at face value

Latin, ad numerum, ad compotum.

Coins were subject to debasement from wear, tear and clipping, despite regular re-coinages. Nevertheless, in most cases they were accepted 'at face value', as Domesday explicitly records on occasions. Where this was not the case - mostly on royal manors - the coins were either assayed or an arbitrary allowance was made for debasement.

For more detail on the somewhat complex Domesday terminology, see Sally P.J. Harvey, 'Royal revenue and Domesday terminology', Economic History Review, second series, vol. 20 (1967), pages 221-28, and Sally P.J. Harvey, Domesday: Book of Judgement (2013), chapter 6 and appendix 1.

See also assayed, weighed, and ora.