Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/294

 278 ual pieces are coined, that value mut be acertained by proclamation. In order to fix the value, the weight and the finenes of the metal are to be taken into conideration together. When a given weight of gold or ilver is of a given finenes, it is then of the true tandard, and called terling metal; a name for which there are various reaons given, but none of them entirely atisfactory. And of this terling metal all the coin of the kingdom mut be made, by the tatute 25 Edw. III. c. 13. So that the king's prerogative eemeth not to extend to the debaing or inhancing the value of the coin, below or above the terling value : though ir Matthew Hale appears to be of another opinion. The king may alo, by his proclamation, legitimate foreign coin, and make it current here; declaring at what value it hall be taken in payments. But this, I apprehend, ought to be by comparion with the tandard of our own coin; otherwie the conent of parliament will be neceary. There is at preent no uch legitimated money; Portugal coin being only current by private conent, o that any one who pleaes may refue to take it in payment. The king may alo at any time decry, or cry down, any coin of the kingdom, and make it no longer current.

VI. king is, latly, conidered by the laws of England as the head and upreme governor of the national church.

enter into the reaons upon which this prerogative is founded is matter rather of divinity than of law. I hall therefore only oberve that by tatute 26 Hen. VIII. c. 1. (reciting that the king's majety jutly and rightfully is and ought to be the upreme head of the church of England; and o had been recognized by the clergy of this kingdom in their convocation) it is enacted, that the king hall be reputed the only upreme head in earth of the church of England, and hall have, annexed to the imperial crown of this realm, as well the title and tile thereof, as all juridic- Rh