Medieval Irish Hammered Farthings - John I: Irish mints

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• Metal Detector enthusiasts
• Museum Curators
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accurately identify and classify their Irish Hammered Farthings.

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Overview:

The farthings of John must have remained in circulation in Ireland well into the reign of his son Henry III, for in 1250 Henry granted Dublin certain tariffs on goods for "for the enclosing and strengthening of that city." This grant lists a number of goods to be taxed at one "quadrans" which was the medieval latin term for a farthing.

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Henry III, Lord of Ireland¹:

Grant of Tolls in Dublin, 1250

Another grant of the same type as the one made in 1233 to Dublin was made for the same purpose in 1250. This list is much more complete, and indicates a greater traffic or a resort to more desperate measures for raising the necessary funds. The two Dublin grants, because of their temporary nature and purpose, represent a departure from the strictly feudal type of toll, and more nearly resemble a modern tariff.

The King to all, etc., greeting.

Be it known that for all things, and for all salable merchandise coming into our city of Dublin, we have granted to the good and true men, our citizens of the same city, for three years, the following aids for the enclosing and strengthening of that city, namely:

From every crannock of grain, 1 quadrans

From every crannock of flour, either entering or leaving the port of Dublin, 1 quadrans.

From every dolium of wine, 2 denarii

From every dolium of honey, 4 denarii

From every fleece of wool, 1 denarius

From every dykker of hides, 1 denarius

From every dykter of deer skins, goat skins, or horse hides, an obole

From every large ship, 16 denarii

From every small ship, 8 denarii

From every piece of English or foreign cloth, 1 obole

From every piece of Irish cloth, 1 quadrans

From every crannock of woad, 2 denarii

From every crannock of salt, entering or leaving the said port, 1 quadrans

From every bar of iron, 1 obole

From every mesa of herrings, entering or leaving the said port, 1 quadrans

From every ox, cow, or mare, 1 denarius

From eight sheep, 1 denarius

From every hog or side of bacon, 1 quadrans

From a hundred boards, 1 quadrans

From a hundred horse-irons, 1 obole

From every pisa of onions, or butter, or fat, 1 obole

From every hundred pounds of pepper, 2 denarii

From a hundred pounds of wax, 2 denarii

From a hundred pounds of alum, 2 denarii

From every mill-stone, 1 obole

From every hundred ells of linen cloth, 1 denarius

From every hundred ells of canvas, 1 denarius

From every load of lead, 2 denarii

From every crannock of beans, 1 quadrans

From every dozen kitchen utensils, 1 obole

From every hundred pounds of metal, 1 denarius

From every hundred pounds of fat pork, 1 denarius

From a hundred pounds of fat, 1 denarius

From merchandise to the value of 3 solidi, 1 quadrans

From one hundred lamb-skins, 1 obole

From one hundred squirrel-skins, 1 denarius

From one hundred pounds of pitch, 1 obole

From every load of iron, 1 obole

From every dozen linden cords, 1 quadrans

Witness, the King, at Bistlesham, on the thirtieth day of May

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¹ GILBERT, JT. (ed) 1870: Historical and Municipal Documents
  of Ireland (London, Longmans). pp 124-125

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