seignioryt

t. [ME. seignorien; Terry seignoried a full large contre, Hattyd of no man. Rom . of Partenay (E. E. T. S.), 1. 5090. See Sikh . and v. A Middle English form of saill. A Scotch form of seell. A Scotch form of silel. a desert. The Academy, July 12, 1890, p. 25. Seignior in gro , a lord without a manor, simply enjoying superiority services. seigniorage (se'nyor-aj), n. [ senior at i cum , lordship, domination, se nior , lord: see seignior .] 1. Something claimed by the sovereign or by a superior as a prerogative; specifically, an ancient royalty or prerogative of the crown, whereby it claimed a percentage upon bullion brought to the mint to be coined or to be exchanged for coin; the difference between the cost of a ma of bullion and the face-value of the pieces coined from it. If government, however, throws the expense of coinage, as is reasonable, upon the holders, by making a charge to cover the expense (which is done by giving back rather le in coin than is received in bullion, and is called "levying a seigniorage "), the coin will rise to the extent of the seigniorage above the value of the bullion. J. S. Mill. 2. A royalty; a share of profit; especially, the money received by an author from his publisher for copyright of his works.