SEIGNORAGE, is a royalty or prerogative of the king, whereby he claims an allowance of gold and silver brought in the mass to be exchanged for coin. As seigniorage, out of every pound weight of gold, the king had for his coin 5s. of which he paid to the master of the mint sometimes 1s. and sometimes 1s. 6d. Upon every pound weight of silver, the seigniorage allowed to the king in the time of Edward III. was 18 penny-weights, which then amounted to about 1s. out of which he paid 8d. or 9d. to the master. In the reign of King Henry V. the king's seigniorage of every pound of silver was 1sd. See COINAGE, SUPPLEMENT.