Elementary arithmetic, with brief notices of its history... by Robert Potts.

22

MONEY.

had occasioned niuch distress among poor people, the Commons
petitioned the Parliament for relief. Their petition concludes with
these words: "This for the love of God, and for the common profit
of the poure liege peple, which for this meritory dede shall hertly
pray to God for you." The petition was granted. And some years
after, he ordered the Tower pound of gold of old standard to be coined
into ~22. 10s. by tale, that is, to make 672 angels at 6s. 8d. each, and
the pound weight of silver of the old sterling into 112- groats, amounting to 378. 6dcl. by tale, and the half-groats, pennies, half-pennies, and
farthings in proportion.
Edward IV., 1461-1483. In the fourth year of his reign, a
new coinage was issued. The gold coins were then reduced to
~20. 16s. 8:d. by tale, that is, each pound of gold was to make 50
nobles, value by tale 88. 4d. each. The silver was reduced to 37s. 6d.
the pound weight.
In 1465 the gold coins were again altered, 45 nobles were to be
made out of the pound of gold, each 10s, or 671 of the pieces impressed with angels, current for 6s. 8d. each, and consequently the
pound weight of gold was coined into ~22. 10s. by tale.
The silver moneys were the same as in the preceding year, at
37s. 6d. the Tower pound, so that there were made of groats 11221,
half-groats 225, sterlings 450, half-pennies 900, and farthings 1800,
all of the' old standard. These new nobles were called rials, a term
from the French, who gave that name to their coin, on account of the
figure of the king in his royal robes (Le Blanc), but which was illapplied to coins b-aring the same impression as former nobles. The
change of the name was probably intended to obviate the inconvenience which might have resulted from the nobles in currency, and
the nobles in account being of different values. The new species of
money, called the angel, being of the value of the noble, was called
the noble angel.
On the reverse of the noble was the figure of the sun, then introduced on the coins of Edward IV., surmounted by a rose, the
badge of the House of York. This impress he adopted after his
victory at the battle of Mortimer's Cross, in Herefordshire, where,
just before the battle, the extraordinary phenomenon of three suns
appeared, which shone for a time, and then were suddenly united
into one.
The inscription on the obverse of his English silver coins was
"EDWARDUS DEI GRATIA REX ANGLIE ET FIANCIE," and on the
reverse, " Posui Deum Adjutorem meum." On some it was Edwardus Dei Gratia Dominus Hibernie; on others, Edwardus Rex
Anglie Francie, is continued on the reverse, Dominus Hibernie.
On his great seal the style, which had been discontinued by Henry VI.
lie resumed in this form: Edwardus, Dei Gratia Rex Anglie et
Francie et Dominus Hibernie. He made no alteration in the type of
his coins, which are distinguished from those of his predecessors
only by the name, weight, or mint-marks.. He was the first English
king who used a flaming sun as the royal badge on his coins.
1477. About his 17th year, the coins and bullion of the realmr
appear to have been debased by almost every possible method; for in
a statute made in that year, the principal acts formerly passed for
their preservation were recited, aud fresh provisions enacted for
the prxqo'-:ton of them, which the infringement of the laws rendered