Moneyer

A person given license by the King to strike coins for the kingdom. In 12th Century England, coins were periodically melted down and restruck. This reissuing of currency kept in business more than 30 moneyers, located at various places around the country. The moneyer was in charge of overseeing the coins being struck, but employed others to do the actual work of making the coins. Each moneyer had his own separate mint with a furnace where this was done, even in large cities with several moneyers.

Being a moneyer involved some wealth and position, but no claim to nobility or political power, making the person the equivalent of the merchant class.

references:

• Holmes 1952
• Zarnecki 1984