"_Spelman_ supposeth it to take that denomination from the Esterlings, who, as he supposeth, came over and reformed our coin to that allay. Of this opinion was _Camden. A Germanis, quos Angli_ Esterlings, _aborientali situ, vocarunt, facta est appellatio; quos_ Johannes _Rex, ad argentum in suam puritatem redigendam, primus evocavit; et ejus modi nummi_ Esterlingi, _in antiquis scripturis semper reperiuntur_. Some suppose that it might be taken up from the _Starre Judæorum_, who, being the great brokers for money, accepted and allowed money of that allay for current payment of their stars or obligations; others from the impression of a starling, or an asterisk upon the coin. _Pur ceo que le form d'un Stare, dont le diminutive est Sterling, fuit impressit on stamp sur ceo. Auters pur ceo que le primer de cest Standard fuit coyn en le Castle de Sterlin in_ Scotland _pur le Roy_ Edw. I. And possibly as the proper name of the fourth part of a Peny was called a Farthing, ordinarily a Ferling; so in truth the proper name of a Peny in those times was called a Sterling, without any other reason of it than the use of the times and arbitrary imposition, as other names usually grow. For the old Act of 51 H. III., called _Compositio Mensurarum_, tells us that _Denarius Anglice Sterlingus dicitur_; and because this was the root of the measure, especially of Silver Coin, therefore all our Coin of the same allay was also called Sterling, as five Shillings Sterling, five Pounds Sterling. "When this name of Sterling came first in is uncertain, only we are certain it was a denomination in use in the time of H. III. or Ed. I. and after ages. But it was not in use at the time of the compiling of {412} Doomsday, for if it were we should have found it there where there is so great occasion of mention of Firmes, Rents, and Payments. Hovended in _Rich. I fol. 377. b._ Nummus _a_ Numa, _que fuit le primer Roy que fesoit moneies en_ Rome. _Issint Sterlings, alias Esterlings, queux primes fesoient le money de cest Standard en_ Engleterre."--_Sheriffs' Accompts_, p. 5-9. So much for the derivation of _Sterling_, which evidently applied originally to the metal rather than to a coin. May I be allowed to hazard a suggestion as to the origin of _peny_, its synonym? They were each equivalent to the Denarius. "_Denarius Angliæ, qui nominatur Sterlingus, rotundus sine tonsura, ponderabit 32 grana in medio spicæ. Sterlingus et Denarius sont tout un. Le Shilling consistoit de 12 sterlings. Le substance de cest denier ou sterling peny al primes fuit vicessima pars unicæ._"--_Indentures of the Mint_, Ed. I and VI.