TABLE OF THE ENGLISH GOLD COINS, 1500-1660.

Date.Denomination.Weight in Troy Grains. Fineness. Equivalents.
Carats.Grains.
Henry VII.,1489Sovereign, 240 23 3 1⁄2£1 0 0
Henry VIII.,1527Rose Nobel or Rial, 120 23 3 1⁄2 0 11 3
Sovereign, 240 23 3 1⁄2 1 2 6
1544Angel, 80 22 0 0 8 0
Crown, 57 21⁄67 22 0 0 5 0
Pound, 200 22 0 1 0 0
1545Crown, 48 20 0 0 5 0
Pound,192 20 0 1 0 0
Edward VI.,1549Pound,169 7⁄17 20 0 1 0 0
1550Angel, 80 23 3 1⁄2 0 8 0
Sovereign,240 23 3 1⁄2 1 4 0
1551Pound,178 8⁄11 22 0 1 0 0
Mary,1553Angel, 80 23 3 1⁄2 0 6 8
Elizabeth,1558Angel, 80 23 3 1⁄2 0 10 0
Sovereign,240 23 3 1⁄2 1 10 0
Pound,174 8⁄11 22 0 1 0 0
1601Angel, 78 66⁄73 22 0 0 10 0
Pound,171 61⁄67 22 0 1 0 0
James I.,1603Pound,171 61⁄67 22 0 1 10 0
1604Unit and its fractions, the Double Cr., British Crown, and Thistle Crown,154 2⁄3 22 0 1 0 0
1605Angel, 71 1⁄9 23 3 1⁄2 0 10 0
1610Angel, 71 1⁄9 23 3 1⁄2 0 11 0
Gold raised 10 p. ct.Unit,154 26⁄31 22 0 1 2 0
1619Angel, 64 11⁄15 23 3 1⁄2 0 11 0
Charles I.1625Angel, 64 11⁄15 23 3 1⁄2 0 10 0
Unit,140 20⁄41 22 0 1 0 0

TABLE OF THE VALUE IN PENCE OF THE GRAIN OF GOLD (23 c. 3 1⁄2 gr. Fine) IN THE VARIOUS GOLD COINAGES OF ENGLAND, 1500-1660.

Date. Pence per Grain. Date. Pence per Grain.
1527 1.125 1601 1.626
1544 (22 carats) 1.281 1603 (22 carats) 2.236
1545 (20 carats) 1.470 1604 1.655
1549 (22 carats) 1.518 1605 1.27
1550 1.2 1610 1.856
1551 (22 carats) 1.425 1619 2.052
1553 1.0 1625 1.851
1558 1.5 1625 (22 carats) 1.838
1558 (22 carats) 1.425

TABLE OF THE MOVEMENT OF GOLD & SILVER IN ENGLAND 1500-1680

The testimony of these tables is perfectly general. They establish, roughly speaking, just such an advance of price as befell the whole of Europe. They do not witness the oscillation in the coinage, and the commercial disaster due to the action of bimetallic law. For the evidence of this latter, however, there is ample store of material in the State papers of England throughout the period.

The moment prices began to rise on the Continent good English gold tended to disappear and flow away, being replaced by continental coins of lower contents (or higher denomination). The stress of this practical diminution of the currency was made all the greater by the simple fact that the increasing trade which accompanied such rise of prices demanded an expanding rather than a contracting currency.

WOLSEY'S ADMINISTRATION OF THE MINT