The forgeries of public money, being the substance of a lecture delivered before the Numismatic Society / [John Yonge Akerman].

  • John Yonge Akerman
Date:
[1843]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The forgeries of public money, being the substance of a lecture delivered before the Numismatic Society / [John Yonge Akerman]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “ Et si est fausse serruriere, Et une fausse monnoiere, Et une Poitevmeresse^ Et de deniers mesconteresse.” An ancient author says, that in the time of Stephen, every man debased the coins at his pleasure.^® The rarity of this king’s money would render expensive any experi¬ ments on its fineness; but it is extremely probable that many pieces would be found to be much alloyed. Their execution is notoriously rude and imperfect, and some of them may be the work of forgers. In the eighth year of Richard I., among other items in an account rendered by the chamberlain of London, is six¬ teen shillings ten pence, the chattells of certain clippers.” In the reign of John, inquiry was directed to be made throughout the realm for clippers of the coin; and it was commanded, that the offending parties should be com¬ mitted to prison, and their goods seized. The author of the Annals of Waverly relates a curious anecdote of this king when at Northampton in 1212. It appears that John, in the hope of intimidating the Pope’s nuncios, who had then pronounced sentence of excommunication against him, caused the sheriff to bring before him all prisoners in his custody, whom he condemned to most cruel mutila¬ tions. Among these unfortunate wretches was a priest who had been detected in counterfeiting the coin, and whom the king ordered to be hanged forthwith. Pandulph, one of the nuncios, on hearing this, threatened those who should touch the ecclesiastic with excommunication, and went out to procure a candle for that purpose. John, alarmed at the threat, followed Pandulph, and delivered the priest into his hands, that he might do justice upon him, but the nuncio set him at liberty.^i Simon Dunelm. Ibid. vol. I. p. J80.
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