Combustio Domorum
A New Law Dictionary and Glossary · Alexander M. Burrill · 1850
A New Law Dictionary and Glossary
Lat.
In old English law
The burning of houses; house burning. A term formerly used to denote the crime of arson.
1 Hal. P. (7. 346, [666.] 4 Bl. Com. 373. Bract, fol. 146 b. COMBUSTIO PECUNI^. L.Lat.
In old English law
The burning [that is, melting] of money. The old way of trying mixt and corrupt money, by melting it down upon payments into the exchequer.
Cowell.
In the time of King Henry II. the bishop of Salisbury being treasurer, considered that though the money did answer numero et pondere (in number and weight,) it might be deficient in value, because mixed with copper or brass. Therefore, (consilio regis, et regice simul et publicce provtdere utilitati,) a constitution was made, called the trial by combustion, the practice of which differed in little or nothing from the present method of assaying silver.
Lowndes* Essay upon Coin, 6, cited in Cowell.