Trial of the Pyx

Trial of the Pyx

The Trial of the Pyx is the procedure in the United Kingdom for ensuring that newly minted coins conform to required standards. Trials have been held from the twelfth century to the present day, normally once per calendar year; the form of the ceremony has been essentially the same since 1282 AD. They are trials in the full judicial sense, presided over by a judge with an expert jury of assayers. Trials are now held at the Hall of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths; formerly, they took place at the Palace of Westminster. Given modern production methods, it is unlikely that coins would not conform, but this has been a problem in the past—it was tempting for the Master of the Mint to steal precious metals.

The term "Pyx" refers to the boxwood chest (in Greek, πυξίς, pyxis) in which coins were placed for presentation to the jury. In medieval times the Master of the Mint was ordered to save one coin from every ten pounds of silver used for the trial, which was normally conducted every three months. There is also a Pyx Chapel (or Pyx Chamber) in Westminster Abbey, which was once used for secure storage of the Pyx and related articles.

The judge having charge of the trial is the Queen's Remembrancer (or King's Remembrancer when the sitting monarch is male), the Senior Master of the Queen's Bench. It is his or her responsibility to ensure that the trial is held in accordance with law, and to deliver the final verdict to Her Majesty's Treasury. Where and when a trial is to take place is at the Treasury's discretion, though there must be a trial in any year during which the Royal Mint issues coins.

Coins to be tested are drawn from the regular production of the Royal Mint. The Deputy Master of the Mint must, throughout the year, randomly select several thousand sample coins and place them aside for the Trial. These must be in a certain fixed proportion to the number of coins produced. For example, for every 5000 bimetallic coins issued, one must be set aside, but for silver Maundy money the proportion is one in 150.

The jury is composed of at least six assayers from the Company of Goldsmiths, one of the guilds that make up the City of London Corporation [1]. They have two months to test the provided coins, and decide whether they have been properly minted. Criteria are given for diameter, chemical composition and weight for each class of coinage.

Statutory basis for the Trial of the Pyx is given by the Coinage Act 1971, the latest in a long series of similarly named Acts of Parliament. Specific procedures are established by Order in Council, the most recent being the Trial of the Pyx Order 1998, which was amended by The Trial of the Pyx (Amendment) Order 2005. It is not required for a new Order to be issued for each Trial: this only happens when the rules change.

Contents

Popular culture

A Trial of the Pyx is called for in Neal Stephenson's fiction novel The System of the World. When it is revealed that Jack Shaftoe raided the Tower of London specifically to tamper with the Pyx, Viscount Bolingbroke and Charles White use the event as leverage for a political attack against Whigs, and specifically Isaac Newton.

See also

References

  1. ^ Nicholas Shaxson: Treasure Islands, Tax Havens and the Men Who Stole the World; The Bodley Head, London, 2011.

UK Legislation


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  • Trial of the pyx — Pyx Pyx, n. [L. pyxis a box, Gr. pyxi s a box, especially of boxwood, fr. py xos the box tree or boxwood. See {Box} a receptacle.] [Written also {pix}.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) The box, case, vase, or tabernacle, in which the host is reserved. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • trial of the pyx — the annual assay of the coins in the British mint that have been placed in the pyx * * * trial of the pyx 1. Trial by weight and assay of gold and silver coins by a jury of goldsmiths 2. The periodic official testing of sterling coinage • • •… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Pyx — Pyx, n. [L. pyxis a box, Gr. pyxi s a box, especially of boxwood, fr. py xos the box tree or boxwood. See {Box} a receptacle.] [Written also {pix}.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) The box, case, vase, or tabernacle, in which the host is reserved. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pyx cloth — Pyx Pyx, n. [L. pyxis a box, Gr. pyxi s a box, especially of boxwood, fr. py xos the box tree or boxwood. See {Box} a receptacle.] [Written also {pix}.] 1. (R. C. Ch.) The box, case, vase, or tabernacle, in which the host is reserved. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • PYX —    the name of a cup shaped, gold lined vessel, with lid, used in the Roman Catholic churches for containing the eucharistic elements after their consecration either for adoration in the churches or for conveying to sick rooms. Pyx means box.… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Pyx — This article refers to an object used in Christian church services. For the British coinage procedure, see Trial of the Pyx. Pyx is also the abbreviation for the constellation Pyxis. A pyx or pix (Latin: pyxis , transliteration of Greek: pyxis ,… …   Wikipedia

  • pyx-jury — ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ noun Etymology: pyx (I) : a committee of goldsmiths that makes the trial of the pyx …   Useful english dictionary

  • pyx —   n. vessel for reservation of Eucharist; box containing specimens of newly minted coins.    ♦ trial of the pyx, test for weight, etc., of newly minted coins …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • pyx — /piks/, n. 1. Eccles. a. the box or vessel in which the reserved Eucharist or Host is kept. b. a watch shaped container for carrying the Eucharist to the sick. 2. Also called pyx chest. a box or chest at a mint, in which specimen coins are… …   Universalium

  • Coins of the pound sterling — The Royal Shield reverse designs, introduced in 2008 (£2 coin is not shown) …   Wikipedia

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