England, would clearly be that,
subsequent to the circulation of the first uninscribed Gaulish coins as
imitated from the Phillippus types, there followed the well-struck Roman
issues, which, in course of time, were superseded by the coinages used
and introduced by later invaders and settlers.

British-struck coins of the Saxon kings are rarely found in the Channel
Islands, the coins used at the Saxon period of England being doubtless
drawn by these islands from Normandy and Brittany. There have never, so
far as is known, been regal or state mints established in the Channel
Islands, with the exception of the strange venture by Colonel Smyth in
the reign of King Charles I., which will be fully noted in turn
hereafter.

"Freluques" and "enseignes" also perhaps appear to have been struck in
Guernsey, and a few copper tokens, as will be described, were introduced
by banks and firms. But from the time of the Romans until the present
century, French and other foreign money has been imported, and formed
the recognized currency.

THE EARLIEST COINS OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

As referred to in the preceding general notes, the earliest coins known
to have been in use in the Channel Islands are of the same types as used
at the time on the near coast of France. They are styled Gaulish, and
are generally of the following description:--

_O._ Sinister head in profile; nose, lips, eyes, and ears expressed by
duplicate lines; tracery or ornamentation in front of the face, and
profuse rolls of curling hair.

_R._ Figure of a horse, extravagantly drawn and decorated, and with
ornaments or gear of some kind above and below. Often the mane of the
horse is arranged and curled, as if specially so dressed for parade or
show, and almost suggests decorations as still sometimes adopted by
American Indian or other barbarian chiefs. There are reins, too, in some
instances, and these are sometimes held by a rough representation of an
arm and hand. The legs of the horse always indicate gallopping. The
symbols underneath it are usually either (1) the wild boar, as perhaps
indicative of the most important local wild beast in the chase; (2) the
chariot wheel, as representing that the horse would draw this vehicle,
there not being room to show the whole on the coin fully and in rear of
the horse; (3) the implement described by Sir John Evans[B] as a
"lyre-shaped object." It would be most interesting to ascertain what
this instrument--which