Since I had the Happiness to see you at York, I have met with nothing that is rare, save some very fair Coins, or rather Impressions upon Clay, which the Reverend Mr. Clark (the Lady Campden's Lecturer at Wakefield) brought me, that he had happily rescued from some some Laborours, who in delving in Fields near Thorp, on the Hill found a considerable Number of them, at (740) first we could not imagine for what use they were desined, but upon a stricter view, it appears plainly, they were for the Coining, or rather Counterfeiting of the Roman Moneys, that wretched Art it seems being in vogue 1500 Years ago, for they are indisputably of that Antiquity, and are really very dexterously done; they have round the Impression a Rim, about half the thickness of the Roman Silver Penny, in each of which is a little Notch, which being join’d to the like Nick in the next, makes a round Orifice to poure in the Mettal; each of these has either Two Heads, or as many Reverses; so that placing one, for Example, with Alexander Severns'sSeverus's Head on one side, and his Mother Julia Mammœa's on the other, betwixt Two Pieces with Reverses, it compleats both; so that one with Heads, and another with Reverses, are placed alternatim for a considerable length, and then all passed over with an outer Coat of Clay, to keep the Metal from running out, and a little Ledge on either side the Orifice, to convey the Metal into the long row of Holes: They are all of Emperors about the same Age, when indeed the Roman Moneys were notoriously adulterated, as is observable in any Collection of their Coins, though some of them now are so scarce, particularly a Duodumenianus, that I question whether this Age can produce one to take a Copy of.