English coinage of the Angevin Plantagenets

[Deeman]

Edward I halfpennies

15mm nom. diameter, weight 0.67g.



1280-81 class 3b.
Obverse inscription +ЄDW R' ANGL' DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





1280-81 class 3 with inner wire circle on obverse and reverse.
Obverse inscription +ЄDW R' ANGL' DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





1280-81 class 3c.
Obverse inscription +ЄDW R' ANGL' DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription VILL / A BR / ISTO / LLIЄ, Bristol.





1285-89 class 4.
Obverse inscription +ЄDW R' ANGL' DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





1285-89 class 4.
Obverse inscription +ЄDW R' ANGL' DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription VILL / A BR / ISTO / LLIЄ, Bristol.





1292-96 class 6.
Obverse inscription +ЄDW R' ANGL' DNS hyB, 'N' is double-barred, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





1292-94 class 7.
Obverse inscription +ЄDW R' ANGL' DNS hyB, 'N' is double-barred, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





Class 8 assessed.
Obverse inscription +ЄDW [R'] ANGL' DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription VILL / A BЄ / RЄV / VICI, Berwick-on-Tweed.





1301-05 class 10ab.
Obverse inscription +ЄDWA R' ANGL' DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





Class 10 piedfort.
Obverse inscription +ЄDWARDVS RЄX AII, unbarred 'N' after second 'A', cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.

The word 'piedfort' originates from the French 'piefort' meaning heavy weight or heavy measure. It is a coin or pattern about twice the weight and thickness of a regular issue. In England, the piedfort first made an appearance during the reign of Edward I in the form of thick silver pennies. As there was no centralised mint in the Middle Ages, it is surmised that piedforts were given to various mints outside London so engravers could copy the design.

[Deeman]

Long cross farthings

Long cross farthings made their appearance in 1279 and were issued in the reigns of Edward I, Edward II and Edward III. They are divided into four groups, A-D, and were struck across five mints:

Bristol mint (CIVITAS BRISTOLLIE)
Lincoln mint (CIVITAS LINCOL)
London mint (CIVITAS LONDON, LONDONIENSIS, (rarely LONDRIENSIS).
Newcastle mint (VILLA NOVICASTRI)
York mint (VILLA EBORACI)

Berwick mint (VILLA BERVVICI) also struck farthings, but from local dies and cannot be strictly categorised.

Group A

These farthings struck from debased silver with a diameter of 13mm. They have an obverse inner beaded circle and an obverse inscription ЄDWARDVS RЄX and are basically divided into two classes, 1 & 2.
Class 1 (1279) is only from the London mint with reverse inscription LONDONIENSIS (rarely LONDRIENSIS). There are no intermediate ornaments on crown.
Class 2 (1280) types were struck in Bristol, London and York with reverse inscriptions CIVITAS BRISTOLLIE, LONDONIENSIS or VILLA EBORACI respectively. The letter 'N' is usually retrograde.

Group B

The fineness of silver was restored in 1280 and its size reduced as a consequence to 11mm. The obverse was redesigned, the beaded inner circle was removed and the inscription was shortened. These measures relinquished more space for the king's head, but the changing proportions of the design gave the coins a somewhat different appearance to their halfpenny and penny counterparts.
Group B is basically divided into four classes, 3, 4, 5 and 6-7 and all have the obverse inscription Є R ANGLIЄ. The early coins of this group, class 3 (1280-81), can be linked to equivalent penny types by the similarity of their crowns. Referring to the section 'Recoinage long cross pennies', under class 3 crown illustrations the styles that are applicable are middle (Bristol, Lincoln and London) and right (Newcastle and York) on the top row and bottom right (Bristol and London).
No farthings were struck between Oct 1281 and May 1285, and when striking recommenced it was only at London for classes 4 (1285-89), 5 (1289-96) and 6-7 (1289-96), all bearing the reverse inscription CIVITAS LONDON.
Class 4 farthings have a face similar to class 3.
Class 5 farthings have a markedly larger crown that has the appearance of being too large for the king's head. The face is also larger and rounder.
Class 6-7 farthings have a crown with more slender proportions and less splayed than class 5 and most examples display a swollen cheek on the right side of the king's face.

Group C

Farthing in this group consist of two classes, 8 and 9, both covering the period 1294-1301 and bearing the inscription Є R ANGL DN with the inner beaded circle omitted. Extremely difficult to link to the equivalent penny types.
Class 8 farthings are distinguished from class 9 by having a trifoliate crown with very large side fleurs on long stalks.

Group D

Farthing in his group consist of four classes, 10 for Edward I and classes 10-11, 13 and 15d for Edward II (to 1335). They all have the inner circle restored to the obverse and were only struck in London and Berwick.
Class 10 types have a narrow 'N' with incurved sides on the obverse and a low central fleur on the crown. They have the following inscriptions, EDWARDVS REX, EDWARDVS REX A, EDWARDVS REX AN or EDWARDVS REX ANG. The latter one only appears in this class.
Class 10-11 types have the inscriptions EDWARDVS REX, EDWARDVS REX A or EDWARDVS REX AN with some strikes exhibiting errors in the form of EDWADVS REX AN, EDWARDVS REX AX or EDWARDVS RX AN. Several varieties exist with obverse legends that begin in odd positions (2 o'clock, 6 o'clock, etc.), rather than the usual 12 o'clock position. Obverse letter 'N' is usually narrow with incurved sides and unbarred, and the two uprights often merge to form the appearance of a rectangle.
Class 13 farthings have a crown with a distinctive left side fleur, the inner leaf of which curls downwards and touches the crown band forming a loop. The initial cross is usually made up of four wedges. Obverse inscriptions are EDWARDVS REX, EDWARDVS REX A or EDWARDVS REX AN.
Class 15d farthings have an obverse inscription EDWARDVS REX AG which only appears in this class.

Star mark groups

In 1335, it was decided to reduce the weight and fineness of halfpennies and farthings only. They are readily identifiable by the presence of a star, usually in both the obverse and reverse legends. The silver of these issues is 0.833 fine. The farthings struck between 1335-43, in the reign of Edward III, all have six-pointed stars and are categorised into 2 classes – SM1 & SM2. They were produced from the London mint. No star-marked farthings have been discovered from the Reading mint, but permission to produce them most certainly existed.

SMI: These farthings have a very low crown without intermediate ornaments. The obverse inscription is either EDWARDVS REX A*; EDWARDVS REX AA*, EDWARDVS REX AN, EDWARDVS REX AN* or EDWARDVS REX ANG*.
The star on reverse was after CIVITAS.
SM2: These farthings have a tall crown without intermediate ornaments. The obverse inscription was EDWARDVS REX ANG*. The reverse inscription is either *CIVITAS LONDON, CIVITAS *LONDON or CIVITAS LONDON*.

In 1344 the fineness of all denominations was restored, but the weight was reduced by about ten percent.

[Deeman]

Edward I farthings

Group A: debased silver, diameter 13mm, weight 0.47g.



4 Aug - Dec 1279 class 1.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDVVARDVS RЄX, no intermediate ornaments on crown.
Reverse inscription is LON / DON / IЄN / SIS, London.





1280 class 2.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWARDVS RЄX.
Reverse inscription is LOИ / DOИ / IEИ / SIS, 'N' is retrograde, London.



Group B: fine silver, diameter 11mm, weight 0.39g.



1280-81 class 3.
Obverse inscription is +Є R ANGLIЄ, no inner beaded circle.
Reverse inscription is LON / DON / IEN / SIS, London.





1285-89 class 4.
Obverse inscription is +Є R ANGLIЄ, no inner beaded circle.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





1289-96 class 5.
Obverse inscription is +Є R ANGLIЄ, no inner beaded circle.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





1289-96 class 6-7.
Obverse inscription is +Є R ANGLIЄ, no inner beaded circle.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.



Group C:



1294-1301 class 8.
Obverse inscription is +Є R ANGL DNI, no inner beaded circle.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON/ DON, London.





1294-1301 class 9.
Obverse inscription is +Є R AIIGL DII, unbarred 'Ns', no inner beaded circle.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LOII/ DOII, unbarred 'Ns' London.



Group D:



1301-05 class 10.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWARDVS RЄX ANG, inner beaded circle restored.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.

[Deeman]

Edward I groats

In Edward I's recoinage of 1279, seven distinct varieties of groat, A-G, have been identified. The obverse depicts a crowned bust facing in a quadrilobe circumscribed by an inscription in the form of +ЄDWARDVS: D'I: GRA': RЄX: AnGL', the initial mark being a cross pattée. This translates to 'Edward by the grace of God, King of England'. The reverse design is a long cross fourchée, upon twin concentric inscriptions with a trefoil of pellets in each inner angle. The outer inscription is in the form of :DN'S / hIBn / Є DVX / AQVT' which translates to 'Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine' and the inner inscription is LOn / DOn / IA C / IVI, for the City of London, both being divided by the quadrants of the cross.

They were not well received for daily and monetary use with many being used as jewellery. Production was short-lived probably ceasing in the early 1280s. A successful groat coinage would not be introduced until the reign of Edward III.

Variety A: Flat crown with a thin shaped band and pellet ornaments. A late variety has crescents above the band, between the ornaments, as in variety B. Small face with short hair. Drapery of two wedges with a rosette below. Trefoils in the spandrels, with pellet centres or annulet centres. Colon stops.
Variety B: Crown with four crescents carrying the pearl ornaments above the band. Larger face than variety A with less bushy hair. Drapery is an indented band with rosette in centre. Triple pellet stops.
Variety C: Crown with a thick plain band, a central fleur as variety B, and pearl ornaments. Face and hair of variety B. Drapery is a curved double band with hooked ends and a rosette in the centre. Colon stops.
Variety D: Crown with a tall central fleur and spearhead ornaments. Bushy hair and pointed chin. Curved drapery with a rosette in the centre. Pelleted trefoils in spandrels. Thick waisted 'S'. Colon stops.
Variety E: Crown of variety D. Wider face than variety D with pellet in oval eyes and bushier hair. More curved drapery with no ornament in centre. Thin or thick-waisted 'S'. Colon or triple pellet stops.
Variety F: Crown of variety D. New face and hair. Drapery of two wedges with three pellets in the centre or below. Thick-waisted 'S'. Tressure of two or three lines. Triple pellet stops.
Variety G: Crown with bifoliate side fleurs. Face as variety F with new 'wire-line' hair. Drapery of converging lines in wedge shape. Tressure of two lines. Trefoils in the spandrels composed of three annulets. 'St Andrew's cross 'X' with colon stops and two annulets after ANGL.

[Deeman]

Edward I groats

Diameter 27mm, weight 5.7g.



Variety A, pelleted trefoils.
The crown is flat with a thin shaped band and pellet ornaments. Small-faced bust with short hair and drapery of two wedges with a rosette below. Quadrilobe with inner and outer beading. Pierced cinquefoil either side of head and pelleted trefoil in each spandrel. Colon stops.





Variety A, trefoils with annulets.
The crown has a tall central fleur and spearhead ornaments. The bust has bushy hair with pointed chin and curved drapery with a central rosette. Quadrilobe with inner and outer beading. Pierced cinquefoil either side of head and trefoil with annulet in each spandrel. Colon stops.





Variety B.
Crown with four crescents carrying the pearl ornaments above the band. The bust has a larger face with less bushy hair and curved drapery with a central rosette. Quadrilobe with inner and outer beading. Pierced cinquefoil either side of head and pelleted trefoil in each spandrel. Triple pellet stops.





Variety D.
The crown has a tall central fleur and spearhead ornaments. The bust has bushy hair with pointed chin and curved drapery with a central rosette. Quadrilobe with inner and outer beading. Pierced cinquefoil either side of head and pelleted trefoil in each spandrel. Colon stops.





Variety E.
The crown has a tall central fleur and spearhead ornaments. Wider-faced bust with bushy hair and with pellet in oval eyes. Quadrilobe with inner and outer beading. Pierced cinquefoil either side of head and pelleted trefoil in each spandrel. Colon stops.





Variety F.
The crown has a tall central fleur and spearhead ornaments. Wider-faced bust with short hair and drapery made of two wedges with three pellets below. Quadrilobe with two lines. Pierced cinquefoil either side of head and pelleted trefoil in each spandrel. Triple pellet stops.

[Deeman]

Edward II

Edward was the fourth son of Edward I and was the first English prince to hold the title Prince of Wales, which was bestowed on him by his father in 1301.

Edward I died in July 1307 and, his three elder brothers having pre-deceased him, Edward became king. Edward II had few of the qualities that made a successful mediaeval king. He was regarded as a weak king, not only through his lack of military ambition, but because of his total lack of interest in matters of state. He preferred gardening and basket-weaving to soldiery and government. On his accession, he immediately recalled his favourite, Piers Gaveston, an affected knight from Gascony, from exile whom his father had banished to France for his bad influence on his son. On 25 Jan 1308, in Boulogne, he married Princess Isabella, daughter of King Phillip IV.

Opposition to the king and his favourite began almost immediately. The barons, feeling excluded from power, rebelled and in 1311 the nobles issued the 'Ordinances', which attempted to limit royal control of finance and appointments. Gaveston was twice exiled at the demand of the barons, only to return to England shortly afterwards. In 1312, he was captured and executed by the barons.

In 1314, Edward invaded Scotland, only to be decisively defeated by Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn. Edward was now even more unpopular. Power was now in the hands of the barons headed by Edward's cousin Thomas of Lancaster, who by 1315 had made himself the real ruler of England. Yet Lancaster did little to initiate reform and parts of the country collapsed into anarchy.

By 1318, Edward and Lancaster had been partly reconciled, but the king had two new favourites, Hugh le Despenser and his son. When Edward supported the two Despensers' ambitions in Wales, a group of barons banished both father and son, prompting Edward to fight back. He defeated Lancaster, who had appealed to the Scots for help, at Boroughbridge in Mar 1322, beheading him at Pontefract and recalling the Despensers, with whom he now ruled.

The Despensers now caused the enmity of Edward's queen, Isabella. It seems that after the death of Lancaster, Isabella grew distant from Edward. It is difficult to say how close they ever were, since Edward had insulted Isabella at their coronation by his show of affection for Gaveston, but she had borne the king four children.

Finally, in 1326, Edward's wife, led an invasion against her husband. In 1327 Edward was made to renounce the throne in favour of his son Edward (the first time that an anointed king of England had been dethroned since Ethelred in 1013). Edward II was murdered at Berkeley Castle later in 1327.

Though a strangely matched couple, Edward and Isabella produced one of England's greatest kings, Edward III.

[Deeman]

Edward II coinage

The rapid influx of silver into the mint which marked the conclusion of the reign of Edward I continued for some years in the reign of his son. It was not until 1321 that silver paid into the mint falls to a negligible amount and coins were not struck in any great quantities thereafter.

The coins attributed to Edward II are of the recoinage type brought in under Edward I. Edward II only issued pennies, halfpennies and farthings. Distinguished by the king's crown, the classes, as noted under Edward I's section, are:
Pennies fall into classes 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15a, b, & c.
Halfpennies fall into class 10-11 (1), (2) & (3).
Farthings fall into classes 10-11, 13 and 15d.

[Deeman]

Edward II pennies



1307-10 class 10cf.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWA R ANGL DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / CAN / TOR, Canterbury.





1307-10 class 10cf.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWA R ANGL DNS hyB, cross moline initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / DVR / ЄMЄ, Durham (Bishop Bek 1284-1311).





1310-14 class 11.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWA R ANGL DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / CAN / TOR, Canterbury.





1310-14 class 11.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWA R ANGL DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is VILL / SCIЄ / DMV / NDI, Bury St. Edmunds.





1310-14 class 11.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWA R ANGL DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / DVN / ЄLM, crozier on cross, Durham (Bishop Kellawe 1311-16).





1314-17 class 12.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R ANGL DnS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / CAN / TOR, Canterbury.





1315-17 class 13.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R ANGL DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / CAN / TOR, Canterbury.





1317-19 class 14.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R ANGL DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / CAN / TOR, Canterbury.





1317-19 class 14.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R ANGL DNS hyB, lis-lion-lis initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / DVN / ЄLM, Durham (Bishop Beaumont 1317-33).





Class 14 style piedfort, weight 8.27g, thickness 3mm.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R ANGL DDS hyB, DDS error, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / CAN / TOR, Canterbury.

Being a cast of a coarse nature with tiny bubble effect evident, the detail therefore a little soft. Surfaces a little scraped. This piece has two lettering styles on the obverse side suggesting a pattern piece to demonstrate styles to be used by die-cutters in their workshop, to show how the various punches perhaps display once a die is cut and finished.





1321-27 class 15c.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R ANGL DNS hyB, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is VILL / SCIЄ / DMV / NDI, Bury St. Edmunds.

[Deeman]

Edward II halfpennies



Class 10-11 (2).
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWARDVS RЄX A', cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





Class 10-11 (2), struck from London-made dies.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWARDVS RЄX AN, cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is ·VIL / LA B / ЄRЄ / WICI, Berwick-on-Tweed.





Class 10-11 (3).
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWARDVS RЄX ANGL', cross pattée initial mark.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London. Double-barred second 'N' on coin to right.

[Deeman]

Edward II farthings



Class 10-11, struck from London-made dies.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWARDVS RЄX, inner beaded circle restored.
Reverse inscription is :VIL / LA B / ЄRЄ / WICI, extra pellet in WICI quadrant, Berwick-on-Tweed.





Class 10-11.
Obverse inscription is ЄDWARDVS RЄX A, inner beaded circle restored.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LOII / DOII, unbarred 'N', London.





Class 10-11, inscription starts at 9.30 o'clock.
Obverse inscription is ЄDWARDVS RЄX A, inner beaded circle restored.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.





Class 13.
Obverse inscription is ЄDWARDVS RЄX AII, inner beaded circle restored.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LOII / DOII, unbarred 'N', London.





Class 15d.
Obverse inscription is ЄDWARDVS RЄX AG, inner beaded circle restored.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / LON / DON, London.

[Deeman]

Edward III

Edward's 50-year reign was one of the longest in English history. He became king at the young age of 14 after his father Edward II had been deposed by Edward's mother the queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. In his early years he was little more than a puppet of his mother and Mortimer. In 1328 he married Philippa of Hainault who would be his wife for the next 40 years with the couple producing 12 children, half of whom survived beyond their teens. At the age of 17 Edward had his revenge on his mother and Mortimer, successfully leading a coup which saw Mortimer executed and his mother bundled off into retirement at Castle Rising in Norfolk.

The accomplishments of Edward's reign were many and varied. He is credited with bringing stability to the country after the disastrous reign of his father. He was a widely admired knight who was also feared by his enemies as a bold military commander. Much of his reign took place during the Hundred Years War with France, and by 1340 Edward had declared himself also King of France. This was outrageous to the French, and the war continued until it was ended in 1360 by treaty.

Meantime, Edward ruled over a rich country at a time when chivalry was at its height. He held jousting and other tournaments, and he founded the Order of the Garter in 1344. This chivalric order was officially instituted in 1348, its membership limited to the king and just 24 knights.

In June 1348 the first instance of the Black Death in England was reported at Weymouth in Dorset. The epidemic had its origins in China and travelled along the trade routes from the east to the capital of the Khans of the Golden Horde at Sarai (modern Russia). From here it spread via the Genoese trading stations on the Black Sea to Constantinople and then into the Mediterranean Sea. By the summer of 1348 it had attacked most of the cities of Italy, southern France and eastern and southern Spain and then moved into England. Estimates suggest that between a third and a half of the population was killed by the disease and the royal family did not escape unscathed. The infant Thomas of Windsor died aged about one year old, but more problematic from a political perspective was the death of Edward's daughter Joan. She was betrothed to the king of Castile Pedro I "the Cruel" but died in France en route to Spain.

Some of the most famous English military successes of the medieval period came in the early part of Edward III's reign. Chief among these was that at Crécy in northern France on 26 Aug 1346 where an English force led by Edward defeated a larger one under the French king Philip IV. Edward III had a claim to the French crown through his mother. This battle was a key victory in the Hundred Years War and led to the capture of Calais which would remain in English hands well into the 15th century. In the same year another English army routed an invading Scottish army at Neville's Cross, near Durham, and captured the Scottish king David II. While the first half of the reign was generally a success the second half was marred by military failure and political problems at home. Edward died at Sheen in 1377 and was succeeded by his grandson Richard II, son of Edward the Black Prince who had perished a year earlier.

[Deeman]

Edward III coinage

The first coins attributed to Edward III are silver pennies of the type brought in under Edward I but these were not struck in any great quantity. No pennies were struck between 1331 and 1344 and during that period only fractional pennies were issued. Technically the penny (of fine silver) remained an authorised issue, but it was uneconomic to strike it. Having said that, a single penny has been found struck by the abbot at Reading. In 1338 Edward III revived Reading Abbeys minting rights originally granted in the 12th century, and documentary evidence confirms that a pair of penny dies were delivered to the abbot in Nov 1338. Presumably the abbot was so pleased with his new minting rights that he wished to strike coins carrying his own mark despite the financial consequences.

In 1335, Edward's 'second coinage' was issued and continued until 1344. This consisted entirely of slightly debased silver (0.833 fine) halfpennies and farthings minted at London and, for the first time, Reading. Based on Edward I's recoinage, these new fractional coins are termed 'star marked' as they bear a small star of six or eight points somewhere in the inscription. The types are identified within the appropriate sections under Edward I's recoinage.

There is also the Berwick coinage 1333-42 to consider which ran somewhat parallel with the second coinage. These coins were struck from locally made dies, which do not conform to the classification system. They have a bear's head motif on the reverse which is the device of the town.

After the limited issue of small silver coins in the 'second coinage', a 'third coinage' of 1344-51 was much more ambitious. The fineness of the silver coins was restored, but the weight was reduced by about ten percent. This coinage is commonly referred to as the 'florin' coinage as in 1344 it was introduced alongside a new gold coin, the double florin, with its half and quarter. The need for a gold coinage at this time was apparent to many, as merchants would typically use foreign gold coins for high-value transactions rather than the heavier equivalents in silver. Within eight months however it was clear that these new English gold coins were not a success. The problem was two-fold. The unit value of the florin was 3/- which was not a convenient fraction against the two monies of account – the pound sterling and the mark (13/4) and, secondly, they were rated too high in proportion to the silver, a consequence of which found them being generally refused. The florin issue was quickly recalled and a new set of coins – the noble (valued at 6/8 equal to one-third of a pound or half a mark) and its fractions were introduced bearing fine Gothic artistic representations of the king inspired by French prototypes.

The purity of the metal of these coins and their handsome appearance soon led to their being exported and to their being imitated in the Low Countries (Netherlands and Belgium). These forgeries were lighter and less pure. Laws were soon passed against their exportation and the importation of the imitations, but to little purpose. In consequence, in 1346, the weight of the noble was reduced by approximately 7%, and further, in 1351, with the net result that the weight fell to 86.6% of the 1344 issue. The divisions were reduced in proportion. This change in the weight of the gold money brought with it a corresponding lowering of the standard of the silver money. This last year saw also the first issue for currency of the groat and half-groat. Further concentration of the working of the coinage at this time resulted in a reduction in the number of the mints with gold only being struck at London and silver at London, Berwick, Canterbury, Durham, Reading, and York. Groats and half-groats were minted at London and York only.

The coinage from 1351 is divided into four groups; pre-treaty period (1351-60), transitional treaty period (1361-62), treaty period (1362-69) and post-treaty period (1369-77). They are divided by the style of the letters, the reading of the obverse inscription and the style of the initial mark. Pennies, halfpennies and farthings have the long cross design as previous issues.

The treaty referred to is the Treaty of Brétigny, which was signed on 9 May 1360 between Edward III and John II (the Good) of France and ratified on 24 Oct. It was the result of substantial military victories over France and through the treaty, for a brief period, England gained control over vast portions of France. Edward III now relaxed his claim to the French throne, so that he no longer styled himself as King of France in the Latin titles on the coinage. This all changed in 1369 when the captive King John II died and his son became King Charles V of France, continuing the Hundred Years' War.

An English colony had been founded in Calais in 1347. A mint was initiated for the purpose of trade soon after, but came to nothing. By I362, Edward's financial difficulties were bringing Calais into prominence as the sole centre of the English wool export trade and in the discussion on this proposal in Parliament the old complaints against the losses on the foreign exchange under existing circumstances were quoted in favour of the scheme. A mint at Calais opened on 20 Feb 1362 (Julian calendar) striking coins to the English standard thus marking the end of the transitional treaty period.

[Deeman]

Edward III first coinage 1327-31

This coinage was a carry-over from Edward I's recoinage and relates to class 15d pennies. This class mainly has a Lombardic letter 'N' in both obverse and reverse inscriptions.





1327-31 class 15d.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R' AnGL' DnS hyB.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / DVNЄ / LMI, crown within lozenge on cross, Durham (Bishop Lewis de Beaumont 1317-33 or Bishop Richard de Bury 1333-45).





1327-31 class 15d.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R' AnGL' DnS hyB.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / CAn / TOR, three extra small pellets in TAS quadrant, Canterbury.





1327-31 class 15d.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWAR R' AnGL' DnS hyB.
Reverse inscription CIVI / TAS / ЄBO / RACI, quatrefoil at centre of cross, York episcopal (Archbishop William de Melton 1317-40).

[Deeman]

Edward III second coinage 1335-44

Star-marked halfpennies and farthings.





Halfpenny class SM1.
Obverse inscription is ЄDWARDVS RЄX AN*, unbarred 'N'.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / *LON / DON, unbarred 'N', London.





Farthing class SM1.
Obverse inscription is ЄDWARDVS RЄX AII*, unbarred 'N'.
Reverse inscription is CIVI / TAS / *LOII / DOII, unbarred 'N', London.

[Deeman]

Edward III Berwick issues 1333-42

Halfpennies were struck with the obverse inscription +ЄDWARDVS AnG D with a bear's head in one quadrant.
Halfpennies and farthings were struck with various obverse inscriptions but with a bear's head in two quadrants.





1333-42 halfpenny.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWARDVS D' GR'.
Reverse inscription is VIL / LA B / ЄRV / ICI, bear's head in two quadrants, Berwick-on-Tweed.





1333-42 halfpenny.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDVVARDVS DЄI GRA.
Reverse inscription is VIL / LA B / ЄRV / ICI, bear's head in two quadrants, Berwick-on-Tweed.





1333-42 farthing.
Obverse inscription is +ЄDWARD:D':GRA'.
Reverse inscription is VIL / LA B / ЄRV / ICI, bear's head in two quadrants, Berwick-on-Tweed.