On the accession of James I. that monarch issued silver pennies for this country, in which his Scottish baubees, bodles, and placks were useless. A pattern farthing was also prepared but not issued. Soon afterwards a fresh scheme, which met the approval of the king, was acted upon. This was the issue of Royal farthing tokens weighing only six grains each. The licence to mint these dishonest coins which, for the purpose of getting them into circulation, were sold by the Crown to all comers at 21 shillings’ worth for a pound, was granted to Lord Harrington--the king stipulating that he should receive one-half the profit every quarter of a year. His majesty, however, ere long altered the arrangement, allowing Lord Harrington a fixed sum, and himself taking all the rest of the profit. Their principal distributor was Gerard Malyns, who thus spoke of their intention and use:--“The necessitye of these small moneys did appeare here with us in England, where everie chandler, tapster, vintner, and others, made tokens of lead and brasse for half-pences, and at Bristol by the late Queenes authoritie were made of copper, with a ship on one side, and C.B. on the other side, signifying CIVITAS BRISTOLL: these went current, for small things, at Bristoll and ten miles about. Hereupon, it pleased our soveraigne lord the king to approve of the making of a competent quantitie of farthing tokens to abolish the said leaden tokens, made in derogation of the king’s prerogative royall, which farthing tokens, being in the yeare 1613, with certain cautions and limitations, made of meere copper, have on the one side two sceptres crossing under one diadem, in remembrance of the union betweene England and Scotland; and on the other side the harpe for Ireland, and the inscription, ‘IACOBVS D.G. MAGNÆ. BRITT. FRA. ET HIBER. REX.’ And the said farthing tokens have not oneley beene found very commodius and necessarie for pettie commutations, but also to be a great reliefe of the poore, and meanes to encrease charitie, without which many of them had perished, everie man having meanes to give almes, even the mechanicall poore to the indigent poore.” The mode adopted for distributing these farthing tokens and getting them into circulation was crafty and business-like. They were made up in packets of 5_s._ 3_d._ worth in each, and these packets, made up in bags of £20 worth in each, were sent to the mayors of the different towns of the kingdom, who were required to sell them to the public. For all sold and remitted for within two months the mayor was allowed two shillings in the pound for his trouble; if over two months, then only one shilling; and the purchaser of course in any case got 21_s._ worth for 20_s._ Thus each 21_s._ worth was sold by the king for 18_s._