. The inscribed edge is struck by means of a steel collar, in the same manner as the 1656 half-crown and the 1658 crown (see p. Ill, above), and the following is an exact copy of the edge, the joints being denoted by the perpendicular lines — HAS • NISI • PEEITVEVS | ■ | MIHI • ADIMAT • NEMO ■ ^ | • | The illustration on plate hi., no. 7, is taken from a very fine specimen in the Author's collection. On comparing this representation with no. 4 on the same plate, it will be at once seen that both obverse and reverse of the 1658 half-crown are from quite different dies to that of 1656 ; but we believe that all the half-crowns of the same date were struck from the same pair of dies. In the Museum of the Eoyal Mint are still preserved Simon's original punches for the bust and the shield of arms on the half- crowns. These two punches are the same as those mentioned in our de- scription of the 1656 half-crown. They probably served for both coins, as the only differences are in the inscription and date. 134 #ti mis ran tit Crnmrarllinnir. Martin Folkes and the Bev. Mark Xoble both give accounts of some half-crowns which had the date 1658, but with the last figure altered in the die from a 6. Folkes states — " I have also been informed, by my Yen- ingenious friend Mr. George Yertue that he has observed half-crowns of this sort [1658] where the last figure of the date had been altered from a 6 to an 8 upon the die."* In Yertue's book on the Works of T. Simon there is, however, no allusion to such altered half-crowns. The passage from Noble has been already quoted above, in describing the crown. But as the half-crowns of the two dates are from entirely different dies, as already remarked, it is most improbable that any alteration in the die should have taken place. The half-crowns of 1658 are scarce, but not nearly so rare as those of 1656. The former sell at £2 . 2s. to £3 . 3s., according to their state of preservation. The 1658 half-crown is to be found in most collections of English coins, including the following public ones — British Museum ; Bank of England ; Eoyal Mint, London ; Bodleian Library, Oxford (seven speci- mens) ; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge ; Hunterian Museum, Glasgow ; Xational Cabinet of France ; Eoyal Library, Brussels ; University of Leyden ; Imperial Hermitage, St. Fetersburg ; Eoyal Cabinet, Stockholm ; Eoyal Cabinet, Copenhagen. The following are some of the prices realized by this half-crown at celebrated sales— M. Trattle, 1832, lot 2602, £3 . 3s.; CoL Durrant, 1847, lot 754, £6 . 12s. 6d. ; J. D. Cuff, 1S54, lot 1284, £8 . 10s. ; Capt. E. M. Murchison, 1864, lot 371, £2 . 4s. ; H. H. Duncombe, 1869, lot 102, £2 . 5s.; " Lady in the North," 1873, lot 159, £3 . 10s. ; J. B. Bergne, 1873, lot 889, £3 . 5s. ; C. E. Taylor, 1874, £2 . 7s. The 1658 half-crown is engraved in — J. Evelyn's Discourse of Medals, 1697, page 118 ; G. Yan Loon's Beschryving der Xederlandsche Historipen- ningen, 1723, vol. ii, p. 433, no. 2 ; G. Yan Loon's Histoire Metallique des Pays-Bas, 1732, voL ii, p. 419, no. 2 ; Earl of Pembroke's plates, 1746, part iv., tab. 13, but with " P " omitted after " D. G. E." on the obverse : G. Yertue's Works of Tliomas Simon, 1753, plate xiv. ; T. Snelling's View of the Silver Coin and Coinage of England, 1762, plate xvi., no. 10 ; Folkes's * Page 99 of the Society of Antiquaries's edition of Martin Folkes's TaJbU of EngUsli Silver Coins, quarto, 1763. €\)i Cninn gt nf 16 5 8. 135 and Rudinff's plates, Silver Coins, plate xxxii., no. 5 ; E. Bowyer's edition of David Hume's History of England, 1806, no. 9 on a plate facing p. 482, vol. iv. Shilling. Obverse, a bust of the Protector, similar to that on the crown and half-crown. Legend — OLIVAR • D • G • EP • ANG • SCO ■ HIB &c PEO. Eeverse, similar to that of the crown and half-crown, with the same date, 1658. The edge is milled with straight lines. See Plate III, No. 8. The shilling, as well as the half-crown, is a wonderful example of beautiful and accurate reduction from the crown piece. The portrait is excellently preserved throughout. This coin is made of silver of the same standard as the crown, and its full weight is 92f grains. The illustration on plate iii., no. 8, is taken from a very fine specimen in the Author's cabinet. It will be observed that there are two small flaws on the obverse, just above the Protector's forehead, and under the letters " E P." "We have noticed similar flaws on all the genuine specimens of the shilling which we have examined. Simon's original steel punches for the head and arms on the shilling are still preserved in the Eoyal Mint, London, but not his dies. This piece is of about the same rarity as the half-crown of 1658, and sells at the present day from £1 to £3. It may be found in most private collections, and in the following public cabinets — British Museum ; Bank of England ; Eoyal Mint, London ; Bodleian Library, Oxford (four specimens) ; Fitz- william Museum, Cambridge; Hunterian Museum, Glasgow; Eoyal Library, Brussels ; Imperial Hermitage, St. Petersburg ; Eoyal Cabinet, Copenhagen ; Eoyal Cabinet, Stockholm ; Cabinet of the University of Christiania. Mr. W. H. D. Longstaffe possesses a shilling which is pierced and slightly rubbed, as if it had been worn by some adherent or admirer of Cromwell. Fine specimens of this shilling have sold by auction as follows — M. Trattle, 1832, lot 2603, £1.15s.; Col. Durrant, 1847, lot 755, £4; Earl of Pembroke, 1848, lot 138, £1 . 14s. ; J. D. Cuff, 1854, lot 1285, £6 . 2s. 6d„ lot 1286, £3 ; H. H. Duncombe, 1869, lot 103, £2 ; J. B. Bergne, 1873, lot 891, £2 ; C. E. Taylor, 1874, lot 535, £4 . 2s. A few proofs of the shilling exist, struck in different metals from the 136 jilnmhmnU (GrnntnuUtaiiii. ordinary pieces in silver. One struck in gold, and weighing 114J grains, formed lot 337 of a sale at Sotheby's, 8th July, 1870. A copper impres- sion, from the same dies, but in bad preservation, was in lot 428 of the Devonshire sale at Christie and Manson's, 28th March, 1844. A proof in lead was in lot 113 of Mr. Burns's sale, 17th December, 1869 ; and one in pewter was sold in lot 44 of the cabinet of Mr. C. M. Soutter, 1st April, 1870. The shilling is engraved in — G. Van Loon's Beschryving der Neder- landsche Historipenningen, 1723, vol ii., p. 433, no. 3 ; G. Van Loon's His~ toire Metallique des Pays-Bas, 1732, vol. ii., p. 419, no. 3 ; Bapin de Thoyras's History of England, 2nd edition, 1733, vol. ii., p. 617, and in subse- quent editions (but with " P E." instead of " E P.," and the " &c." omitted, in the obverse legend) ; Earl of Pembroke's plates, 1746, part iv., tab. 13 ; G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xiv. ; T. Snelling's View of the Silver Coin and Coinage of England, 1762, plate xvi., no. 9; Folkes's and Ruding's plates, Silver Coins, plate xxxii., no. 7 ; Stephen Martin Leake's Historical Account of English Money, 3rd edition, 1793, 1st series, plate vii., no. 65 (but with " PE." instead of " EP," and the " &c." omitted, in the obverse legend) ; E. Bowyer's edition of David Hume's History of England, 1806, no. 6 on a plate facing p. 482, vol. iv. ; Charles Knight's Pictorial History of England, 1840, vol. hi., p. 556. Six-pence. Obverse, bust of the Protector, similar to that on the three other silver coins. Legend— OLIVAE • D • G- ■ EP • ANG ■ SCO • HIB &c PEO. Eeverse, crowned shield of arms as before. The date 1658 above. Legend— PAX • QVJEEITVE • BELLO. The edge is milled with straight lines. See Plate IV, No. 1. The six-pence is made of silver of the same standard as the crown, and its full weight is 46 J grains. Although perhaps originally issued for circulation, these six-pences are now extremely rare. Erom some unknown cause, only a very few speci- mens have been preserved. Martin Eolkes states that he had only heard of four : " I have myself seen but one of them, and have not heard of above three others, that are any where said to be now extant." — Page 102 of the Society of Antiquaries's edition of Folkes's Table of English Stiver Coins, 1763. ®{l5 iCnhngE nf 1658. 137 A rubbed example of the six-peace is now in the British Museum, but was formerly in the cabinet of the Earl of Pembroke. It weighs 47 grains. A good specimen, with milled edge, and weighing 46"4 grains, is in the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. Mr. S. Addington has a fine speci- men, weighing 45 grains, from the Murchison, Baker, Cuff,' Edmonds, and Trattle collections. A fourth six-pence, not fine, was in the Thomas sale, 1844, lot 829 ; and a fifth, in poor preservation and gilt, was in General Drummond's sale, 1864, and Mr. Bichard Whitbourn's sale, 1869, lot 318. A worn example of the six-pence was formerly in the possession of Mr. W. B. Davies, of Wallingford, from whom it passed to a gentleman in America. The seventh specimen that we have heard of, is a well-preserved proof, struck in pewter from the same dies, and with milled edge. It weighs 404 grains, and is now in the British Museum. A worn six-pence has sold for £5 . 2s. 6d. (B. Whitbourn's sale, 1869) ; but a fine one for £31 (Capt. Murchison's sale, 1864), and £35 (J. D. Cuff's sale, 1854). Simon's original steel punches for the bust and shield of arms on the six-pence are still preserved in the Boyal Mint, London ; but not the dies. The six-pence is engraved in — the Earl of Pembroke's plates, 1746, part iv., tab. 13 ; G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xiv. ; T. Snelling's View of the Silver Coin and Coinage of England, 1762, plate xvi., no. 8 ; Folkes's and Ruding's plates, Silver Coins, plate xxxii., no. 8 ; B. Bowyer's edition of David Hume's History of England, 1806, no. 8 on a plate facing p. 482, vol. iv. ; Charles Knight's Pictorial History of England, 1840, vol. hi., p. 556. III. — Imitations of the Pkotectob's Coins. There now remain to be described several gold and silver coins of Oliver, some of which have been considered to be original pattern pieces of his time, but which we think to have been imitations or reproductions made (with the help of Simon's old punches and dies) by J. S. Tanner, in the reign of George II. According to Snelling and Buding,* John Sigis- mund Tanner was one of the Engravers to the Boyal Mint from the first * Rev. R. Ruding's Annals of the Coinage, 3rd edition, 1840, vol. L, p. 45. 138 JO unit s m e i a ^rnramtlliann. to the thirty-first year of George II., or about 1727, to 1758; and we believe that he reproduced several of Oliver's coins by stri k ing new dies from Simon's old punches, which were then, as now, preserved in the Mint. The universally received account of the well-known piece called " Tanner's Crown" confirms our theory. It is said to have been struck, about 1738, " from Simon's dies, repaired by Tanner ;" but this obviously means that Simon's punches were used to make new dies (as Dr. Combe states in the Appendix to Vertues Simon). It must here be understood that when Simon set to work to engrave his dies, he first cut the designs (i.e., the bust and the crowned shield of arms) in relief on pieces of steel called punches. These punches were hardened, and then impressed on soft steel to make the sunken dies. The lettering or inscriptions having been cut in these dies, they were hardened in their turn, and were then ready for striking the money. Therefore, since all Simon's punches remained in the Mint, Tanner probably impressed them on new pieces of steel, engraved the legends around the bust and arms, and thus made new dies, from which several proof coins were struck and sold to collectors. It is to be observed that of the pieces which we consider to have been made by Tanner in this way, all (except the crown) omit the " &c." before " PEO." on the obverse, and the style of the lettering is alike upon all, though differing very much from the workmanship of the coins that are undoubtedly Simon's, described above. There are two half-broads, or ten-shilling pieces, of gold, both without the " &c." before " PEO.," and on which the style of the lettering exactly resembles that on Tanner's crown. We will now describe them. Tanner's Half-broad, No. 1. Obverse, bust of the Protector, laureate, to the left, with bare neck, as on the other gold coins. Legend — OLIVAE ■ D G E • P • A2f G ■ SCO • HIB ■ PEO (There is no dot after PEO, nor any after D or G, as there should be, but a dot is placed between E and P, contrary to Simon's usual plan). Eeverse, garnished shield of arms, crowned. Date • 1656 • above. Legend— PAX - QV^EEITYE • BELLO. Diameter, *95 inch ; edge plain. See Plate iii., Xo. 2. The obverse die of this coin appears to have been engraved by Tanner, who, however, used Simon's punch of the head, which is still preserved in <&]u (Cninngr nf 1658. 139 the Eoyal Mint. It is not likely that Simon would have made the mistake of omitting the " &c." after " fflB.," and, moreover, the lettering is more clumsy, being evidently Tanner's work. Neither is the bust frosted, as on Simon's coins. For the reverse Tanner used Simon's die of the reverse of his 1656 half-broad, described above on p. 106, and see plate iii., no. 3. If carefully compared, the reverses of these two 1656 half-broads (plate iii., nos. 2 and 3) will clearly be seen to be from exactly the same die. This die, as well as Tanner's die of the obverse, is still kept in the Eoyal Mint. The half-broads of this type. Tanner's No. 1, are struck on larger pieces of metal (iVth of an inch larger) than the original ones made by Simon, and are not nearly so well finished. They are extremely rare. All the specimens we have met with have their edges plain, and are of very irregular weights. One in the British Museum weighs 98 grains, and exhibits several cracks or flaws in the dies, which may be seen in the illustration, plate iii, no. 2. A specimen passed through the sales of Mr. Richard Whitbourn, lot 323, and Mr. C. B. Taylor, lot 349. It re- sembled the Museum half-broad with regard to cracks, flaws, and plain edge, and weighed 101 grains. Another example of this type, also with plain edge, but heavier, formed lot 322 of Mr. Whitbourn's sale. A fourth specimen is in the Hunter collection, at Glasgow University ; it has the edge plain, and weighs 105 - 9 grains. All these four pieces are of gold, but Mr. Martin I. Preston, of Not- tingham, possesses a proof of this half-broad struck by Tanner in silver. It is exactly similar to the gold one in the British Museum, having the same flaws and a plain edge, but it weighs 87 grains. It was formerly in Miss Bichardson Currer's cabinet. This coin, in gold, sold at Mr. B. "Whitbourn's sale, 1869, lot 322 (fine), for £4 . 5s., and lot 323 (very fine), £11. At Mr. C. E. Taylor's sale, 1874, lot 349 realized £10 . 2s. 6d. We are not aware that this piece has ever been engraved. Tanners Half-broad, No. 2. Obverse, exactly similar to Tanner's half- broad, no. 1, this side being from the same die. Beverse, crowned and garnished shield of arms, as before, but with the date 1658 above. Legend — PAX ■ QV^BITVE • BELLO. Diameter -95 inch. The edge is some- times plain, sometimes milled. See Plate iii., No. 5. 140 jinmisnitttE (GrnraitUiami. In making the reverse die of this piece, Tanner evidently used Simon's punch of the crowned shield of arms, which is still preserved in the Mint. The date and inscription, however, are entirely engraved by Tanner, and in workmanship and finish the reverse of this coin is far inferior to Simon's reverse of the 1656 half-broad. Both of Tanner's dies for this half-broad, no. 2, are still in the Eoyal Mint ; the obverse die being the same as that of the obverse of Tanner's no. 1 half-broad. The reverse die is very much cracked ; and the shield of arms is from Simon's punch for his six-pence, also used by Tanner for the imitation six-pence, described below. The half-broad of 1658 is very rare. In the Bodleian Library, Oxford, are two examples, both with milled edges, and weighing 72 and 69£ grains respectively. They were from Browne Willis's collection. Another one, also with milled edge, weighing 70 grains, was in Mr. J. B. Bergne's sale, 1873, lot 895. A similar half-broad, but with plain edge, is in the British Museum, and weighs 71 - 7 grains. Another, also with plain edge, is in the Fitz- william Museum, Cambridge, weight 73 grains. A third is in the collec- tion of the Imperial Hermitage, St. Petersburg, weight 87 grains. Mr. William Brice has one, as fine as when struck, edge plain, weight 71"6 grains. Euding's illustration, Supplement, plate vi., no. 26, is taken from a specimen formerly " in the collection of the late John Sawbridge, Esq,, of Ollantigh, in Kent," weight 69 grains. Several other specimens may also be traced in sale catalogues. Mr. Brice also possesses a very curious proof in copper of this half- broad. It is slightly rubbed, and came from Hugh Howard's collection, lot 237, where it was erroneously catalogued as a farthing. The gold half-broads of 1658 have sold at auction sales from £10 . 15s. (Bergne, 1873), to £12 . 5s. (Gott, 1866, and Jackson, 1872). This piece is engraved in— G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate ix. A (but it erroneously reads OLIVAEI. on the obverse, and omits the garnishing of the shield) ; T. Snelling's View of the Gold Coin and Coinage of England, 1763, plate vi., no. 15 (the garnishing also erroneously omitted) ; and the Supplement to Folkess and Ruding's plates, plate vi, no. 26. As we have endeavoured to explain above, it appears most probable €{ie C'liinngB nf 1 65 8. 141 that only the 1656 half-broads with the " &c." in the obverse legend were coined in Oliver's time, and that the two types without the " &c.," dated 1656 and 1658, were made in George II. 's reign by J. S. Tanner. The two half-broads here called Tanner's, are struck on pieces of metal slightly larger than Simon's, plate iii., no. 3. The old writers on English coins tell us very little about the half-broads. Martin Folkes did not seem to have met with any, as he says : " I am told there was also a Die cut for Ten- Shilling Pieces."* In a later edition of his work he states : " I have seen the puncheon that was cut for a ten-shilling piece ;"f and again that " there is remaining in the Tower a puncheon for the head of a ten-shilling piece, but I never heard of any such piece actually minted."^ Thomas Snelling, in his View of the Gold Coin and Coinage of England, 1763, page 28, thus construes the remarks of Folkes : " There are likewise ten shilling pieces, but not struck in his (Oliver's) time ; but since the discovery of the dye or puncheon by Mr. Folkes, at whose instance chiefly, we presume, those we have at present owe their being." However, Folkes himself does not say that he discovered the puncheon, but simply that he had seen it. Tanners Crown (silver). Obverse and reverse similar to Simon's crown (described above, p. 129) ; but upon a close examination some minute differences will he perceived. The two coins are clearly from different dies : the busts are different in finish, and the lettering differs in style. On the obverse there are dots after HIB. and after PEO. on Tanner's crown, but not on Simon's. The point of the highest leaf in the laurel wreath comes between the A and the N of ANG. on Tanner's crown, but on Simon's it comes between the two strokes of the A. On the reverse, the frosting of the crosses on the shield is different : as in Tanner's crown it is expressed by lines crossing one another diagonally, but in Simon's by a kind of granulation. The differences will be best understood by a com- parison of the illustrations, plate iv., no. 2 (Tanner's crown), with plate iii., no. 6 (Simon's crown). The edge of Tanner's crown is sometimes plain, hut more often bears the motto HAS NISI, etc., copied from Simon's; the lettering, however, is not so well done. * Table of English Gold Coins, 4to, London, 1736, p. 8. + Society of Antiquaries's edition of Folkes'a Table of English Qold Coins, 1761, p. 9. % Soo. Ant.'s edit, of Folkes's Table of English Silver Coins, 1763, p. 102. 142 Smnismntc (KrnmmiUioa. This piece is certainly struck from new dies engraved by Tanner, but he evidently used Simon's punches in making them. In the Museum of the Eoyal Mint there are still preserved — 1. Punch, in reblef, for the bust of the crown (Simon's). 2. Punch for the crowned shield of arms on the crown, also by Simon. 3. Simon's original die of the obverse of his crown, cracked and worn. 4. Simon's original die of the reverse of his crown, also worn. 5. Tanner's die of the obverse of his crown. 6. Tanner's die of the reverse of his crown. As the two distinct pairs of dies, Simon's and Tanner's, may still be seen at the Mint, it is quite incontestable that these two varieties of crowns were struck from different dies. Nevertheless, it has generally been in- correctly stated in sale catalogues that " Tanner's crown was struck, about 1738, from Simon's dies, after they had been repaired by Tanner." The editor of the second (1780) edition of George Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, followed by Buding, confuses the history of Tanner's crown with another imitation known as the Dutch crown. The word " Tanner's " should be substituted for " Dutch " in the following account — " In the Tower are not only Simon's two dies of the true crown of Oliver Cromwell but likewise the puncheons by which they were made : the dye of the obverse being much cracked, Mr. Arundel, master of the Mint, got Mr. Tanner, the engraver, to make two new dyes from Simon's puncheons, in order that a few might be struck to give to his friends. These new dyes still remain ; and in order to be more certain of the thing, I carried with me what is called the Dutch crown, which I found exactly fitted these dyes."* However, as we have before stated, the dies in the Mint, are of Simon's and Tanner's crowns only, and not of the Dutch crown. The crowns made by Tanner could not have been numerous, as they are very rare, and sell for six or seven guineas each. They are struck in silver, but are of irregular weights. One in the British Museum weighs 498 grains. Mr. W. Brice has one, with plain edge, weighing 477A orains and another, with the motto on the edge, weighing 452 grains. Mr. J. P. Neck has a specimen, with plain edge, weighing only 418 grains • and we have seen another weighing 491 grains. Mr. J. B. Bergne had one, with * Page 78, Appendix to the 2nd edition of Vertne, 1780. See alao Rev. E. Ruding's Annals of the. Coinage, 3rd edition, 1840, voL ii., p. 336. €\)i Gnimtg* nf 1658. 143 plain edge, weighing 473 \ grains, and another, with inscribed edge, weigh- ing 477| grains. The Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, is particularly rich in specimens of Tanner's crown, probably because Dr. Hunter, who collected this cabinet, was a contemporary of Tanner, and obtained these pieces directly from him. The Hunterian Museum contains two specimens of Tanner's crown, with plain edges, weighing 46577 grains and 363 - 09 grains respectively; and a third example, with inscribed edge, weighing 431 - 2 grains. The same collection also contains a curious proof of Simon's crown (see plate hi., no. 6), evidently struck by Tanner from Simon's old dies, showing their great decay, and with the flaw right across the obverse. It weighs 664"44 grains. Tanner's crown has sold as follows at the principal auction sales — Willett, 1824, £6 . 6s. ; Trattle, 1832, lot 2605, £3 ; Thomas, 1844, lot 379, with inscribed edge, £3 . 13s. 6d., lot 380, with plain edge, £4 . 18s. ; Dur- rant, 1847, lot 752, £6 . 12s. 6d. ; Cuff, 1854, lot 1282, £5 . 2s. 6d. ; Murchi- son, 1864, lot 380, £5. 2s. 6d.; Forster, 1868, lot 134, £5. 10s.; Bergne, 1873, lot 886, with plain edge, £7 . 12s. 6d., lot 887, with inscribed edge, £7 ; Johnston, 1876, lot 259, with inscribed edge, £6 . 17s. 6d. Tanner's Shilling. Obverse, bust of the Protector, laureate, to the left, with drapery, similar to Simon's shilling. Legend — OLIVAR 'DG'EP' AN"G • SCO ■ HIB • PBO (no dots after D, B, or PEO). Beverse, crowned shield of arms, as on Simon's shilling, with the date 1658 above. Legend — PAX • QViEELTVB • BELLO. Edge generally plain, but sometimes milled. See Plate iv., No. 3. The remarks made about the workmanship of Tanner's other coins apply to this piece also. The execution and style of the lettering differ very much from Simon's, but exactly resemble the workmanship of Tanner's crown. The dies of this shilling still remain in the Boyal Mint, as well as Simon's original punches for the head and arms. It is therefore our opinion that Tanner made the dies of this piece, using Simon's punches, but engraving the legends himself. Tanner's s hilli ngs are struck in silver, but on pieces of metal of very irregular weights. They have generally the edges plain, but a few specie mens have them milled. Some, weighing 162, 155, or 153£ grains, or 144 # a mis nut a CrumnnUiaun. nearly twice the -weight of a current shilling of the period, are commonly called pattern two-shilling pieces (diameter, 1*15 inches). Others, a little smaller (diameter, 1*1 inches), hut from the same dies, weigh 93 grains, the correct weight of a shilling, or less, as 8 6 J, 85j, or 73 i grains re- spectively. The accounts of these pieces given by numismatic writers are confused and erroneous. They again make the mistake of calling Tanner's imitations Butch coins. The editor of the second edition of Vertue says — " There are two pieces,* commonly supposed to be Dutch, the smallest of which is often called the nine-pence, and sometimes admitted as a substitute for the six-pence, which is exceeding scarce. As the dyes of both these pieces still remain in the Tower, I suppose them to have been intended for a shil- ling and six-pence, but laid aside, as was the first half-broad, on account of the fyc. being left out of the inscription on the obverse; consequently, they must be put among the patterns."-f The Rev. E. Euding makes the following remarks concerning this shilling by Tanner — " As this coin wants &c. after HIB., I suspect that it was struck from a die which still remains in the Tower, and which Dr. Combe supposes to have been intended for a shilling, but to have been laid aside on account of that omission. A note to the Antiquaries' expla- nation of this piece says : ' Whether this was designed for a trial-piece of two shillings, to which it exactly answers in weight [188 grains], or a medal, is uncertain, no reverse of it having yet occurred.'! In Mr. "Willett's cabinet is a Shilling of work like this with a reverse. There is also in the Tower another die, which is often called The Mnepence. Pieces struck from this are sometimes admitted as a substitute for the sixpence, which is exceedingly scarce. Coins from these two dies are commonly supposed to be Dutch." — Annals of the Coinage, 3rd edition, 1840, vol. ii, pp. 335, 336. The coins struck from the dies of what we have named above Tanner's Shilling are very rare. Of the heavier pieces, commonly called pattern two-shillings, one with a plain edge, and weighing 1534 grains, is in the British Museum. Another, with plain edge, and weighing 155-5 grains, is * Described as Tanner's shilling and six-pence in the present work. H. TV. H. t Page 78, Appendix to G. Tertne's Works of Thomas Simon, 2nd edition, 17S0. J Society of Antiquaries's edition of Martin Folkes's Table of English Silver Coins, 1763. p. 96. fjlB (Cninngi nf 1658. 145 in the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. Mr. S. Addington has another, also with plain edge, weighing 162 grains, it was formerly in the Cuff and Mur- chison cabinets. Mr. "W. Brice has a very fine specimen, with plain edge, weighing 153*5 grains. Another, weighing 155 grains, passed through the Trattle, Thomas, and Durrant collections. At the sale of the cabinet of the. Rev. J. Lewin-Sheppard, 1860, lot 170 was a so-called two-shilling piece, with plain edge, weighing 155 grains, which sold for £14 . 14s. In Mr. B. Whitboum's sale, 1869, lot 316 was another, which realized £10. One with plain edge,weighing 155 grains, formed lot 81 in a sale at Sotheby's, 25th March, 1874, £16. Lighter impressions from the same die, called pattern shillings, are quite as rare. The British Museum contains one, weighing 86'6 grains, which has the edge milled with straight lines. Another, with plain edge, weighing 85'4 grains, is in the "Wisbeach Museum. A third formed lot 153 at the sale of A. Edmonds' cabinet, 1834, £23. In the Bev. J. "W. Martin's sale, 1859, lot 311 was a shilling of this type, weighing 73'5 grains, £2 . 10s. Another, with milled edge, weighing 93 grains, was in the Cuff sale, 1854, lot 1289, £9. One, also weighing 93 grains, was in a sale at Sotheby's, 25th March, 1874, lot 82, £5 . 15s. The two-shilling piece is engraved in Folkes's and Ruding's plates, Silver Coins, plate xxxii, no. 6 (obverse only), and in Buding's Supplement, plate G, no. 3 (both sides) ; and the shilling on Buding's plate G, no. 2 (but with " &c." erroneously inserted in the obverse legend). In the Gentleman's Magazine for September, 1786, is described and figured a curious copper coin of Oliver, which is there called a half-penny It really, however, seems to be a copper impression from the dies of Tanner's shilling of Oliver, as the obverse legend reads " HIB. PBO." without the " &c." The piece has slipped on the die, and some of the letters are, therefore, double struck. In the October number, Mr. T. Bow points out that this coin is only a piece of copper minted from the dies of Oliver's shilling ; but it does not appear what subsequently became of the coin. See the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lvi., part ii., pages 752, 753, and 822, and plate i., fig. 3, September, 1786. Tanner's Six-pence. Obverse, draped bust of the Protector, laureate, to the left, similar to that on Simon's six-pence. Legend — OLIVAB • D • 146 iiJnmismntE CxtwmUiaia. G E ■ P • ANG • SCO • HIB • PEO (no dots after G or PEO). Eeverse, crowned shield of arms, as on Simon's six-pence, with the date 1658 above. Legend— PAX • QV^EEITVE • BELLO. Diameter, one inch, or nearly one-tenth of an inch larger than Simon's six-pence. See Plate iv., No. 4. The dies of this piece were made by Tanner from Simon's original punches of the bust and arms, which are still kept in the Mint. The punch of the shield of arms is the same as that used by Tanner in making the reverse of his 1658 ten-shilling piece. Tanner's dies of this six-pence, now broken, are also preserved in the Mint. Although rare, this is the commonest of Tanner's imitations. A good many specimens exist, all struck in silver, and generally with plain edges, but a few are milled. They are heavier than the contemporary six-pence of Simon's time, which ought to weigh 46j grains. Tanner's six-pences vary from 51 to 102 grains. As will have been observed from the passages quoted above, under the description of Tanner's shilling, the piece now under consideration has been commonly called a pattern nine-pence ; but this name is quite inap- plicable, since the coin is an obvious imitation of the six-pence in size and type, and only a few specimens are of the weight suitable to a nine- penny piece. One of Tanner's six-pences, with milled edge, is in the cabinet of Mr. S. Addmgton, and weighs 89 grains. Another, with milled edge, was in the sale of the Eev. W. Browne's cabinet, 1827, lot 292, £19. One weighing 89 grains, milled edge, was in Mr. J. D. Cuffs sale, 1854, lot 1292, £4 . 7s. Another with milled edge formed lot 109 in Miss Eichardson Currer's sale, 1862, £6 . 2s. 6d. One in Mr. C. E. Taylor's sale, 1874, sold for £4 . 2s., lot 539, with milled edge. Most specimens, however, have plain edges, as the following — British Museum cabinet, weighing 89 - 8 grains ; Bodleian Library, Oxford, weighing 63 grains, from Browne Willis's cabinet ; Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, weighing 93-5 grains; Imperial Hermitage. St. Petersburg, 91 grains. Mr. W. Brice has one, weighing 96"5 grains. Another is in Mr. S. Addington's col- lection. Mr. T. M. Simkiss, of Wolverhampton, has one, weighing 86-5 grains. Another specimen, weighing only 59"5 grains, is in the cabinet of Mr. Martin I. Preston, Nottingham. Specimens were also in the following auction sales — M. Trattle, 1832, €j)B (Cnimt-gB nf 1658. 147 lot 2607, £7 . 7s., lot 2608 (weighing 80 grains), £5 . 15s. 6d. ; T. Thomas, 1844, lot 384 (88 grains), £5 . 5s. ; J. D. Cuff, 1854, lot 1291 (96 grains), £5 . 12s. 6d., lot 1293 (66 grains), £3 . lis. ; Eev. J. W. Martin, 1859, lot 310 (93 grains), £4 . lis. ; Capt. E. M. Murchison, 1864, lot 377 (51 grains), £3 . 7s. 6d., lot 378 (83| grains), £3. 7s. 6d.; T. Brown, 1869, lot 606, £4. 16s., lot 607 (lighter), £3. 12s.; J. B. Bergne, 1873, lot 892 (102 grains), £5 . 5s., lot 893 (58 grains), £5 ; W. T. B. Ashley, 1876, lot 176, £5 . 10s. ; and many other sales. The specimen of Tanner's six-pence in the British Museum is en- graved in the Bev. B. Buding's Annals of the Coinage, Supplement, plate G, no. 4. The Dutch Crown. The so-called " Dutch Crown" of Oliver Cromwell is also an imitation of the original crown, but not by Tanner, as it is generally supposed to have been made in Holland. It differs chiefly from Simon's crown (described on p. 129, above) in workmanship and execution. It is similar in the size, type, and inscriptions, and is exceedingly well copied. The chief differences are in the style of the lettering, which is less elegant than Simon's, and in the head of Oliver, which is thinner, and different in expression. The top of the laurel wreath ends under the letter N of " ANG-." in the Dutch crown, but under the letter A in Simon's. However, the best idea of the differences between the two coins will be gained by a comparison of our illustrations : plate iii., no. 6 (Simon's crown), and plate iv., no. 5 (the Dutch crown) . The edge of the Dutch crown is inscribed with the motto — HAS • NISI • BEEITVBVS • MIHI • ADIMAT • NEMO, with a star at the end. This motto is nevertheless very badly and irregularly struck on nearly every specimen. This piece is made of silver, but is heavier than Simon's crown. Most specimens weigh about 490 grains, while Simon's crown never weighs more than 465 grains. The Dutch crown often occurs in silver gilt, but we have never heard of one struck in gold. In the British Museum is a very fine Dutch crown, weighing 490 grains. A fine one, weighing 5037 grains, is in the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. Mr. W. Brice has another, weighing 48 9 J grains. Mr. J. F. Neck possesses one, with the motto on the edge unusually well struck, weighing 502 grains. Mr. Mark F. Wilson has a specimen, which has 148 Jfttraisrantfl 169 One of these gold medals was in S. Tyssen's sale, 1802, lot 2868, and the same specimen sold at Sir M. M. Sykes's sale for £2 . 16s., but again at A. Edmonds's sale, 1834, for £16. In the Thomas Thomas sale, 1844, were two specimens : lot 465, which sold for £5 . 2s . 6d., and lot 563, which realized the same price. George Vertue, in his description of the Works of Thomas Simon, London, 1753, page 15, states that, in the earlier part of the last century, one of these oval gold medals was in the collection of the Earl of Oxford, and another in that of Sir Hans Sloane. There are a few specimens of this medal in other metals than gold, which are probably trial proofs, struck off by the engraver Simon himself. In the British Museum is one in copper, and one in lead. Another im- pression in lead is also in the cabinet of the University of Leyden. A pewter one was in lot 34 of a sale at Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson's, 25th March, 1874. It is almost needless to caution the reader that all the original and genuine specimens, made by Simon, are struck from steel dies, and not cast. Inferior copies of this medal, cast in silver, sometimes occur for sale. We have never met with a silver one struck from the original dies. This medal is engraved in — G-. Van Loon's Beschryving der Nederlandsrhe Historipenningen, 1723, vol. ii, page 435, no. 2; Van Loon's Histoire Metallique des Pays-Bas, 1732, vol. ii., page 420, no. 2 ; G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xii. (but reads PEOTECTO, instead of PEOTECTOE, on the obverse) ; and The Medallic History of England, 1790, plate xxii. no. 9. Simon may perhaps have derived a hint for the punning device of the reverse from the elegiacal verses on the Protector's death, issued by T. Davies about the 5th October, 1658. The medal may not have been required until the funeral on the 23rd November, and this would leave Simon more than six weeks for his work. The design of the olive tree is obviously in allusion to Oliver's own name, and some bines comparing Cromwell to an olive tree occur in certain elegiacal verses on his death by Thomas Davies, entitled The Tenth Worthy, printed on a single folio sheet, which is dated in manuscript "5th October 1658," by Thomason, the col- lector of the King's Pamphlets in the British Museum : — 170 jCnmismflin Ctnmmr IHirir a . " When War was at the height of tears and blood, The Lord sent Oliver the Great, and Good, Who prov'd our Olive-branch, and Peace he got. * * * * " He did provide That we should not be left without a Guide ; But after him find setled here we see The primest branch of that fair Olive-tree." Also, in Andrew Marvell's verses on the First Anniversary of the Govern- ment under the Lord Protector, is a similar allusion — " Thou with the same strength, and a heart so plain, Didst like thine olive still refuse to reign." Further, we observe that, during Eichard's Protectorate, Mr. Hewley, speaking in Parliament, said — " Our olive is an emblem of peace." See Burtons Cromwellian Diary from 1656 to 1659, 8vo, London 1828, vol. iv. p. 15. The editor of the Diary, Mr. J. T. Eutt, remarks in a footnote — " Here, perhaps, may be a complimentary reference to the Protector Eichard, as the son of Oliver." To our thinking, these contemporary allusions evidently show that the Protector Oliver was frequently compared to an olive tree by persons of his time. Imitations of Simon's Fuxekal Medal. There are two other and larger medals, with reverses very similar to the small oval funeral medal just described, which are evidently imitations of it. George Vertue considers that the first one was struck several years after Cromwell's death, " to gratify his admirers," and that it was probably done in Holland. — {Works of Thomas Simon, London, 1753, page 15.) He also alludes to the large gold medallion (the subjoined Imitation No. II.), but does not describe or engrave it, as it is not one of Simon's works. Dutch Imitation No. /.—Obverse, profile bust of Oliver Cromwell to the left, laureate, and with Eoman drapery round the neck. Legend — OLIVAE . D.G.EP. ANG . SCO . HIB . PEO. Eeverse, a large olive tree, with a shepherd feeding his flock under its shade. There may also be perceived some small trees and a church steeple in the distance. Leo-end — NON . DEFITIENT . OLIVA . SEP . 3 . 1658. A circular medal, size 1 15 inches in diameter. See plate v. no. 4. €\i /onnl 3Hiltnls. 171 The obverse of this medal is a close imitation of the obverse of Simon's shilling of Oliver (see plate iii. no. 8), and the busts are very much alike. The reverse is copied from the reverse of Simon's small oval funeral medal (plate v. no. 3), but with some, differences. There is a similar large olive tree, but there is no stump at its side. There is only one shepherd, and there are fewer sheep, but in the back-ground is inserted a church steeple, which is not on Simon's medal. It is not known who was the engraver of this Dutch imitation. Some specimens have their edges milled, contrary to the usual custom with regard to medals. They generally occur in gold, and occasionally in silver, but are neither rare nor valuable. A leaden specimen, but corroded, is in the possession of Sir Walter C. Trevelyan, Bart. This medal is engraved in — G. Van Loon's Beschryving der Nederlandsche Historipenningen, 1723, vol. ii., page 435, no. 3 ; Van Loon's Histoire Metattique des Pays-Bas, 1732, vol. ii., page 420, no. 3 ; G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xii. ff. ; and The Medallic History of England, 1790, plate xxii. no. 7. Dutch Imitation No. II. — Obverse, profile bust of Oliver Cromwell, laureate, to the left, in armour, with large plain collar. Legend — OLIVAE • D • G ■ R P • ANO • SCO ■ HlBERMiE • PROTECTOR. Reverse, a lar^e olive tree, with a shepherd feeding his flock under its shade. In the back- ground are several trees, with a tower and a large circular building on the left. Legend— NON ■ DEFITIENT • OLIVA ■ SEP ■ 3 ■ 1658. A circular medal, size 1 '9 inches in diameter. See plate v. no. 5. The obverse of this piece is copied from that of the Dutch satirical medal described above on page 163. Both medals may perhaps be by the same artist, although this funeral medal is better executed than the satirical one. The reverse of this second imitation is also a copy, from Simon's small oval medal (plate v., no. 3), or more probably from the Dutch Imitation No. I. It differs from the last-mentioned medal only in size and in having the tower and building, instead of the church steeple, in the background. These two Dutch imitations both continue Simon's error of " OLIVA " for " OLIV/E," on the reverse. The largest of the two is by a different engraver from the smaller one. It must have been made some time 172 Snraiamntit (Cmmmtlltoii. previous to the year 1691, as it is illustrated in the Abb^ Eaguenet's Histoire d' Olivier Gromwel, 12mo, [Amsterdam] 1691, page 297. Specimens of Imitation No. II. occur both in gold and silver, but the gold ones are very rare. Mr. J. Kermack Ford, of Southsea, has one iu pewter. It is engraved in — F. Eaguenet's Histoire d' Olivier Cromwel, 1691, p. 297; Gregorio Leti's Vita di Oliviero Cromvele, 1692, vol. ii. p. 522; G. Leti's Vie d 'Olivier Cromwel, 1694, vol. ii., p. 482; G. Van Loon's Beschryving der Nederlandsche Historipenningen, 1723, vol. ii., p. 435, no. 1 ; Van Loon's Histoire Metallique des Pays-Bas, 1732, vol. ii., p. 420, no. 1. This second Dutch Imitation is also engraved in J. Evelyn's Discourse of Medals, folio, London 1697, on page 119, but the engraver has erroneously put " DEFITIET " instead of " DEFLTIENT." Evelyn himself is also under some mistake in thinking that this medal was struck in England by the direction of the Protector Eichard Cromwell ; for the piece is undoubtedly a later Dutch imitation. Evelyn's remarks are as follows — " For so confident was this Bold Man [Oliver] of establishing himself and posterity (having now killed and taken possession), that his presumptuous son stampt another medal, representing his father in arms and titles as above." In G. Leti's Vie d' Olivier Cromwel, Amsterdam, 1694, vol. ii., p. 482, the author makes the following ridiculous statement concerning this medal — " Milord d'Anglesei [Lord Anglesey] m' a dit qu'un de ses amis avoit vu cette me'daiUe en argent huit jours avant la mort de Cromwel." CHAPTEE V. MISCELLANEOUS MEDALS. In the present chapter we shall describe some miscellaneous medals and tokens, all bearing portraits of Oliver Cromwell, but all made since his time, except one contemporary medal relating to the battle of Dunbar, which was accidentally omitted in its proper place. Dunbar Medal ISTo. IV. This piece ought more properly to have been described on page 9 of this work, immediately after the description of the other Dunbar Medals. It was, however, then overlooked, from the circumstance that, on the only spe- cimen now known, the word " DVNBAE " can scarcely be perceived at all. This specimen, the only one we have seen, is in the cabinet of the British Museum, but is a mere trial proof in lead. It was originally about 1 -1 inches square, but is now much broken and corroded. The design upon it is oval in shape, size 1 inch by - 9 inch, and represents a three-quarter-face bust of Oliver Cromwell to the right, bare-headed, and in armour. Above is the legend— HITHEETO HATH THE LOED HELPED VS.* The word DVNBAB was once to be read behind the head, but it is now nearly all gone by decay. There is no design on the reverse. The style of the bust very much resembles that on the Lord General Medal (plate i. no. 4), except that there is no mantle over the armour. This medal was probably made soon after the other Dunbar Medals, and before the Lord General Medal, and it seems the work of Thomas Simon, although George Vertue thought that it was not (Works of Thomas Simon, London, 1753, page 14). * This was the saying of Samuel when he set up the stone Eben-ezer, in memory of the victory over the Philistines near Mizpeh (I Samuel, chap. vii. verse 12.} 174 Hit mi if ma tit (CriimtttHliiitiit. The reason why only a leaden proof now exists, is perhaps because the steel die broke in the hardening process, and Simon did not care to engrave a new die all over again. This proof impression, taken in soft lead, before the die was hardened, is therefore the only example known to collectors. It was obtained by the British Museum from the collection of the late Mr. Edward Hawkins, who bought it at the sale of the Duke of Devonshire's cabinet. This medal is engraved in — G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xii. D ; and in The Medallic History of England, 1790, plate xxii. no. 8, apparently copied from Vertue's plate. Both illustrations omit the word "DVNBAE" behind the head. Imitation Inauguration Medal. There is a well executed medal bearing Oliver's bust, although not struck in his time, which must now be described. George Vertue, in his Works of T. Simon, 1753, p. 14, gives the following account of its history. He says that so much profit was made by the sale in England of the oval impressions of the Lord General Medal (which were struck off from the old broken die about the year 1723, see above, pp. 10, 11), that another medal was imitated after it, with the bust exactly copied from the Lord General Medal, and the letters " T. S." placed beneath, in order to make it pass for an original medal by Simon. To supply a reverse to it, however, as the real Lord General Medal is without one, the imitator copied the reverse of Simon's Inauguration Medal (plate i. no. 6). Vertue thinks that this forgery was made at Geneva, and it seems very probable that it was engraved there, about the year 1725, by the celebrated medallist of that city, Jean Dassier ; whose best known works are a series of medals representing the English sovereigns, published in 1731. The imitation medal now under consideration is struck from steel dies, and is of good execution, not unlike Dassier's work. It bears— Obverse, three-quarter-face bust of Oliver Cromwell to the right, in armour, and draped ; exactly copied from the Lord General Medal (plate i. no. 4), but with the addition of the forged initials " T S.," for Thomas Simon, beneath the bust. The legend is different, reading— OLIV • D • G • E • P • ANG • SCO • ET • HIB • PEO. Eeverse, a lion sejant supporting the Protector's shield of arms, with his motto above— PAX • QV^EEITVE • BELLO • : all WAitillnitM %i\z\%. 175 exactly copied from the reverse of the Inauguration Medal, (plate i. no. 6). A circular medal, size 1 - 3 inches in diameter. See plate v. no. 6. Silver specimens of this imitation are now rare, and sell for good prices. Copper ones are commoner, and not worth much. The ohverse only of this medal is engraved in G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 1753, plate xii. C ; and in The Medallic History of England, 1790, plate xxii. no. 5. Dassier's Medal. About the year 1731, Jean Dassier, a native and inhabitant of Geneva, published a well executed series of medals of the sovereigns of England from William the Conqueror to George II., dedicated to the latter monarch. Dassier had previously distinguished himself by his medals of the Protestant Eeformers, etc. ; and it is said that he engraved this series of English kings with a view to obtaining a situation in the Eoyal Mint, London. Dassier is stated to have come to England about 1740, with the same aim, but he was not successful in his desire to obtain employment here, and he soon returned to Switzerland. He died in 1763, at the age of 87 years* Dassier's set of the monarchs of England contained thirty-three medals, which were published by subscription at the price of six guineas. A medal of Queen Caroline, the consort of George II., makes one of the number, and it is thought that Cromwell was at first left out, although it was subsequently found necessary to issue a fine medal with his portrait, " to perfect sets." f The series therefore consists of thirty-four medals, including Cromwell's and Queen Caroline's. Although many of the portraits of the earlier kings are not to be depended upon, the series is still sought after by collectors. The medal of Cromwell may sometimes be purchased separately, either in silver or in copper. It bears Obverse, bust of Oliver Cromwell in profile to the left, laureate, and in armour, with drapery over the armour, in the Eoman style. Legend — OLIVAEIUS CEOMWELL. The artist's name is in small letters below the bust— I • DASSIEE • F ■ (Jean Dassier fecit). Eeverse, a large square mausoleum or tomb, which bears an oval shield * P. 257 of H. Bolzenthal's Shizzen zur Kunstgeschichte der modernen Medaillen-Arbeii, Berlin, 1840. + Notes and Queries, 4th series, vol. ii. p. 163« 176 Jf it mi s mu t it Grnramilliann. with Cromwell's arms in six quarters, surmounted by a helmet. Below, on a tablet, is the inscription— ANGLIC • SCO ■ ET • HIB • PROTECTOR. Around the tomb, on the pediment, are standing and sitting four winged cherubs, or genii. One points to the inscription, another holds a mirror and reclines on a skull, a third bears a laurel wreath aud fasces, and the fourth has the lion's skin and club of Hercules, and holds in his hand the three golden apples of the Hesperides, symbolising the three kingdoms over which Cromwell ruled. In the exergue is the legend — NAT • 3 • APBIL ■ 1603, MOET • 3 • SEPT • 1658. A circular- medal, size 1 -5 inches in diameter. It is a little smaller than the other medals of the series. The portrait of Cromwell is not very successful, for, although well engraved, it differs a good deal in expression from the busts on his medals by Simon. On the reverse is a great blunder, in the date given as that of Oliver's birth. He was not born on the 3rd April, 1603, but on the 25th April, 1599* This medal is engraved in — An Explanation of Dassier's Medals of the Sovereigns of England, folio, London, 1797, plate v., no. 2 ; also in The Medallic History of England, 1790, plate xxxiv. no. 6. Octagonal Medal. In the British Museum is a roughly executed medal of copper gilt, octagonal in shape, and with a ring for suspension. It is cast, not struck, and appears to have been made after Cromwell's time, perhaps in the last century. The design is on one side only, and exhibits a profile bust of Oliver Cromwell to the left, laureate, and with drapery round the neck. There is no legend. The device is surrounded by an octagonal border of straight lines. Size, without the loop, - 95 inch by - 8 inch. We have not heard of any other specimen than that in the British Museum. Kirk's Medal. A small medal of Cromwell was also made by James Kirk, a well- known medallist of medium ability, who executed a good many miscel- laneous pieces about the middle of the last century. It bears * See T. Carlyle's Letters and Speeches of 0. Cromwell, people's edition, 1871, vol. i. p. 17 ; and the Rev. M. Noble's Memoirs of the Protectoral House of Cromwell, 3rd edit., 1787, vol. i. pp. 91 and 351. 3KimlUimittH Mil&ls. 177 Obverse, bust of Oliver Cromwell in profile to the left, laureate, and in armour. The words KIRK FEC (it) in small letters at the sides. No other legend. Eeverse, the following inscription in three lines — OLIVAR CROMWELL 1658. A circular medal, 1 inch in diameter. This is one of a series of twelve small medals which were distributed monthly, during one year (1773-4), to the purchasers of the Sentimental Magazine (London, published by G. Kearsley, 8vo.) The Cromwell medalet was presented with the magazine for October 1773, price sixpence for the two. In the Author's collection are two varieties, one struck in Copper, and the other of copper plated with silver. They are common, and worth very little. The portrait is a fair one, more like Cromwell than that on Dassier's medal. Smith's Medal. There is another modern medal bearing Cromwell's bust. It was struck in Paris in 1846, and forms one of a series of medals of celebrated men of all nations, published by Durand. The artist's name is given on the medal as Smith. Obverse, large bust of Oliver Cromwell, in profile to the left, in armour, and with a large falling collar. He also wears a broad-brimmed, steeple- crowned hat, with feathers in it. The name of the engraver smith f (ecii), below the shoulder. At the sides— OLIVER CROMWELL. Reverse, the following legend in ten lines— NATUS HUNTINGDON AN. M. D. XC. IX. OBIIT LONDINI AN. M. DC. L. VIII. —series numismatica UNIVERSALIS VIRORUM ILLUSTRIUM. — M. D. CCC. XLVI. — DURAND EDIDIT. (Born at Huntingdon in the year 1599, died at London in the year 1658.- — Universal Numismatic Series of Celebrated Men, 1846, published by Durand). A circular medal of copper, size 1 "7. inches in diameter. Although it is a well-executed and a struck medal, the portrait on the obverse is by no means a good likeness. Copper Token. A copper half-penny token, bearing a bad attempt at a portrait of Crpnlwell was issued by one of the Welsh Copper Mining Companies, about the end of the eighteenth century. It is thin, and circular, size 1 '05 inches 178 Jfttmistitfltii -(Cinratnilliaini. in diameter, badly struck and executed, and bears — Obverse, a very rude bust of Oliver Cromwell, in profile to the right, draped, and helmeted. Legend — OLIVEE CBOMWELL. Eeverse, a large harp, crowned. Legend— SOUTH WALES. Leaden Token. There also exists another very rude token, but made of lead. It is uncertain when it was made, as the date " 1658 " upon it is merely copied from the coins of Oliver. We should, however, think that the period was about the commencement of the present century. From the inscription on the reverse it appears to have been intended for a ticket of admission to some place called " Cromwell Garden," where the charge was six-pence. In the designs and legends this piece is a rough imitation of Oliver's shilling of 1658 (see plate hi. no. 8). It is rather thick, and is circular, size 1 '2 inches in diameter. Obverse, bust of Oliver Cromwell in profile to the left, laureate, and draped (badly copied from the shilling). Legend — OLIVAE D G E P ANG SCO HIB &= PEO. Eeverse, crowned shield of arms as on the shilling. Legend— PAX QV^EEITVE BELLO N° [blank]. Over the crown is the date " 1658," and below the shield is the price " 6 d ." At the sides of the shield are the words " CEOM L GABDEN." CHAPTEE VI. THE SEALS OF OLIVER BEFORE HE WAS PROTECTOR. Private Seal No. I. — The earliest original letter of Oliver Cromwell now extant is sealed with a very small seal, in red wax, bearing his crest only. The seal is oval, size - 5 by "4 inches, and bears the Cromwell crest — out of a wreath, a demi-lion rampant, single-tailed, argent, holding in his dexter gamb a gem-ring or. A crescent (the difference of a second son or the second son's house) is placed over the lion's breast. The whole device is surrounded by a beaded line. See illustration, Plate VI. No. 1. This seal, rather damaged, is on an original letter from Oliver Cromwell to Mr. Storie, dated the 11th January 1635 (-6), which is preserved in the album of Philibert Vernati and George Willingham, British Museum, Additional Shane MSS. No. 2035, fo. 125. It is curious that, as far as we know, this is the only impression of the Private Seal No. I. now in existence. The Bev.' Mark Noble, on page 11, vol. i., of his Memoirs of the Protectoral House of Cromwell (third edition, 1787), relates an anecdote about the crest of the Cromwells, to the effect that the more ancient way of bearing it was with a javelin or spear in the demi-lion's gamb, but that, in 1540, King Henry VIII. was so pleased with Sir Eichard Cromwell's skill in a tournament that he presented a diamond ring to him, bidding him ever afterwards bear such a one in the fore-gamb of the demi-lion in his crest. This Sir Eichard Cromwell was great-grandfather of the Protector Oliver. The latter, on his seals, appears to have used in his crest sometimes a javelin, sometimes a ring, and sometimes a fleur-de-lis; see the illustrations on plate vi. Private Seal No. II. — This seal is oval, size, to the beaded edging, -7 by 180 Mumtmata Gtnmitllioa. •65 inches. The device is — a square-shaped shield of arms bearing six quarterings ; above it, an esquire's helmet, with mantling, and on the helmet is the crest— out of a wreath, a demi-lion rampant, single-tailed (argent), holding a fleur-de-lis in his dexter gamb. The quarterings on the shield have not the colours expressed, but are — 1st, sable, a lion rampant argent, for Cromwell ; 2nd, sable, three spear-heads argent, for Caradoc Vreichfras ; 3rd, sable, a chevron between three fleurs-de-lis argent, for Collwyn ap Tangno, Lord of Efionydd ; 4th, gules, three chevrons argent, for Jestyn ap Gwrgant, Prince of Glamorgan ; 5th, argent, a lion rampant sable, for Madoc ap Meredith, the last Prince of Powys ; 6th, or, on a chevron sable a mullet argent, for Murfyn. Over the centre of the shield is a crescent, as difference ; and the whole device of the seal is surrounded by a beaded or corded line. See Plate VI. No. 2. We are unable to explain why the demi-lion of the crest holds a fieur- de-lis in his paw, on this seal and on Private Seals Nos. III. and IV. All heraldic works give the Cromwell crest with either a javelin or a ring in the lion's paw. This variety of Oliver's private seal, No. II., is perhaps the most in- teresting as being the one used by him when signing the Death "Warrant of King Charles I. An impression of it, in red sealing-wax, not quite perfect, is there placed at the end of Oliver's signature. The published facsimiles of the Death Warrant give quite an incorrect representation of this seal, but we have been enabled to examine the original warrant, now in the Library of the House of Lords, through the obliging courtesy of W. J. Thorns, Esq., P. S. A., Deputy Librarian. It is a curious circumstance that another impression of this seal is placed after Major-General Harrison's signature on the same Warrant : perhaps he was without a seal at the moment, and Cromwell, standing by, lent him his. Impressions of Private Seal No. II. may be seen upon the following original letters of Oliver Cromwell, all in the British Museum Letter of 4th May 1645, to Sir Peter Wentworth ; Egerton MSS. No. 2042. Letter of 15th October 1645, to Sir Thomas Fairfax ; Additional Shane MSS. No. 1519, Jf. 125, 126. Letter of 31st July 1646, to the same ; same MS. f. 142. Letter of 10th August 1646, to the same ; same MS. ff. 129, 130. €jir iuls nf dDlinn trommel I. 181 Letter of 11th March, 1646-7, to the same ; same MS. ff. 127, 128 (in black wax). Letter of 28th June, 1648, to the same; same MS.ff. 177, 178. Letter of 11th September, 1648, to the same ; Lansdowne MSS. Nor 1236,/. 89, 90. Private Seal No. III. — This seal is also oval, and is of the same width but a little higher than No. II., measuring - 75 by '65 inches, to the beaded edging. The design is exactly similar to that of No. II., but slightly en- larged. See Plate VI., Nos. 3, 4. Impressions of seal No. III. may be seen upon the following original letters of Oliver Cromwell, all in the British Museum — Letter of 26th August, 1646, to John Eushworth ; Additional Sloane MSS., No. 1519,/. 143, 144. Letter of 6th October, 1646, to Sir Thomas Fairfax ; same MS., ff 145, 146. Letter of 19th March, 1646-7, to the same ; same MS., ff. 149, 150. [Plate VI., No. 4]. Letter of 20th November, 1648, to Messrs. Jenner and Ashe; same MS.,ff. 183, 184. A good impression of this seal, in red sealing-wax, is on an original order to Colonel Thomas Barwis, signed by Oliver Cromwell, and dated the 24th October, 1648 : now in the possession of Henry William Field, Esq. Private Seal No. IV. — This seal is oval, size '65 by "55 inches, to the beaded edging. It bears a shield with six quarterings, surmounted by an esquire's helmet, with mantling. Above the helmet is the crest— out of a wreath, a single-tailed demi-lion rampant, holding a fleur-de-lis. In the centre of the shield is a crescent, for difference. Several of the quarterings seem to have been wrongly engraved, and all have been reversed, those that should be on the dexter side of the shield are placed on the sinister side, and vice versa, thus — 1st (should be 3rd), a bar between three fleurs- de-lis. The bar ought to be a chevron, see the description of seal No. II., 2nd, three spear-heads. 3rd (should be first), a lion rampant. 4th (should be 6th), a chevron between three mullets, but should be — on a chevron a mullet. 5th, a lion rampant. 6th (should be 4th), three bars, but should 182 jSttraiarantit C'tnttunBlltEini. be three chevrons. The whole device is surrounded by a beaded border line. See Plate VI., No. 5. The following is a list of the original documents bearing impressions of this seal — Commission of Oliver Cromwell, dated 12th December, 1643, to Francis Underwood, Esq., to be a Captain of Foot; mentioned by Eev. Mark Noble on page 411, note, vol. ii., of the third edition of Memoirs of the Protectoral House of Cromwell. Letter of 13th August, 1649, from Oliver Cromwell to his daughter- in-law Dorothy Cromwell; among the family papers of the Cromw.ell- Eussells now in the possession of Frederick Prescott, Esq., of Oxford Square, London. This impression of the seal is in golden-brown sealing-wax. Letter of 22nd August, 1649, to the Speaker Lenthall ; Tanner MSB., No. 56, f. 93, in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Letter of 26th July, 1651, to the President of the Council of State ; Tanner MSS., No. 54,/. 120. Letter of 4th August, 1651, to the Speaker Lenthall ; same MS.,f. 130. Letter, undated, but probably 1652, to Lieutenant-General Fleetwood ; Additional MSS., No. 4165, ff. 1, 2, in the British Museum. Private Seal No. V. — This appears to be the latest of Oliver's private seals. It is oval, size *9 by '75 inches to the edging. A square-shaped shield bears the arms in six quarterings, but there is no crescent in the centre. Above the shield is the crest on an esquire's helmet, with mantling on each side. The crest is different from that on the previously-described seals, being — out of a wreath, a demi-lion rampant {argent), double-tailed, and holding a javelin or spear (or) between his paws. The first five quarter- ings of the arms are the same as those on seal No. II., but the sixth bears a lion rampant, probably meant for the first one repeated, i.e., sable, a lion rampant argent, for Cromwell. The whole design is surrounded by a border of a cable pattern. See Plate VI., No. 6. Impressions of this seal are on the following original documents of Oliver Cromwell's — Letter of 23rd August, 1648, to the Committee of Derby House; Tanner MSS., No. 57, / 230, in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Letter of 8th October, 1648, to Speaker Lenthall ; same MS.,f. 346. €I;b IekIs nf dMtnn €:nmmtll. 183 Letter of 28th October, 1648, to the same ; same MS.J. 393. Document of 3rd February, 1649-50, signed by Oliver as Lieutenant of Ireland ; in the possession of Miss Ffarington, of Worden. Letter of 25th December, 1650, to Colonel Hacker; Lansdowne MSS., No. 1236,/. 105, 106, in the British Museum. Letter of 13th June, 1651, to Speaker Lenthall; Tanner MSS., No. 54, /. 85. Letter of 4th September, 1651, to the same ; Tanner MSS., No. 55, f. 29. Letter of 8th September, 1651, Evesham, to the same ; same MS.,f. 46. Letter of 8th September, 1651, Chipping Norton, to the same; same MS.J. 54. Letter of 29th November, 1653, to the Lord Mayor; now in the Library of the City of London, Guildhall. Petition of Eandall Poole to the Protector, marked as received the 31st March, 1654; among the Interregnum Petitions, vol. x., p. 661, in the Public Eecord Office, London. Letter of 22nd September, 1654, to Speaker Lenthall ; Tanner MSS., No. 52, /. 130. Letter of 5th October 1654, to the same ; same MS.,f. 135. The last two examples are impressed over paper. Private Seal No. VI. — A small oval seal, size - 55 by "45 inches; bearing a pointed shield with the arms — a chevron between three trefoils. No colours expressed. A beaded edging surrounds the device. See Plate VI., No. 7. The only known impression of this seal is on an original letter of Oliver Cromwell to Colonel Birch, dated the 30th September, 1651. This and a previously-mentioned document of Cromwell's belong to Miss Ffar- ington, of Worden, who has obligingly communicated copies of the seals. "Whether the arms on this No. VI. are those of one of Cromwell's ancestors, or whether the original seal was his at all, we are unable to say.. It is possible that Oliver may not have ha 1 his own seal at hand when writing the letter above-mentioned, and that he borrowed some other person's seal to fasten it with. It has, however, been suggested to us that these arms are a blundered representation of those of Collwyn ap 184 JfuHiismaia (Crnimtllhiin. Tangno (compare the third quartering of seal No. II, above) ; but the three trefoils on the small seal ought certainly to be fleurs-de-lis, and there appears no reason why Cromwell should have used a seal bearing Collwyn's arms alone. Private Seal No. VII. — A small seal, bearing a lion rampant only, in an octagonal beaded border. Size -6 by -5 inches. See plate VI., No. 8. This seal is said to have been Oliver Cromwell's, but we have never seen any document of his bearing an impression of it. Dr. Kendrick, of Warrington, has kindly contributed an impression, taken from a gold sisfnet-rins, said to have been Cromwell's, and which was once in the possession of J. Bertrand Payne, Esq., but is now, unfortunately, lost. Official Signet. — A large circular seal, size 1*3 inches in diameter, to the outside of the ornamented border. It bears a large, plain, and nearly square shield of arms. Above it, is the crest on an esquire's helmet, with mantling at the sides. The whole design is surrounded by a circular orna- mented border. The crest is — out of a wreath, a demi-lion rampant, double-tailed, and holding a spear erect. There are six quarterings on the shield, similar to those on Private Seal No. V., viz. : — 1st, sable, a lion rampant argent, for Cromwell; 2nd, sable, three spear-heads argent, for Caradoc Vreichfras ; 3rd, sable, a chevron between three fleurs-de-lis argent, for Collwyn ap Tangno, Lord of Efionydd ; 4th, gules, three chevrons argent, for Jestyn ap Gwrgant, Prince of Glamorgan ; 5th, argent, a lion rampant sable, for Madoc ap Meredith, the last Prince of Powys ; 6th, the same as the 1st, for Cromwell. No colours are expressed on the seal. See Plate VI., No. 9. This signet is well engraved, but (like all the private seals described above) it is clearly not the work of Simon. From its size, which is too large for private letters, it evidently was an official seal, and we accord- ingly find it impressed on military passes, protections, commissions, and other official documents signed by Oliver Cromwell. There are a good many documents still in existence bearing impres- sions (over paper wafers) of this signet. The following is a list of those known to us, but many others are probably extant. Cjjt IehIs nf (Dlinir (Crnmmtll. 185 Protection, dated 21st October, 1650, granted by Cromwell, when Lord General and Commander-in-Chief, to the Countess of Lothian. The original is in the library of the' Marquis of Lothian, at Eewbattle Abbey, Dalkeith. (Information obligingly communicated by A. Orrock, jun., Esq., by the courtesy of the Marquis.) Commission, dated 17th November, 1651, to John Wells, to be Ensign. —Additional MSS., No. 5015* /. 25, in the British Museum. Summons, dated 6th June, 1653, to " Praise-God Barebone Esquire " to serve as a member for the city of London in the Little Parliament of 1653. — Interregnum State Papers, No. 813a, in the Public Eecord Office, London. A similar Summons, dated 6th June, 1653, to Jervase Piggott, Esq., to serve as a member for the county of Nottingham, in the same Parliament. Lansdowne MSS., No. 1236, /. 107, in the British Museum. Commission, dated 17th December, 1653, issued by Oliver as Pro- tector, appointing Colonel Eobert Blake, Colonel George Monk, Major- General John Desbrow, and Captain William Penn, Admirals and Generals of the Fleet. — Library of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Presentation, dated 13th October, 1654, of Eobert Everden to the vicarage of Brighthelmston, by the Protector. — Additional MSS., No. 19399, /. 81, in the British Museum. Pass, dated 8th March, 1654-5, for Mr. James Thompson to go to Elanders. — Interregnum State Papers, No. 815a, /. 74, in the Public Eecord Office, London. Summons, dated 24th July, 1655, to Sir William Farmer and others to appear before the Protector's Council of State. — Interregnum State Papers, No. 815a,/. 349, Public Eecord Office. Presentation, dated 6th October, 1656, of Eichard Stephens to the rectory of Stanton Barnard, Wiltshire, by the Protector. — Information kindly communicated by the Eev. Walter Sneyd, of Keele Hall, Stafford- shire,, who possesses the original document. Presentation, dated 15th August, 1657, of Thomas Davies to the rectory of Llantrysant, in the county of Anglesey, by the Protector. — Infor- mation kindly communicated by John Hopkin, Esq., of Great Grimsby, who possesses the original document. Warrant, dated 10th June, 1658, to the Supervisor of Ely House and 186 SumisniEta CrnmmilliitEit. the Savoy. — Interregnum Petitions, etc., vol. ii, B., p. €05, in the Public Record Office. The Gbeat Seal foe England. This seal has already been described on page 19 of the present work, but we shall here add some facts regarding its history which were there omitted. See Plate VIII., which is slightly reduced in size from the original seal (diameter 5'75 inches). Although not a very good impres- sion, the cast from which it was photographed, was the most perfect one obtainable anywhere, in a genuine state. About a year after his accession to the Protectorate, Oliver ordered that a new Great Seal should be made for him by Thomas Simon, the Engraver of the Mint and Seals ; as appears by the following entries in the books of the Council of State- Thursday, 15th February, 1654-5. — " Or dl by his Highness ye Lo. Protector, by and w h2 the advise and consent of the Counsel! (1) That the Motto incompassing that side of the great seale of England which beareth the pourtraiture of his Highness be Olivarius Dei gratia Reip : Anglice Scotice et Hiberniae fyc. Protector. (2) That the Motto incompassing the other side of the Great Seale shalbe Magnum Sigillum Reipub : Anglice Scotice et Hibernice, fyc. (3) That the Crest and Lyon supporter shalbe crowned according to the draught in pchm t3 now showed. (4) That the sizes of the great seale shalbe according to the draught now showne singly in papr* (6) That M? Thomas Symon doe forthwith goe about the ingraveing of the sev'rall seales aforemenconed, according to the Rules foregoeihg and those mentioned in sev'rall ord rs5 of 25 August, 1654."*— Pages 37, 38, Draft Order Book, No. 82, in the Public Record Office, London. These orders were approved by the Protector on Tuesday the 6th March, 1654-5. All the orders concerning seals had been previously read' 1 Ordered. * with. • parchment. 4 paper. 5 orders. * No orders of this date relating to seals can now be found. f jit lifllH nf (Dlintr C-inmiiiBll. 187 to the Protector on Friday the 23rd February, but his Highness then took time to consider them. (Pages 51 and 70, Draft Order Book, No. 82). ' On Friday, the 16th March, in the same year, a Warrant for making the Great Seal, the Privy Seal, and the Seal Manual, was issued to Thomas Simon, in this form — " In pursuance of Sev'rall orders of his Highness the Lord Protecto r by and w* the advise and consent of his Counsell, bearing date the 25 th of Augt 1654, the 15* Febr. 1654, and ye 20* Febr. 1654, copies of w* are hereunto annexed, Theis are to will and require you forthw* to proceed to. the ingraveing of a Great Seale, a privy Seale, and Seale Manuall, ac- cording to y e Eules p'scribed 1 in the sayd ord rs and y e draughts to" w ch they referr. Hereof you are not to faile, and this togeather w* his High- ness sayd ord rs shalbe yo r sufficient Warrant in that behalfe. Given at Whitehall this 16* day of March 1654. " Signed in the Name and by ord r of the Counsell Hen. Lawrence, P rd . 2 " To Mr Thomas Symon, Sole Cheife Grav r of the Minte and Seales." From the Council of State's Draft Order Book, No. 82, page 88 ; and, according to a note in the margin, this warrant with the three orders and his drawings were delivered to Simon on the same day. The preparation of the Great Seal was therefore at once proceeded with, and in May it seems to have been nearly finished, judging from the following petition of Simon's, which was read before the Council on Friday, the 25th May, 1655— "To the Pdght Hon ble the Councell, the humble Petition of Thomas Simon, Cheife Graver of the Minte & Seales, Sheweth That whereas your Petitioner hath binn by Order a long time im- ployed in Moddeling the Greate Seale, & hath monyes due to him for makeing the Privie Seale, Signet, & other things for the State, & hath taken up 160 1 valew of'gold & silver for the Greate Seales of England & Ierland, 1 prescribed. ! President. iss i? n mi stun in CrnmmtUinna. which are in a good forwardness, which gold & silver hee tooke of a Gold- smith that has urgent- ocation for his mony. your Petitioner beeing at least 300 1 out of purse already in the worke, humbly prayes that your Hon 15 would bee pleased to graunt a warrant for your Petitioner to bee payed SO'.'l forthwith, by way of imprest, to bee deducted when the worke is finished, and your Pet r shall pray, '■* Simon here states that he has used £160 worth of gold and silver in making the Great Seals of England and Ireland It therefore seems probable that the English Great Seal was made of gold, and the Irish one of silver : unless both seals were partially composed of each metal, Simon s total charge for the English Great Seal was £2' X 1 , and for the Irish one £150. ( See his Account for work done from 1650 to 1657, printed at the end of this chapter). The advance of £200, asked for by Simon in this petition, was granted to him by the Council's order of Friday, the 25th May, 1655,+ and a "Warrant of that date was issued by them to Mr. Gualter Frost, Treasurer of the Council's Contingencies, for paying to Thomas Simon the sum of £200 " towards ye Charge of ye Great Seales of England and Ireland, &c, to be deducted out of ye whole when y* 5 worke is fynished^:" From the records quoted above, it undoubtedly appears that the English Great Seal of Oliver was not made until the summer of 1655. A curious statement in a letter from Mr. Pell to Secretary Thurloe, dated the 22nd July, 1654, is therefore somewhat inexplicable. Pell savs that — " the weekly sheet of news printed at Genoa, July 1, [1654], by Farroni, tells us that the Lord Protector hath changed the Great Seal of England ; setting upon the new one his own effigies on horseback, with this inscrip- tion — Olirero, U Grand Imperatore d ' Inghilterra, di Scotia, Hibernia e * Interregnum Petitions, rf<:. , voL xiL, p. 407 ; Pnblic Record Office. + Page 101, Draft Order Book, Xo. S3. Order approved on the 1st June, 1655. * Page 155, Council's Money Warrant Book, Xo. 126. $jji itali nf (Dlintr CrnraniEll. 189 Francia, e Protettore de protestanti, e delle chiese riformate. (Oliver, the great Emperor of England, of Scotland, Ireland, and France, and Protector of the Protestants, and of the Keformed Churches.*)" On referring to page 19, above, the reader will see how incorrect this description from the Italian newspaper is. When Oliver Cromwell was made Protector on the 16th December, 1653, the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal of England were Bul- strode "Whitelocke, Eichard Keble (Serjeant-at-law), and John Lisle. On the 4th April, 1654, Sir Thomas Widdrington was appointed in place of Keble, deceased, and the Protector's Letters Patent were issued on the 3d August, 1654, for Bulstrode Whitelocke, Sir Thomas Widdrington, and John Lisle to be the three Commissioners (Patent enrolled on page 4, Patent Boole, No. 12, in the Public Eecord Office). In June, 1655, the seal was taken from them by Oliver, and delivered to Nathaniel Fiennes and John Lisle, who were made the Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal of England, and so continued until Oliver's death. Although made, or ordered to be made, in the spring of 1655, Oliver's new Great Seal, bearing a portrait of him on horseback, does not appear to have been actually used for sealing documents until a long time afterwards. The Great Seal previously in use, also made by Simon, was that of the Commonwealth, dated 1651, which may be thus described — Obverse, maps of England and Ireland, with all the names of the counties, chief towns, etc. In the upper part of the field is an oval ornamented shield bearing St. George's cross, and in the lower part a similar shield bearing the Irish harp. Legend— THE • GEEAT • SEALE • OF • ENGLAND • 1651. Reverse, view of the interior of the House of Commons, with all the members, and the Speaker, sitting. Legend — IN • THE - THIED • YEAEE • OF • FEEEDOME • BY • GODS ■ BLESSING • EESTOEED • 1651. Size : 5 £ inches in diameter. See G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, plates vi. and vii. The late Mr. W. Durrant Cooper, in a paper on the Commonwealth's Great Seals {Archaeologia, voL xxxviii., part i.), states that the old seal of 1651 was continued in use for more than a year and a half after Cromwell * The Eev. Dr. R. Vaughan'a "Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell," London 1839, vol. i., p. 33. 190 J! it mi smut ii Crnmnullianii. had ordered his new Great Seal in February, 1654-5. To prove this, he instances an impression of the seal of 1651 appended to a document dated the 25th February, 1655-6, in the collection of the Society of Anti- quaries ; and a second impression of the same seal belonging to a patent of the 8th September, 1656, in the British Museum, Shane MSS., No. 3243. In the sale of the late Mr. W. T. B. Ashley's collection of Autographs, at Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson's, March, 1876, there was a document of the Protector Oliver, dated the 12th February, 1657-8, which also had affixed to it the Commonwealth Great Seal of 1651. Also, through the obliging permission of the Secretary of State for India, the Author has been shown an impression of the Great Seal of 1651, which is attached to a Warrant of Oliver's, dated at Westminster, the 16th August, 1655, and addressed to the Commissioners of the Treasury, directing the repayment of £50,000 (money previously borrowed), to the " Governor and Company of Merchants trading to East India." This document and seal are now preserved in the India Office, Westminster. Beturning now to the Great Seal of Oliver, described on page 19 of this work, we have to state that there are, in the British Museum, two incomplete impressions of this seal. One of them is merely a small dab of yellow wax, about two inches in diameter, impressed on both sides from the centre of Oliver's Great Seal, and affixed to a document dated the 23rd October, 1657 (Cotton Charter, No. xvii., 35). It seems to have been some- times the practice, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, to impress a small piece of wax with only the central portion of the Great Seal, pro- bably in order to effect a saving of wax. Another impression of Oliver's Great Seal, in yellow wax, and nearly perfect, is in the British Museum, a separate detached seal, Cotton Charter, No. xxxix., 30. The following extracts from the Mercurius Politicus newspaper, no. 433, 9th to 16th September, 1658, page 832, show that Oliver's Great Seal, as well as some of his other seals, were used after his death on documents of his son, the Protector Bichard — €lji IbuIs nf dM'tinr CtnmntHI. 191 September 11. — His Highness his Warrant this day passed the Great Seal of England, commanding and authorising the Lords Commissioners of the said Great Seal to make use of the old Great Seal used in the life time of his late Highness for sealing of Patents, Commissions, Writs, and other things, until a new Great Seal can be provided with such Sculpture, In- scriptions and Impressions, as his Highness shall think fit to direct. " September 14. — The like Warrant passed for his Highness Signet and Privy Seal." Accordingly, we find several documents existing, which were executed during Eichard's Protectorate, hut had impressions of Oliver's Great Seal attached to them. In the care of Fredk. Prescott, Esq., among other articles which have descended in the Cromwell family, is the original Patent from the Protector Eichard re-appointing Henry Cromwell Lord Deputy of Ireland. It is dated the 6th October, 1658, and to it is ap- pended a good impression, in yellow wax, of Oliver's English Great Seal. In the British Museum is another Patent of Eichard Cromwell's, dated the 4th March, 1658-9, with a complete impression, fairly preserved, of Oliver's Great Seal attached to it (Additional Charter, No. 14975). The English Great Seal of Oliver Cromwell is illustrated in the fol- lowing works — G. Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, quarto, London, 1753, plates xvii. and xviii. ; Harrison's edition of Rapin's History of England, folio, London, 1789, vol. hi., p. 803 (the reverse or arms side only, erroneously joined to the House of Commons side of the 1651 "Great Seal of the Commonwealth ; S. Thompson's series of British Museum Photographs of Seals, no. 974, plate xxiv., 1, 2. Besides the original wax impressions of this Great Seal, there exist several casts of it in metal. They were made of copper, lead, etc., probably after Cromwell's time, and are generally tooled up and slightly altered by hand chasing. They are of little interest or value. 192 J! it mis urn in CrninmBlUnnn. The Privy Seal foe England. On page 20 of this work we have already given a few particulars regarding Oliver's Privy Seal for England, but, in following Vertue's en- graving, we have fallen into two errors. The actual diameter of the seal is 2 - 3 inches, and the inscription around it is as follows — OLIVAEIVS • DEI: GEA: EEIPVB : ANGLLE • SCOTLE ■ ET • HIBEENLE &c PROTECTOE. The original matrix of this seal is now preserved in the Ashmolean Museum, at Oxford. Our illustration, plate i., no. 7, is taken from a sharp impression off this matrix, obligingly sent to the Author by J. P. Earwaker, Esq., Deputy Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum. The matrix is circular, 2 - 3 inches in diameter, '4 of an inch thick, and seven ounces in weight. It is made of silver. The edge is plain and square, the back flat, smooth, and plain, except from a small Maltese cross engraved in outline near the upper edge. This curious and valuable relic was presented to the Ashmolean Museum by Mrs. Calvert, of Bath, in 1824, and with it was the following memorandum — " The original Privy Seal of Oliver Cromwell came into the possession of the Preemans from Ann Webb, one of the daughters of John Webb, of Broomfield, Essex, Esquire, who married into the Piennes family. Teste Eich. Freeman, grandson." ISTathaniell Piennes was the Keeper or Commissioner of His Highness' Privy Seal (see Privy Seal Book, No. 13, in the Public Eecord Office). When Vertue engraved this seal in 1753, the matrix belonged to Thomas Freeman, of Chelmsford. — Works of Thomas Simon, London, 1753, page 65. On referring to the State Papers of the period, now preserved in the Public Eecord Office, we find that the preparation of a Privy Seal was ordered by the Protector Oliver on the same day as his Great Seal, viz. : — Thursday, 15th February, 1654-5. — "Ordered by his Highness y e Lo. Protector, by and w* the advise and consent of the CounselL That the privy seale [be] according to the largest draught of 3 in another pap r now showne." — Page 37, Draft Order Book, No, 82, of the Council of State. \i IeuIs nf (Olintr (CrnmiBlI. 197 S r Charles Wolsley, to consider of the fforme of a seale for the Counsel! of his Highness ye Lo. Protector."— Page 38, Draft Order Book, No. 82. Also, on Wednesday the 29th August, 1655, the English Council made the following order respecting a proposed seal for the Council in Scotland — Ordered, " That upon the Seale for the Counsell of Scotland there be ingraven the armes of Scotland, with his Highness Coat of Armes upon an Escutcheon of ptence. 1 " — Page 1, Draft Order Book, No. 85. According to a marginal note in the book, this order was sent to Thomas Simon on the 31st August. Consequently, on the 5th September, Simon offered to the Council, for their approval, four drawings of seals, three of which were to be for the three Councils of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the fourth for sealing letters of state to foreign princes. The subjoined order was made on this occasion — Wednesday, 5th September, 1655. — " Ffoure draughts of Seales being ppared 2 by M r Tho. Simon, his Highness Graver for the Mint and Seales, were this day psented 3 , viz', one Seale for Letters to Forreine Princes & States, one for the Counsell of Engl d , one for the Counsell of Scotl d , and one for the Counsell of Irel d . Ord. [ered] That the said M r Symon doe forthwith proceed to ppare the said fower 4 Seales according to the said Draughts, leaveing out of the s d5 three Seales for the Counsell of Engl d ) Scotland, and Ireland, this Motto, Pax quaritur bello." — Page 21, Draft Order Book, No. 85. It appears that, by the 26th of the next month, Simon had finished making the seals for the three Councils. Those for the Scottish and Irish Councils were approved of, but the seal for the English Council was rejected, and a new one ordered to be engraved with the legend " SIGIL- LVM CONSILII" only, without the addition of "ANGLIC." The fol- lowing is the entry in the English Council Book — Friday, 26th October, 1655. {ante meridiem). — "M r Thomas Symon, the graver of his Highness Mint and Seales, having according to former order prepared a Seale for the Counsell, as also Seales for the Counsell in Scot- land and Ireland, and the same being now psented 6 to his Highness and the Counsell,' Ordered That y e Seales for the Counsell for Scotland and 1 pretence. ' prepared. 8 presented. 4 four. 5 said. 8 presented. 198 Mnmnmzia <£rnmm? llinna. Ireland be approved of; [And] That another Seale for his Highness Coun- sel! be prepared w^out adding y e word (Anglia) in the motto thereof." — Page 108, Draft Order Book, No. 85. It appears that Simon charged £14 for the seal of the English Council (see his Account for work done from 1650 to 1657, printed at the end of this chapter). This seal was no doubt made of steel, and was circular, l - 8 inches in diameter. The design consisted of a large ornamented shield, surrounded by a laurel wreath, and bearing the Protector's usual arms, viz : Quarterly, 1st and 4th, St. George's cross; 2nd, St. Andrew's cross; 3rd, the Irish harp; with the Cromwells' lion rampant on an escutcheon of pretence. Outside of the shield and wreath is a circular band, shaded with fine lines or graining, bearing the legend — SIGILLVM ■ CONCLLLII. The seal has a wreathed border of leaves round the edge. See Plate VI., No. 11. The design is not in high relief, but it is very delicately engraved, and beautifully finished by Simon. It will also be seen to correspond with the orders of the Council, quoted above. A description of the seal previously used by the Council, from December, 1653, to November, 1655, will be found in our notes to Simon's Account, printed at the end of this chapter. The only impression we have seen of the seal for Oliver's Council of State in England, is on a document in the Public Eecord Office, Interregnum Letters and Papers, No. 816a,/o. 181 verso. It is a fairly preserved impres- sion, made over paper, on the back of a letter addressed to "Colonel William Boteler* at Oundle," dated Whitehall, the 22nd August, 1656, and " signed in the name and by order of His Highness and the Council " by Henry Lawrence, President. George Vertue, in his Works of Thomas Simon, London, 1753, has engraved this seal on plate xxv., but not quite accurately. He puts " CON- SILII " instead of " CONCILLII," in the inscription. He states, on page 42, that his illustration is taken from the seal affixed to an order sent to Guernsey by Oliver Cromwell. * Butler, Major-General for the counties of Northampton, Bedford, Rutland, and Hun- tingdon. IbkIb sf dHtnn flmramill. 207 was more willing to part with it, so it came into my hands Pef Robinson," The seal, accompanied by this manuscript letter, was sold for £29 . 8s., as lot 266 in the sale of Mr. Parker's library at Sotheby's, on the 29th April, 1815, but it was no doubt bought in, as Mr. Parker afterwards gave it to Mr. Walter Fawkes in 1819. This second seal has been engraved in Mr. T. L. Parker's Description of Browsholme Hall, privately printed, 1815 ; and on page 241 of the Eev. Dr. T. D. Whitaker's History of the Parish of Whalley, 3rd edition, 1818. The Seal for the County of Dueham. On Friday, the 5th September, 1656, it was ordered by the Council of State — " That M r Thomas Symon, the Grav r , of his Highness Mynt and Seales, doe forthw th prepare a Seale for the County Palatyne of Durham, haveing the Pourtraiture of his Highness the Lord Protector on one side, and the armes of y e County pal. of Durham on the other side." — Pages 371, 372, Council Entry Book No. 105. The bill for making this seal, amounting to £30, was presented to the Council on Tuesday, the 10th February, 1656-7, and the following order was thereupon made — " Whereas the Counsel! did form'rly appoynt that M r Thomas Symons, the Graver of his Highness Mint and Seales, should provide a Seale for the County Palatine of Durham, w ch , according to a pap 1 from M r Anthony Smith now offered, amounts unto xxx 1 . Ordered That xv 1 , a moyety thereof, be borne at y e States Charge, and answered out of the proffitts that shall accrew to y e State by the Court for the said County palatyne, and the p'son 2 that shall receive the sayd proffitts for the State is to allow ye same accordingly." — Page 699, Council Entry Booh, No. 105. Mr. Eobert Eeady, of the British Museum, has supplied us with casts of this seal, which entirely correspond with the description given in the Council's order of the 5th September, 1656. The seal has two sides, person. 208 Mumtmala €timmi\\iaua. circular, and 3 - 8 inches in diameter. Obverse, equestrian figure of Oliver Cromwell to the left, similar to that on the Great Seal. Behind Oliver, in the upper part of the field, is an ornamented shield bearing the Durham arms, a cross between four lions rampant. Below, between the horse's legs, is a distant view, probably of the city of Durham. There is no legend on this side, but an ornamental wreathed border of oak leaves surrounds the whole design. Reverse, a large shield, ornamented with scrolls, flowers, cherubs, etc., and bearing the arms of Durham— ^2we, a cross between four lions rampant, argent (but the colours not expressed.) Legend around— AD • BEEVIA ■ IN • EODEM • COM' • (itatu) SIGILLAND • (urn) DEPVTATVM ■ 1656 • (Appointed for the sealing of the writs in the same county). Outside all is a border of oak leaves. See Plate VII., No. 1. Sir Thomas Widdrington, Knt., was Chancellor of the County Pala- tine of Durham during the Protectorate. He was appointed by Oliver's warrant of the 3rd September, 1655. See Additional Ayscough MSS., No. 4184, in the British Museum. The Dover Seal. This seal is not mentioned in Simon's Account, nor in any other of the State Papers, as it was most probably made by Thomas Simon for the authorities at Dover, and paid for by them. Major-General Thomas Kelsey was Lieutenant of Dover Castle under Oliver, and Dr. Walter Walker was Judge of the Admiralty of the Cinque Ports. We have never met with an impression of this seal, but a representa- tion of it is engraved on plate xxv. of Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 4to, London, 1753. It is called by Vertue "the Cinque Port of Dover Seal," and may be thus described — One side only, circular, 3 - 2 inches in diameter. In the centre is an equestrian figure of the Protector Oliver, similar to that on his Great Seal. Between the horse's legs is a distant view of Dover Castle, etc. On a band around is the legend — OLIVAEIVS • DEI • GEA : EEIP • ANGLLE • SCOTLE ■ ET ■ HIBEBNLE &= PEOTECTOE. A wreathed border of leaves surrounds the whole. €lj2 &ta\t nf 253 . 00 . 00 Seale viij 1 [p], * " For Ireland, Great Seale cl 1 [q] ; 3 Seales for the \ Upp Bench, Corhon Pleas, Exchequo^ 501 eac h [r] ; and [ 308 . 00 . 00 Counsells Seale viij 1 [s] , " For Coynes, Stamps, Dyes &c. [t] . . . . 250 . 00 . 00 : "For Meddalls to Major Bedman xl 1 , Col. Sadler 50 1 , | „-„ n ~ nn Swedish Agent c 1 , Duke of Curlands Agent cxx 1 . . J "For Silver Boxes for the Treatyes w^ 1 Denmarke, \ r- n e ft o Swed', France, and Portugal! J "For Presses for Seales 78.00.00. " For Contingencyes, Viz 4 , makeing Originall draughts n l 1 , expence in attendance xxx 1 , and Iron, Steele, Smiths > 130 . 00 . 00 . worke &c. I 1 ) "Makeing in the Totall . . . 1728.05.08 Towards which he received, 25 May 1655, cc 1 ; 11*1 i?aa nn m Sept' 1655, cc 1 ; and 18 Jan 1 ? 1655, ccc 1 ; in Tot. . . I " And soe there rests disburst above his receipts . 1028 . 05 . 08 . " [a] A steel seal for the Parliament, £15." — This is probably the seal of which a proof impression is in the British Museum, Detached Seal, No. xxxv. 90. It was taken by the late Mr. J. Doubleday in 1832 from the original matrix then in the possession of Mr. Langdale. We are in- formed that this matrix now belongs to Mr. Stopford, of Drayton. This seems to be the same seal or matrix that was found by a workman in a wall of Bichard Cromwell's house at Hursley, Hants, when it was being pulled down by order of Sir William Heathcote, who had purchased the (EjjE. iEitb nf (Dliair €nvmtll. 221 estate. See George Vertue's Works of Thomas Simon, 2nd edition, 1780, page 13 ; and there is an engraving of it by Vertue on plate v. of the same book. The seal has in the centre two large pointed shields, conjoined, and surrounded by ornamental scrolls and foliage. The dexter shield bears St. George's cross, for England, and the sinister one the Irish harp. Out- side of a corded inner circle is the legend— THE ■ SEALE ■ OE ■ THE • PAKLIAMENT • OF ■ THE • COMMONWEALTH ■ OF • ENGLAND. A wreathed edging of leaves surrounds the whole seal, which is circular, 24 inches in diameter. See Plate VII., No. 2. This seal is no doubt the one referred to in the following Act of Par- liament — " An Act for a Seal of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England. — 22nd January, 1650-1. — Be it Enacted by this present Parliament, That the Seal Engraven with the Arms of England and Ireland (that is to say, A Cross and a Harp) with, this Inscription in the Circle, that is to say (The Seal of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England) shall be the Seal of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, to be onely used by Order of Parliament. And be it further Enacted, That whosoever shall . counterfeit the same, shall be adjudged and taken to be guilty of High Treason, and shall be tryed in such maner, and undergo the like penalties as are appointed by any Act of Parliament in case of High Treason." — See the King's Pamphlets in the British Museum, single sheets, vol. ix. " [5] A seal for the Commissioners for Approving Public Preachers, £5 . 15s." — This is the seal with St. George's cross in the centre, described above on page 205. "[c] Two seals for the Commissioners of the Admiralty, £4 . 10s." — See the account of the seals of the Admiralty on page 203, above. " [d] For altering the late Council of State's seal, 40s." — The seal made in 1649 by Simon for the Council of State, and the one used by them from February, 1649, to December, 1653, is circular, size 1-8 inches in diameter. The device consists of two ornamented shields, conjoined, one bearing St. George's cross and the other the Irish harp. Outside of a plain inner circle is the legend— THE • SEALE ■ OF • THE • COVNcel • OF • STATE ■ 222 Mnmismata ^rnnmiBUiDiiit. APPOYNTED • BY ■ THE • AVTHO' • OP ■ PAEL'. A wreathed edging of leaves around. See Plate VII., No. 3. There are numerous impressions of this seal, over paper wafers, in the Public Eecord Office and in the British Museum. The alteration mentioned in Simon's Account above, was the cutting out of the legend on this seal after Oliver had been made Protector, and a new Council had been ap- pointed by the Instrument of Government dated the 16th December, 1653. Impressions of this latter seal, exhibiting a plain band in place of the legend, are to be found on documents of the years 1654 and 1655, in the Public Eecord Office. See Plate VII., No. 4. Directly however that the new seal with the legend SIGILLVM CONCILLII (described on page 198, above) was made, this altered seal was laid aside by the Council of State. " [e] The Great Seal for England, £200." — See the description on pages 19 and 186, above. " [/] The p ™vy Seal for England, £20."— See page 20 and 192, above. " [ff] The Signet for England, £15." — See description on pages 195, et seq., above. " [A] The Signet in Steel, £15." — We do not know what seal is here meant. " [i] A steel seal for Letters of State, £25." — This is described on page 194, above. " [k] The Council's Seal, £14."— The seal for the English Council of State is described on page 198, above. " [/] The Great Seal for Scotland, £150." — See description on page 209, above. " [m] The Quarter Seal for Scotland, £75." — See description on page 210, above. #jjt luls nf cD liner 6 - ,, » '* >> j? 8- „ >, 9. Official Signet before Protectorate 10. The Signet for England 11. The Seal for the English Council 12. The Seal for Approbation of Ministers 13. The Privy Seal for Scotland . 14. Seal for an Irish Law Court [In the centre of the plate.] PLATE VII. 1. The Seal for the County of Durham . 2. The Seal of the Parliament 3. The Seal of the Council of State 4. The Altered Seal of the Council PLATE VIII. Oliver's Great Seal for England .... [Eeduced in size from the diameter of of inches.] PAGE 147 154 155 155 156 160 161 167 170 171 174 179 179 181 181 181 182 183 184 184 195 198 206 211 216 208 221 221 9 19 and 186 PLATE .-""■\V> '•-. X^;, ^