Chap, VK. O F JVf ANCHES r TE R. %tj the Britiih coinage* But difcovcrcd within- the country, caify- ing every appearance of relation to it in" their afpe£t, found eveii among monuments indubitably Britifh, and presenting even the indubitable fymbols of a Britilh mint, it would be the fqueamiflv* nefe of folly to hefitate about their original * J .
- The art of coining, thus introduced by Cuntobeline and pur*
iued by Cara&acus, firft travelled in all probability, whither it would moft eafily be carried, into the country of the Dobuni Or Boduni and the kingdom of Togodumnus, the foil of the one ted the brother of the other x And it afterwards was carried gradually through the ifland, being praftifed at Calleda, Calleva*
- r Wallingford, the capital of the Attrebates M ; by Bootica or
Boadicia, the queen of the Iceni ; by Comus and by Calle, th* Sovereigns of two other principalities ; and at Dumum or Durm ftcum, the Durinum of Richard, the Durnovaria of Antoninus, and the preient Dorchefter, in the weft ; and both at Eburo* Ebur-ac, or York, and at Eifu, the Ifu Brigantum of Antoninus, or Aldborough, in the north z Thus was the kingdom of Lancadure firft provided with s regular coinage a' few years before the period of the Roman i&+ raifion. The art of coining had not opportunity to exert itfelf Sufficiently in Lancaihirej before the coming of the Romans fit* jjerfeded the neceflity of it* At that period therefore the quantity of money within the county rauft have been very infignifjcant ; and hone of k has reachfed the prefent age. But it muft have /been nearly the. faaae in the metals in the defign and in the exe* ration,' as were the 4onm of' the Britons in general and 6f the fixigantes th partitukr. The metals of all were generally gold filter or b*afe, fbmetimes amber* and even fometimes iron V+ Jn ibme«he gold Was even minted without any. allay, la moft the gold and filver were confiderably debafed * 8 . The minting was frequently i;ude, .tli£ firft efforts of the Britifh coiners being .jas devoid of prepay a$ they went tmiftfotmed;by experience* "And the minting was frequently graceful, the art naturally te^ fining as it. proceeded; And at laft catching all the fpirft^nd el& "gance of the coins of Cunobeline *V • '-' ' - --'• s,..i .-.
