'Commend me to good Mr PEMBER, and tell him I trust he received my letter in Lent. Tell him also that yesterday I saw a new coin, which I would he had, for all the old he hath. It was made in this house where we lie, at Inspruck. It is very like a Suffolk cheese as any cometh to Stridbridge fair, but somewhat thicker. It is even so heavy as two men can bear of a barrow. There was molten for it, of fine silver, (for I saw the making of it) six thousand four hundred guilders: every guilder is worth 5s. English and more, except our money be well amended.
Noble MAXIMILIAN and his wife be come out of Spain, and be in Italy coming hither ward. This country of Tyrol where we be, which is under FERDINAND, doth present this goodly coin to queen MARY, MAXIMILIAN’s wife, which is the Emperor’s daughter, because she was never in Germany afore. This rich gift is given for MAXIMILIAN’s sake, whom all men love above measure. There is of one side of this coin all the arms belonging to MAXIMILIAN and his wife; on the other side stands queen MARY his wife’s face, most lively printed, as the old antiquities be. Above her image be these words in Latin: “Sereniss. Dnae. Mariae Reginae Boemiae, ex familia Regum Hispaniae, et Archiducum Austriae progenitae, jamprimum in Germanium venienti, Tyroliensium munus, 1551”. And although I favour MAXIMILIAN, yet I would Mr Pember had it in his chamber.
Tell Mr PEMBER also, I do not forget old coins. I have the fairest now that he ever saw in silver, and Domitian cum anchora Aldi. Besides the Fuggeri, which have pecks of them, there is a worthy merchant called Mr REM, which had me into his house, and let me see a wonderful sight Greek and Latin. He gave me four at my coming from Augusta: the first was Sulla Cos.; on the other side, C. Pompeius Rufus C. F. Cos.: the second had on one side, Fasces Imperii; on the other side, an elephant, and under his feet Caesar: the third had on the one side, Caesar. Imp. Pont. Max. IIIvir; a goodly face, young; on the other side a stout, and about it M. Antonius IIIvir; the fourth a goodly face, and about it M. Brutus Imp.; on the other side, two daggers, and in the midst a thing like a bell, having written underneath, Fide Martis. I bought also at Augusta, a strange old face, with long hair; on the other side, in Greek ΠΥΡΡΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΟΣ. Mr REM showed me also a coin, with a rude face in silver, thick, and about it, in Greek, ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ.'
(Giles 1865-1866, vol. I.2, pp. 316-18; Burnett 2020b, p. 1357)
