Forms: α. 4–7 coyne, 4–8 coyn, (5 cune), 6–7 coine, 6– coin. β. 4–6 coygne, 5–6 coigne; see also COIGN. γ. 6. quoyne, qwyne, qwoyne, 7 quoin; see also QUOIN. δ. For the Sc. forms, see CUNYE. [a. F. coin wedge, corner; also die for stamping money or medals; ‘also, a coyne, or stamp, vpon a piece’ (Cotgr.). (So called, because the die had the form or action of a wedge.) F. coin ‘wedge,’ in OF. also coing, cuigne = Pr. cunh, conh, Sp. cuño, Pg. cunho, It. conio:—L. cune-um (nom. -us) wedge. Godefroy has also Anglo-Fr. coigne fem., the ‘coin’ with which money is struck, and coined money.
Formerly spelt indifferently coin, coign, quoin (with many variations); but the spelling coin, though still occasional in all senses, is now appropriated to the sense ‘money’; in the senses ‘wedge,’ ‘corner-stone,’ etc., the spelling is generally, though not always, QUOIN; COIGN is retained in the Shakespearean phrase ‘coign of vantage,’ and is occasional in that of ‘wedge.’]
I. Wedge, corner, angle.
1. A corner-stone of a wall or building; also, one of the wedge-shaped stones of an arch. Now usually QUOIN; cf. COIGN 2. Hence † Coin-stone.
1350. in Riley, Mem. Lond. (1868), 262. 600 [of] coynston.
1428. in Heath, Grocer’s Comp. (1869), 6. Ashler, coyne, skew, ragge.
1556. in Worth, Tavistock Par. Acc. (1887), 24. To heue to Coynes in the Styple.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 489. This lye beyng as it were the coyne of the whole buildyng.
1607. Shaks., Cor., V. iv. 1. See you yond Coin a’ th Capitol, yond corner stone?
1751. Labelye, Westm. Br., 21. The Coins, or Voussoirs, or Arch Stones.
1767. Lewis trans. Statius’ Thebaid, X. (R.). Hurling down The coins and beams compacted.
1843. Portlock, Geol., 671. Basalts … relieved by limestone or freestone coins.
† 2. gen. A corner, angle. Obs.
1545. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, Hhh 4. The ryghte coygne or angle of the wombe.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 110. Acantium, built by the Rhodians, in another coine or canton of that coast.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, V. i. (1611), 240. The coins or corners of their … different Colours doe all meet in the Center of the Shield.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., X. 502. The Lyon, red, and rag’d, two times diuided From coyne to coyne, as Heraulds haue decyded.
1658. Evelyn, Fr. Gard. (1675), 14. Be careful not to plant any trees in the coines or angels of your walls.
† 3. A wedge; spec. a. one placed between casks on board ship (see CANTIC a.); b. in Gunnery, one used for raising and lowering pieces of ordnance; c. in Printing, one for locking up type in a forme. Now usually written QUOIN, less commonly COIGN; see these.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXXVII. xxxi. 963. Resembling the forme of a wedge or coin.
1622. F. Markham, Bk. War, III. ii. 86. Coins with which to raise up the breech of the peece.
1678. Phillips, Coins … also pieces of wood that Printers make use of to fasten the Letters into the Frames.
1692. in Capt. Smith’s Seaman’s Gram., II. xxii. 135. Stop the Motion of the Piece with a Coyne.
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., Cantique Coins, which are short, and having three Edges, they are used in a Ship to put between Cask and Cask to keep them from rowling one against another in the Hold.
1779. Forrest, Voy. N. Guinea, 167. Like what seamen call a gunner’s coin or wedge.
d. Comb. † Coin-formed, wedge-shaped.
1600. Holland, Livy, XL. xl. 1085. The Celtiberians … cast their companies into a pointed and coin-formed battaillon [cuneo].
II. A die, stamp, piece of money.
† 4. A die for stamping money; a mint. b. The device stamped upon money; stamp, impress. Obs.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. IV. 112. Bere no seluer ouer see þat bereþ signe of þe kyng [v.r. þat coyn of kyng schewith], Nouþer Grotes ne gold I-graue with the kynges Coroune [v.r. wiþ kinges coyn]. Ibid. (1393), C. II. 46. God askede of hem whas was þe coygne.
1512. Act 4 Hen. VIII., c. 19 § 14. Silver and havynge the prente of the Coigne of this realme.
1559. in Tytler, Hist. Scotl. (1864), III. 394. The Lords of Scotland … removed to Lithgow, where they … will set up a coin, saying, they shall coyne a good part of their plate.
1581. W. Stafford, Exam. Compl., ii. (1876), 60. Why doe Kynges … stricke these mettalles … with a Coyne?
1682. Dryden, Medal, 144. The Stamp and Coyn of their adopted Lord.
5. A piece of metal (gold, silver, copper, etc.) of definite weight and value, usually a circular disc, made into money by being stamped with an officially authorized device; a piece of money.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Clerk’s T., 1112. Though the coyn be fair at eye.
1483. Cath. Angl., 86. A Cune of ye money, nummisme.
1579. Fulke, Confut. Sanders, 651. The image of Cæsar in his coyne, proueth that it may be giuen to Cæsar.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., II. vii. 56. A coyne that beares the figure of an Angell Stampt in gold.
1661. T. Mun, Eng. Treasure (1664), 77. More Bullion and forraign Coines.
1694. R. L’Estrange, Fables, 161. Agreed … that such and such forms of civility, like some adulterate Quoins, shall pass current for so much.
1838. Murray’s Handbk. N. Germ., 35/1. A series of Japanese coins and medals.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 62. These exchanges … might have been all effected with a single coin.
6. (without pl.) Coined money, esp. that in circulation or current; specie, money.
In slang use this has passed into ‘Cash, money generally,’ as in ‘I haven’t the coin to do it.’
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 138. To-fore the time er gold was smite In coigne.
1406. Hoccleve, Misrule, 133. Lak of coyn departith compaignie.
1530. Palsgr., 487. He hath clypped the kynges quoyne.
1556. Chron. Gr. Friars (1852), 5. A proclamacion for the new qwyne that no man should speak ill of it.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, I. xlvi. Coine is the sineus of warre.
1735. Berkeley, Querist, § 475. Wealth is really power, and coin a ticket conveying power.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 695. The manufacturers generally contrived … to pay their workmen in coin.
7. fig.
a. 1569. Kingesmyll, Confl. Satan (1578), 4. A faire tongue with a foule heart is false quoyne.
1671. Milton, Samson, 189. I learn … How counterfeit a coin they are who ‘friends’ Bear in their superscription.
1849. Robertson, Serm., Ser. I. i. (1866), 7. Words are … the coins of intellectual exchange.
1865. Swinburne, Poems & Ball., A Litany, 66. Not with fine gold … But with coin of sighs.
b. Phr. To pay any one in his own coin: to treat him as he has treated others; to give him tit for tat.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Apol., 70. For us to defend our selves and pay them with their owne Coyne.
1690. J. Mackenzie, Siege London-Derry, 32/1. The Besieged … repay them from the Walls in the same coyn.
1713. Guardian, No. 72. If they pay the slanderer in his own coin.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), I. iv. 200. If Lewis was ambitious, turbulent, and perfidious, he was but paying off Hugh and William in their own coin.
8. Comb., as coin-fancier, -spinning, -stamp, -tester, -type; coin-assorter, a device for assorting coins according to size or weight; coin-balance, a delicate and accurate balance for weighing gold coins; † coin-cormorant, one greedy for money, an avaricious person; coin-counter, a device to facilitate the counting of coins; † coin-courser, a money-changer; † coinye-house (cunye-), Sc. a mint; coin-made a., made of or by means of coin; in quot. ‘mercenary, or simoniacal’ (Davies); † coin-smiter, a COINER, q.v.
1594. J. Dickenson, Arisbas (1878), 55. These *Coyne-cormorants, these Money-mongers.
1652. Urquhart, Jewel, Wks. (1834), 212. A knot of Scotish bankers, collybists, or *coine-coursers.
1886. O. W. Holmes, Mortal Antip., Introd. 2. A *coin-fancier would say … just enough of antiquity to spot them with rust.
1559–66. Hist. Estate Scotl., in Misc. Wodr. Soc. (1844), 63. The Lords of the Congregation had taken the printting goods of the *coinye-house.
1613. Davies, Muse’s Teares, 13 (D.). *Coyne-made Pastors let the flock decay.
1884. St. James’s Gaz., 5 Dec., 6/1. At *coin-spinning the game generally played is ‘odd man wins.’
1850. Leitch, Müller’s Anc. Art, § 97. 65. The arts of engraving precious stones and *coin-stamps. Ibid., § 406. 546. The inventors of Roman *coin-types.
1872. Yeats, Growth Comm., 367. A company … inspected by an official, the *coin-tester.
Coin, a mod. Dict. spelling of ME. COYN, quince.
