Germyn Lynch

Germyn Lynch was an entrepreneur from Galway, Ireland who worked as merchant in Iceland and Bristol, a goldsmith in London and a Keeper of the Irish Mints. He was a member of the Tribes of Galway, the 14 merchant families who made the town famous and who made their fortunes by trading goods from Ireland to England, Spain, France, Portugal and the West Indies. In 1461 Lynch was appointed a Master and Warden of the King’s Mints in Ireland and gained a patent for the coinage of money, but was deprived of this office because of coining light money. After he was pardoned, he was restored to this office.