Number. GORDIANUS III., rev. titles. PHILIPPUS, rev. titles. TRAJANUS DECIUS, MERITAS (sic) Veritas?. One is remarkable for the double V in what is usually Piavonius: IMP. C.M. PIAVVONIVS VICTORINVS P.F. AVG. Rev. FIDES MILITVM. A female figure holding two standards. MARIUS, rev. SAEC. FELICITAS POSTUMUS, rev. SALVS PROVINCIARUM 728 23 1 1122232 2 2 2 3 These are mostly in a fine state of preservation. In small brass. PAX AVG., 3; FIDES MILITVM, 1; ORIENS AVG., 1; VIRIVS EQVIT, 1; IOVI VICTORI, 1 Total 7 2 114 Like many more hoards this points to the eventful time when Tetricus gathered together his troops and recruits in Britain to pass over to Gaul to oppose the legions of the Emperor Aurelianus. To the courtesy of Mr. Samuel Joseph West, of Gravesend, I am indebted for an examination of these coins upon my own table. C. ROACH SMITH. December 13th, 1887. [Since writing the above I learn that these coins are now the property of G. M. Arnold, Esq., of Milton Hall, near Gravesend, who possesses a good collection of local and general antiquities.] XVI. GROATS OF THE SECOND COINAGE OF HENRY VII. THE different varieties of Henry VII.'s groats with the arched crown are well described in Hawkins's Silver Coins of England, but apparently neither author nor editor has attempted to arrange them in the order in Referring to certain groats with which they were issued. the crown of plain double arches, Mr. Kenyon admits that the Hounslow find tends to prove that this type probably preceded that with the single arch;" yet, in the last edition of the standard work edited by him, two groats with the single-arched crown are placed in the midst of the series with the double-arched crown. Now, it is extremely unlikely that, after the crown with a single arch had been introduced, it should have been discontinued for a time, and again adopted on the third coinage of Henry VII. Setting aside, then, such an arbitrary arrangement as that, we may hope, by endeavouring to trace the gradual development of this series of coins, if not to discover their true order, at least to make a step towards so doing. Probably most numismatists who have given any attention to this group of coins would fix on one of the groats with cross in saltire at each side of neck, to be placed first; and they would hardly dispute that the groat with m.m. cross-crosslet should be placed last of the second issue. But it is scarcely likely that they would also agree as to the order of all the intermediate varieties. Let us, however, take the two groats above mentioned, and contrast their points of difference, that the comparison may guide us in arranging the other coins. The groat with a cross in saltire at each side of the neck is found without any m.m. (Fig. 2), with m.m. trefoil on the reverse only, and with m.m. trefoil on both sides (B.M.). This groat has a crown of plain double arches, surmounted by small orb and plain cross. The king's hair is bushy, and a lock stands straight out just under the crown, as on the groats of the first coinage, with a cross in saltire at each side of the neck. There is a small trefoil on the king's breast, and trefoils are used for stops. The peculiarities of this groat connect it closely with those of the first coinage (Fig. 1); but the type must soon have been changed, as the groat of the second coinage with a cross in saltire at each side of the neck is rare, and none bearing this mark in the field were found at Hounslow. The groat with m.m. cross-crosslet (Fig. 9) should be placed last, as this m.m. was continued into the third coinage. That the cross-crosslet should rank first among the mint marks of the third coinage is proved by the existence of the peculiar side-faced groat bearing this m.m., which differs from the rest in having a tressure round the king's head, as on the full-faced groats with the arched crown (Fig. 10). The groat of the second coinage with m.m. cross-crosslet is of small size. The crown has only a single arch, ornamented on each side by two crockets of peculiar shape. The orb surmounting the crown is large, and the cross at the top has concave ends. VOL. VII. THIRD SERIES. TT The king's hair, instead of being bushy, is long and wavy. The cusp of the tressure on the king's breast is fleured. Small crosses are used for stops. Although groats with this m.m. are common, there were none in the Bury St. Edmund's find, which was evidently deposited before groats bearing this m.m. were issued. The comparison of these two types of groats suggests the following general rules for determining the order of this series.. (i.) The double-arched crown preceded the singlearched crown. (ii.) The crown with plain arches is earlier than that with ornamented arches. (iii.) The bust with bushy hair is earlier than the bust with long wavy hair. But the fulness or abbreviation of the legend affords no clue as to order of date; for although most of the earlier groats read ANGLY Z❤ FRANⱭ, and on the reverse, davm mavm, whilst many of the later groats read only A6L - Z × FR, and on the reverse, Dav' mav', the legend has not been uniformly and gradually shortened. For instance, we find some groats with m.m. escallop read ANGL × Z × FRANα, and on the reverse, mavm; whilst the reading Davm had not entirely gone out of use when the m.m. greyhound's head was employed. However, adopting the above-mentioned rules, the groats would succeed each other in the following order :I. Groat with a cross in saltire at each side of the neck. No m.m., or with m.m. trefoil. This variety has been fully described above. II. The Portcullis pattern groat. This resembles the previous coin in having plain double arches to the crown, and a trefoil on the king's breast. A |