The silver penny, which had commenced during the heptarchy, continued to be the common coin after the kingdom had been united under one heacl ; and it ex tends in a continued series from Egbcrt almost to the present time. The only kings wanting arc, Edmund ' Ironsidc, Richard I. and John. The weight of the penny was originally 22,', grains : but it was gradually coin ; in the second, the common silver coin of Alex ander the Great. On the latter, we find the letters KO AO. denoting Colophon, a considerable town of Ionia, where the coin was struck. The lyre is its symbol, be cause .Apollo was principally worshipped there.
MmucinAms VI. R. PONTI dintinishd, until, in the reign of Elizabeth, it was on ly 7-sti. Silver halfpennies and farthings were first struck by Edward 1. in 1280. The former continued to the time of the commonwealth ; but the latter ceased with Edward VI. The groat Ivas introduced by Ed ward III. in 1354 ; and the half groat, or two-pence, is of the same date. Shillings (from the German schilling) were first coined by Henry VII. in 1503. They were originally called testoons, from the teste or head of the king upon them. The crown, which had formerly ap peared only in gold, was first coined in its present form by Henry VIII.; the half-crown, sixpence, and three pence, by Edward VI. In 1558, Queen Elizabeth coin ed three-halfpenny, and, in 1561, three-farthing pieces; but these were discontiued in 1582.
A gold penny was coined by Henry III. in 1257 ; but the series of gold coinage in England properly com mences with Edward III., who, in 1344, first struck florins, in imitation of those of Italy. These coins, when fit st Mucci, bore the value of only six shillings, though now intrinsically worth 19 shillings. The half and quar ter florin were struck at the same time, but the latter only has been found. The florin gave way to the noble, of the value of 6s. 8d,, which had its name from the no bility of the metal ; the gold of which it was coined being of the finest kind. It was sometimes called rose noble, from both sides being impaled in an undulating circle. There were also half and quarter nobles. In 1465, the gold coinage was augmented by the angels of Edward IV., so called frotn being stamped with the figure of Michael and the dragon. The angelets, of the value of Ss. 4d. were afterwards substituted in their place. In 1527, Henry VIII. added to the coined gold, crowns
end halt-crowns, at their present value ; sovereigns, at 22s. 6d.; ryals, I Is. 3d.; angels, at 7s. 6d.; and no bles at their old value. In 1546, he coined sovereigns at 20s. and half-sovereigns in proportion. All the coin age of this monarch, however, is much debased ; and it was with much difficulty that Edward VI. brought it back to its former standard. Besides sovereigns, James /. coincd rose-tyals, of 30s. value, afiztr-ryals, of 15s, an gels of 10s., and angelets of 5s. The sovereign con tinued until it was superseded by the guinea, so called from being coined of Guinea gold, which was at first intendcd to go for 20s., though, by universal but tacit consent, they have always passed for 215. Half-guineas, double-guineas, and five-guinea pieces were also coin ed ; as were quarter-guineas by George I. and III.; but these last were soon stopt on account of the inconve nience of their small size. A few pieces of 7s. have likewise been coined. The value of the guinea gradu ally increased until it was as high as 30s, ; but after the recoinage in 1697 and 1698, it fell by degrees, and in 1717 it was at its old standard of 21s. The sovereign of 20s. has again been issued by his present majesty.
There is nothing very remarkable in the copper coinage of England, which frequently consisted, in a great measure, of private tokens. The farthings of Queen Anne, however, form an exception. These are of exquisite workmanship, and superior to most an cient or modern copper coins ; the one having on the reverse Peace in a. car, PAX MISSA PER ORBEM, is the most esteemed ; taid next to it the BRITANNIA under a portal.
With regard to the coinage of Scotland, it is believ ed that there exist silver pennies of Alexander I. who reigned in 1107 ; and there certainly are somc of Alex antic'. 11. in 1214, as also of Datid in 1124. There are many coins of William 1. in 1165 ; and a large hoard of his pennies was found at Inverness in 1780. The money of Scotland Ivas of the same value with that of England, until the vast drain occasioned by the enormous ran som of David II., after which its size was reduced; and its value continued to diminish to such a degree, that, in 16b0, it passed only for a twelfth part of the English money, and remained at that low ebb until the union of the two kingdoms.