Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/430

278 THE CORDWAINERS AND CORVESORS OF OXFORD. in 1697 is a sale of old silver to the amount of 14/. 4^. Qd., which apparently is carried to the general fund.^ In the course of the accounts, frequent mention is found to be made of the common stock or money being deposited " in pyxide, in cista,^ in the cofer or cofyr, or in the money- box," as was often the case before banks came into use. This money-box has been carefully preserved until the present time, and is represented in the annexed woodcut. It is of wood, apparently elm, and is secured by five hoops of iron passing round it, and two locks ; attached to a straight rib passing up the back, and about half way up, is a chain of four links with an end, altogether 9^ inches lono;. The lid at the top has a de- pi'ession from the edge ^ _ ._- ^ ,,^ towards the centre, in ^■' ^'^s"^=?-"--"^t^-"^ " the fashion of a mill- hopper, 3 inches deep, with a slit at the bottom, through which the money was to fall. This is guarded inside by strips of linen with pieces of sheet lead twisted on their lower ends, in such a manner that they fall over and stop the aperture, in case the box should be reversed or shaken, so that no money can fall out. The external dimensions are, total height, 9 inches (i. e. the lid 2-|^ inches, and the lower part 6^ inches) ; diameter at the top, 6^, at the bottom, 7 inches. Internally, the lower part measures in height 4 J inches, and in diameter, 5^ inches. It is possible that a change which has been observed to occur in the wording of the accounts may mark the period when this money-box ceased to be applied to its proper use. Before 1586, and in that year, the transferral of the clear balance of the Company's money to the incoming officers is expressed in some such tci-ms as these — " that it was dehvered into the hands of the new Master and Warden in money to be kepte in the boxe to the use of the said Company, as ^ E, sul) anno. a A. B., .".1.