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| The Trial of the Pyx |
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| The annual Trial of the Pyx was held at Goldsmiths' Hall on Tuesday February 7. |
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The historic Trial of the Pyx took place at the Goldsmiths’ Hall today (February 7). The annual trial, which was first convened in the twelfth century, is held to ensure that UK coins produced at the Royal Mint meet the statuary requirements for metallic composition, weight and size. While modern production methods mean that errors are now extremely unlikely, those entrusted with minting the coinage during the reign of Henry II were not quite as scrupulous as their modern day counterparts and it was not unknown for them to underweight the coins and pocket the left over precious metal for themselves...
While today’s trial is more of a quality control procedure, it still takes place in a fully-functioning court, with the jury having to swear a specially-composed oath. The trial is presided over by the senior judge in the Courts of Justice, known as the Queen’s Remembrancer, who is supported by his two clerks. The jury itself comprises the Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company with his three supporting Wardens, the Head of the Assay Office, and a selection of the Company’s Liverymen. Other key personnel in attendance at this year’s trial included a representative for High Commissioner for New Zealand, the Chief Executive of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, the Deputy Master of the Mint and his staff and the Clerk of the Goldsmiths’ Company. An invited public audience was also present in the resplendent livery hall of Goldsmiths’ Hall where they watched coins ranging from miniscule Maundy pennies to spectacularly large golden Sovereigns being counted.
While some form of coin testing was undertaken in Saxon times, it was during the reign of Henry II (1133-1189) that regular tests of coinage was introduced. It was Queen Elizabeth I who directed that the responsibility for the Trial of the Pyx should rest with “My friends the Wardens of the Mystery of Goldsmiths of the City of London”. The name Pyx refers to the boxes in which the coins are transported and is derived from the Pyx chamber in Westminster Abbey where historically the boxes used to be kept.
Today’s proceedings constitute the first phase of the Trial of the Pyx. Over the following eight weeks the selected coins will be assayed and measured by members of the Assay Office before the Court reconvenes on April 28 for the delivery of the verdict by the jury to the Queen’s Remembrancer. Traditionally, the Chancellor of the Exchequer himself is present for the verdict, although in recent years he has been represented by a senior Treasury minister. We will, of course, bring you news of the jury’s verdict when it is announced in April. |
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