Show old coinage of england according to high authority the sll sil ver penny of king alfred is the earl lest authentic saxon coin that can ba be traced with certainty to the london mint athelstan about was the first british king to enact regulations for the government of the mint but the coinage was debased by the mint ers during the several reigns follow ing to such an extent was this fraud carried on that in the reign of henry I 1 dealers in the markets refused to accept current money and when the king xing summoned the minters to appear at winchester only three men out of ninetyfour ninety four escaped mutilation and banishment henry I 1 is said to have instituted a mint at winchester in 1120 but the english do not seem to have been proficient in the art of coining for stow relates that in the reign of edward I 1 the mint was kept by italians in henry III s time eng lish money greatly improved in appearance pe arance and in his reign took place V I 1 ace the first gold coinage in that country in the following reigns money was again debased and it became so bad that queen elizabeth called in all cor erupted coins and new ones were Is sued for the first time having the edges milled |