nets, according to the names of the families which appear on them. They are,

1. Brafs Coins.-Thefe confift chiefly of large pieces, of rude workmanship, without any interefting imagery. In cabinets they are generally kept in boxes apart by themselves. The As bears the head of Janus; the femis, of Jupiter, with S; the triens, of Minerva, with four cyphers; the quadrans, of Hercules, with three cyphers; the fextans, of Mercury, with two cyphers; and the uncia bears the head of Rome, with one cypher. In all these pieces the prow of a fhip is conftantly the figure on the reverfe, with very few exceptions. Sometimes, indeed, they have a fhell, two heads of barley, a frog, an anchor, or a dog, on the reverse. About the time of Julius Cæfar, both the obverfes and the reverses of the coins began to be altered.

2. Silver. Of this the denarius was the firft and principal coin. It was ftamped originally with X, denoting that the value was ten affes. On the reverse was Caftor and Pollux, or a chariot of Victory. Afterwards the bufts of various deities appear; and in the 7th century of Rome the portraits of illuftrious perfons deceased are met with: but till the time of Julius Cæfar no figure of any living perfon is to be met with; Julius himself be. ing the first who affumed that bonour. The workmanship on the best and worst filver is much the fame. The reverfes are very curious, and point out many remarkable events in Roman hiftory; but none of these occur till about a century before the Chriftian era. The large denarii, with ROMA, are the most ancient; and fome of these bear the Pelafgic A, not the Roman. The filver feftertii have a head of Mercury, with a caduceus on the reverse. The quinarii have always a head of Jupiter, with a Victory on the reverse.

3. Gold.-Moft of these are of great value. The number of these exceeds not 100; those of brafs 200; and of filver 2000. The aureus is the general gold coin; but two or three gold femiffes of families likewise occur.

II. ROMAN IMPERIAL COINS. 1. Brass.-This is of three fizes; large, middle, and small. The first forms a most beautiful feries, but very expenfive. The various colours of the patina have the fineft effect. It is the most important of all the Roman coins, and exceeds even the gold in value. The middle brafs is next in value to the former; and in it are many rare and curious coins, particularly interefting to Britons, as elucidating the hiftory of the island.

The fmall brafs feries abounds alfo with curious. coins. They are scarce till the time of Valerian and Gallienus, but very common afterwards. Mr Pinkerton recommends, therefore, to form a feries in filver as well as brafs; both being the cheapeft of all the Roman coins. “In this series (fays he) it is a common fault to arrange many coins which have been plated with gold or filver, the forgeries of ancient times, but which time has worn off, either wholly or in part. All real brass coins have the S. C. till the time of Gallienus; as the fenate alone had the power of ftriking brafs, while the emperor himself had that of gold and filver. When the S. C. therefore is wanting, the coin was certainly once plated; as, in general, the different type and fabric, being thofe of gold and

filver, fufficiently fhow themselves. With Pertinax, A. D. 192, there is a temporary ceffation of fmall brafs; nor after him do any princes occur in that feries till Valerian, A. D. 254, excepting Trajanus Decius, A. D. 250 only. After Valerian the feries is continuous and common. The brafs coinage gradually declined in fize from the time of Severus; fo that parts of the as could not be ftruck, or at least it was held unneceffary to ftrike them. Trajanus Decius attempted in vain to restore the coinage; and Valerian and Gallienus were forced to iffue denarii ærei and fmall affaria. The. feries of large and of middle brafs are of two fixed and known fizes; the former about that of our crown, the latter of the half crown: though after Severus they gradually leffen. But the fmall brafs takes in all parts of the as; and every brass coin not larger than our fhilling belongs to this feries.

The minimi, indeed, or very smallest, it is proper to keep apart. The coins of Julius Cæfar in this fize are of peculiar fine workmanship. They bear his portrait reverfe of Auguftus, or the reverfe has a crocodile, EGYPTO CAPTA. There are feveral with Mark Antony, and some with Cleopatra; but the more common pieces are thofe with only numerals on the obverfe, which go the length of XIII.; probably tickets for the baths. From the time of Nero to that of Vespafian, no fmall brafs occurs; but there are many of the latter, and of his fon Titus; while Domitian has as many as Nero, and Domitia his wife almoft as many. Succeeding emperors to Pertinax have alfo many brafs coins; but from his time to that of Valerian there are no real small brafs, excepting thofe of Trajanus Decius. After Gallienus there are many coins of this kind; and Mr Pinkerton mentions one in Dr Hunter's cabinet, of an unknown person named Nigrianus. The coin feems to have been ftruck at Carthage; and our author concludes that be was an African usurper, father to Nigrinianus.

2. Silver. This feries is very complete, and the cheapest of any, especially as the fmall brais becomes a fine fupplement to it; the latter being had in plenty when the filver becomes fcarce, and the filver being plentiful when the brass is scarce.

3. Gold. The Roman imperial gold coins form a feries of great beauty and perfection; but, on account of their great price, are beyond the purchase of private perfons.

4. The colonial coins occur only in brafs; none, excepting that of Nemaufus, having a right to coin filver. They begin in Spain with Julius Cæfar and Antony, and ceafe with Caligula, who took away the privilege of coinage from the Spanish colonies. The most beautiful are thofe of Corinth. The other remarkable colonial coins are thofe of Emerita, Ilice, Terraco, Calandria, Babba, Berytus, Cæfarea, Patræ, Emifa, Heliopo lis or Balbec, Ptolemais, Sidon, Tyre, Deultor, Diom, Troas, Rhefania, Neapolis of Samaria, which bears a reprefentation of Mount Gerizzim with the temple on it, Hippo in Africa, &c. On many of these coins we meet with fine reprefentations of temples, triumphal arches, gods, goddeffes, and illuftrious perfors. But coins with

thofe

characters upon them. The Italian coins are moftly of the fize of fmall brafs; and in this way we meet with coins of Athalaric, Theodahat, Witiges, and other Gothic princes. Many others occur, the infcriptions of which, though meant for Roman, are fo perverted as to be illegible.

TABLE IV. MODERN COINS.

1. OF JAPAN. These are thin plates of gold and filver, of an oval figure, with fmall marks or figures ftamped on them.

2. CHINA. Thefe are only copper, about the fize of a farthing, with a fquare hole in the middle to put them on ftrings. The infcriptions on them do not exprefs the name of the fovereign, but the year of his reign; as the happy year, the illuftrious year, &c.

3. The TARTARIAN coins are rude, having only infeription upon them; and they are all pofterior to the time of Jenghiz khan.

4. Coins of THIBET, Pegu, and Siam, are much the fame, prefenting only infcriptions without any figures. They are alfo of late date.

5. INDIA. Some old coins have been found in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, of gold, filver, copper, and tin, all mixed together. Thefe have commonly a warrior with a fword on one fide, and an Indian female idol on the other; of the fame form with the celebrated fculptures in the ifland of Elephanta, but it is impoffible to tell what antiquity they are of. The modern coins are the pagoda of gold, worth little more than 6s.; the rupee of filver, upwards of 2s.; and the cash, of copper. There is a remarkable fet of rupees, which show the 12 figns; a lion on one, a bull on another, &c.; but the occafion on which they were ftruck is unknown. The other coins of India have generally Perfian infcriptions.

6. PERSIA. The Perfic coins fince its conqueft by the Arabs continue on the Arabian models.

7. ARABIA. Some of the coins of the petty princes of Arabia are met with as old as the imperial ages of Rome; but till the time of Haroun A rafhid, no regular coinage appears in the vaft empire of the Saracens. Even then the reverfe has only an infcription, and the obverfe is copied from any Greek or Syrian coin which happened to fall in the moneyer's way. The later Arabian coins are mostly filver, with the name and titles of the prince on one fide, and fome inscription from the Koran on the other. The more modern coins of this country are in the fhape of a fifh. hook with Arabic inscriptions.

8. TURKEY. No regular coinage was formed by the Turks till they became mafters of Conftantinople. They refemble those of Perfia and Arabia, having merely infcriptions on both fides.

9. The coins of the AFRICAN ftates, at least fuch as profefs the Mohammedan religion, have merely intcriptions without any figures: thofe of the internal parts are unknown; and no coinage was used among the Mexicans and Peruvians, the only civilized nations in America; but La Hontan mentions an American favage who had a fquare medal of copper depending from his neck. Mr Pinkerton fuppofes it to have come from Ja

pan.

16. Modern ITALIC coins. Befides the Gothic

pieces mentioned in the former table, the exarchs of Ravenna coined money with the infcription of FELIX RAVENNA, &c. The Lombards issued no coins, but there are fome ftill extant of Charlemagne. The following lift fhows the origin of the coinage in various Italian states.

ROME. Papal coinage originates with Hadrian I Size of filver pennies, with the Pope's name on one fide, and the SCUS PETRUS on the other. No coins appear from 975 to 1099, excepting of Lec IX. In 1303 appear pennies of the tenate and people of Rome, with Peter on the one fide and Paul on the other. There are groats of Clement V. with his portrait three quarters length; but the fide head begins with Sixtus V. in 1470. Gold was firft coined by John XXII. in 1316. The coins of Alexander V1. Julius II. and Leo X. are remarkable for beauty and elegance.

MILAN. Coinage began with Charlemagne. The firft coin of the family of Visconti occurs in 1330, under Azo. The fet finishes with Lewis XII.

1

NAPLES. Coinage begins in 840 and 880, with duke Sergius and bishop Athanafius. The next coins are of Roger of Sicily, and Roger II. in 1130, William I. II. and Tancred. Naples and Sicily were fubdued in 1194 by the emperor of Germany; in 1255 Manfred appears; in 1266 Charles of Provence; and others till Joan in 1414: after which follow the houfe of Arragon, and later kings.

VENICE begins in the 10th century. The firft coins are filver pennies marked VENECI. Then follow the coins of Henrico Dandulo in 1192, of Ziani in 1205, &c. Gold was first coined at Venice in 1280, and copper in 1471; but the filver groats are as old as 1192.

FLORENCE. Silver was coined here in the 12th century or before; but in 1252 the firft gold coins ftruck in Europe after the 8th century made their appearance, and were named florins from the flower of the lily upon them. They were imitated by the popes, by France, and England. They have on one fide St John the Baptift ftanding, on the other a large fleur de lis, and it is not doubted that the French fleur de lis took their origin from thefe coins. They weigh a drachm, and are no less than 24 carats fine, according to Italian writers, and are worth about 12 fhillings.

GENEVA firft began to coin money in 1129, under the government of Conrad. Those of the dukes of Savoy began in the fame century.

AQUILEIA. Coins were iffued from this city by the patriarchs from 1204 to 1440.

FERRARA. Coins of the marquifes from 1340. 11. FRENCH coins. During the race of Clovis, from 490 till 751, the coins are chiefly gold trientes, with fome folidi and femiffes. The former are of good workmanship, with the heads of kings. The reverse has a cross with the name of the town where they were struck.

The coins of the fecond race began with Pepin in 751, and continue till Hugh Capet in 978. The coins of the first race are elegant, but thofe of the fecond quite the reverfe, being almost all filver pennies, and feldom bearing the portait of the king. Thofe of Charlemagne have only CAROLUS in the field; while the reverse bears R. E. or fome

fuch

In the next century were ftruck fillings, groats, and schots; the laft were the largeft, and are extremely rare. They have the Pruffian fhield, an eagle furmounting a cross, with a rofe-shaped border, MONETA DOMINORUM PRUSSIA: on the reverfe is a crofs fleurie, within a border of a fimilar kind, having the infcription HONOR MAGISTRI JUSTITIAM DILIGIT.-Gold coins were ftruck in the fame century. In the time of Copernicus the money was fo debased, that 12 or 13 marks were worth but one of pure filver.

22. England. The English coins are of various

kinds.

Ift. Heptarchic. Thefe are only of two forts, viz. the fkentta or penny of filver, and the Ayca of copper. Few of the pennies appear till after the year 700; though fome are met with which bear the name of Ethelbert I. king of Kent, as old as 560. At first they had only rude figures of fer. pents, but in later times legends were likewife added. Most of these pennies have pagan fym. bols upon them. The ftyca was only coined in Northumberland, and was a very fmall piece about the value of half a farthing.

2d. Coins of the chief monarchs of England. Mr Pinkerton denies that an end was put to the heptarchy by Egbert in 832, as is commonly fup. pofed; though he owns that he was chief monarch of the country, as feveral others had been before him. Edgar, who reigned in 959, according to him was the first king of England; and the coins of the chief monarchs form almost a complete feries from the time of Egbert to Edgar. The only chief monarch of whom there are no coins is Ethelbald, who reigned in 87. Most of these coins, bear rude portraits; but the reverfes are fometimes curious and interefting. Some have views of cathedrals and other buildings; particularly one of Edward the Elder in 900; which has the cathedral of York with three rows of win dows, round arched, as the other Saxon and Norman buildings; the Gothic arch being quite un known till after the 12th century. Some coins of Anlaf king of Northumberland, have the famous raven, the Danish enfign; and thofe of other princes have frequently very curious reverses.

3d. Ecclefiaftic coins appear of the archbishops of Canterbury, Wulfred, in 804, Ceolnoth in 830, and Plegmund in 889.

4th. Coins of the kings of England. The filver penny, which had begun during the heptarchy, continued to be the general coin after the king dom had been united under one head; and ex. tends in a continued feries from Egbert almoft to the prefent reign. The only kings wanting are Edmund Ironfide, Richard I and John. At first the Denny weighed 22 grains; but towards the clofe of the reign of Edward III. it fell to 18 grains; and in that of Edward IV. to 11. In the time of Edward VI. it was diminished to 8 grains; and in queen Elizabeth's reign to 74; at which

it ftill continues.

Halfpennies and farthings were firft ftruck in filver by Edward I. in 1280; the former continued to the time of the commonwealth, but the latter ceafed with Edward VI. The groat was introduced by Edward III. in 1354, and continues to this day, though not in common circulation. The

half-groat or twopence is of the fame date, and alfo continues to the prefent time.

Shillings were first coined by Henry VII. in 1503. At first it was called tefoon from the teste, tete, or head of the king upon it; the name bil. ling being derived from the German fchelling; under which appellations coins had been struck at Hamburgh in 1407 The crown was first coined in its prefent form by Henry VIII. Formerly it had appeared only in gold, whence the phrafe of crowns of gold; though these indeed were the largest gold coins known for a long time in France and other countries on the continent, being worth about 10s. fterling. They had their name from the crown ftamped on one fide, and were first coined by Charles VI. in 1384, and continued till the time of Lewis XIV. The half-crown, fixpence, and threepence, were coined by Edward VI. In 1558, Q.Elizabeth coined three half penny, and in 1561, three farthing pieces; but they were difcontinued in 1582. From the year 1601 to the prefent time the coins of England remain the fame.

The

Gold was coined in England by Henry III. in 1257; the piece was called a gold penny, and was larger than the filver one; and the execution is by no means bad for the time. The series of gold coinage, however, commences properly from Edward III. In 1344 this monarch firft ftruck florins, in imitation of thofe in Italy; and it is remarkable, that though thefe coins, at the time they were firft iffued, bore only fix fhillings value, they are now intrinfically worth 198.; fo much has the value of gold increafed fince that time. half and quarter florin were ftruck at the fame time, but only the laft has been found. The florin however, being inconvenient, gave place to the noble of 6s. 8d. value, and exactly half a mark. The latter had its name from being a limited fum in accounts; and was eight ounces in weight, two thirds of the money pound. It is fometimes alfo called felibra, as being one half of the commercial pound of 16 ounces. The noble had its name from the nobility of the metal; the gold of which it was coined being of the finest fort. Sometimes it is called rofe noble, from both fides being impaled in an undulating circle. It continued, with the half and quarter noble, to be the only gold coin till the angels of Edward IV. appeared in 1465. These had their name from being stamped with the image of Michael and the dragon. The angelites of 38. 4d. value were substituted in their place. In 1527 Henry VIII. added to the gold coins the crown and half-crown at their prefent value; and the fame year he gave fovereigns of 22s. 6d. and ryals of 118. 3d. angels at 7s. 6d. and nobles at their old value of 6s. 8d. In 1546 he can. fed fovereigns to be coined of the value of 20s. and half fovereigns in proportion. His gold crown is about the fize of our fhilling, and the half-crown of fixpence, but thin. All his, coins, however, gold as well as filver, are much debased; and it was not without much labour and trouble that Edward VI. brought it back to its former ftandard. On the union of the two crowns, James gave the fovereign the name of unite; the value continuing of 20s. as before. He coined alfo roferyals of 30s. value, fpur-ryals of rs. angels of