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Anglo-Gallic Coinage

Started by Deeman, July 04, 2023, 04:34:10 PM

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Deeman

Edward I Ponthieu Denier & Obole

The denier had a diameter of 20mm, obole 16-17mm. The obverse design is a cross pattée with annulet in alternate quarters either first and fourth or second and third, all within an inner circle with a circumscription translating to 'King Edward'. The reverse design has MONETA PONTI between lines (Ponthieu mint, derived from the Latin 'Pagus Pontivi'), saltire flanked by annulets above and below.

Edward I denier, Ponthieu, S8022.jpg

1283-90 Ponthieu denier.
Obverse circumscription is + EDOARDVS REX, annulet first and fourth quarters.
Reverse inscription is + mOИETA / PO[N]TI, ИE in ligature.

Edward I obole, Ponthieu, S8023.jpg

1283-90 Ponthieu obole.
Obverse circumscription is + EDOARDVS REX, annulet first and fourth quarters.
Reverse inscription is + mONETA / PO[N]TI, NE in ligature.

Deeman

Edward II

Edward's first title, Count of Ponthieu, was inherited on 28 Nov 1290, when his mother Queen Eleanor died. He was just six years old, the youngest of his mother's six surviving children, but the only boy. Ponthieu was a small, but strategically important, county in northern France, bordering Normandy. On 2 Sep 1325, at Langdon Abbey, Edward relinquished the title and lands of Ponthieu to his son Edward of Windsor (Edward III).

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. 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 1307/8, in Boulogne, he married Princess Isabella, daughter of 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.

The disagreements between Edward and the French Crown over the Duchy of Gascony led to the War of Saint-Sardos in 1324. Charles, Edward's brother-in-law, had become King of France in 1322 and was more aggressive than his predecessors. In 1323, he insisted that Edward come to Paris to give homage for Gascony, and demanded that Edward's administrators in Gascony allow French officials there to carry out orders given in Paris. Matters came to a head in Oct when a group of Edward's soldiers hanged a French sergeant for attempting to build a new fortified town in the Agenais, a contested section of the Gascon border. Edward denied any responsibility for this incident, but relations between Edward and Charles soured. Charles mobilised his army and ordered the invasion of Gascony. In response, Edward ordered the arrest of any French persons in England and seized Isabella's lands, on the basis that she was of French origin.

Edward opened up fresh negotiations with the French king and Isabella along with Edward's envoys carried out difficult negotiations with the French, arriving at a settlement only after Isabella personally intervened with her brother, Charles. The terms favoured the French Crown. In particular, Edward would give homage in person to Charles for Gascony. Concerned about the consequences of war breaking out once again, Edward agreed to the treaty but decided to give Gascony to his son, Edward, and sent the prince to complete the bargain in Sep 1325.

Edward now expected Isabella and their son to return to England, but instead she remained in France and showed no intention of making her way back. Until 1322, Edward and Isabella's marriage appears to have been successful, but by the time Isabella left for France in 1325, it had deteriorated. She was also angry about the arrest of her household and seizure of her lands in 1324. She led a successful invasion against her husband in 1326.

The title 'Duke of Aquitaine' was bestowed on Edward II in May 1306 when he was twenty-two, though his father continued to use the title for the remaining fourteen months of his life. Edward II relinquished the title to his son on 10 Sep 1325 and renounced his throne at Kenilworth Castle on 20 Jan 1326/7 to his fourteen-year-old son (Edward III) as a consequence of Isabella's invasion. This was the first time that an anointed king of England had been dethroned since Ethelred in 1013. Edward II was later murdered at Berkeley Castle in 1327.

Though a strangely matched couple (Edward had insulted Isabella at their coronation by his show of affection for Gaveston), Edward and Isabella produced one of England's greatest kings, Edward III.

Deeman

Edward II Coinage

French law prohibited feudal lords from striking silver coins prior to 1324. As a result, only deniers and oboles are known from the earlier part of his reign. However, in 1319, the constable of Aquitaine, Richard of Ellesfield who was unfamiliar with the custom of the duchy, struck a silver coin and was promptly removed. The identity of the piece has been subject to speculation. The reverse circumscription of this coin is TVRONVS REGEM, the translation of which is uncertain. TVRONVS maybe means tournois or Tours. REGEM is literally 'to the king' or 'for the king', not 'of the king'. The coin closely copies that of Philippe IV, the reverse inscription of which is TVRONVS CIVIS (city of Tours). Maybe this coin is not just an attempt to profit from the competition between silver standards, but also a daring political statement and Ellesfield became the fall guy when it failed.

Silver coinage began to appear in the duchy after the Saint-Sardos war. The maille blanche was struck in 1325 and the maille blanche Hibernie in 1326, both at the Tower mint.

The first double (denier) was struck in 1325.

Aquitaine denominations:
Double à la couronne (processional cross).
Denier au léopard (mB below lion).
Obole au léopard (mB below lion).
Denier au léopard Bordeaux (mB below lion).
Denier au léopard (G below lion).
Obole au léopard (G below lion).
Denier à la couronne.
Denier au léopard (cross above and below lion).
Obole au léopard (cross above and below lion). No image.
Denier au léopard Bordeaux (cross above and below lion).

Silver denominations:
Gros turonus regem.
Gros maille blanche.
Gros maille blanche Hibernie.

Deeman

Edward II Aquitaine Coinage

Double à la Couronne (processional cross)

The double (denier) à la couronne had a diameter of 23-24mm. The obverse design is a large crown with outer fleurs dividing the circumscription which translates to 'King Edward'. The reverse design is a processional cross within an inner circle and a circumscription, divided by the cross, translating to 'double currency'.

Edward II double à la couronne, processional cross, S8027.jpg

1325 double (denier) à la couronne. Very rare.
Obverse circumscription is + EDV / [V]ARDVS / REX.
Reverse circumscription is + mOnETA / DVPLEX.

Deeman

Edward II Denier & Obole au Léopard (mB below lion)

The denier au léopard had a diameter of 18mm, obole 14mm. The obverse design has a lion left facing above a line with 'ოB'' below (probably meaning moneta Burdegale), within an inner circle and a circumscription translating to 'Edward, King of England'. The reverse design is a cross pattée within an inner circle, crown in either the first, second or fourth quarter, with a circumscription translating to 'Duke of Aquitaine'.

Edward II denier au léopard, mB below lion, crown second quarter, S8028.jpg

1309-15 denier au léopard
Obverse circumscription is + ЄD' RЄX AnGLIЄ, double annulet stops.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX AQITAnIЄ, double annulet stop, crown second quarter.

Edward II obole au léopard, mB below lion, crown first quarter, S8029.jpg

1309-15 obole au léopard
Obverse circumscription is + ЄD' RЄX AnGLIЄ, double annulet stops.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX AQITAnIE, double annulet stop, crown first quarter.

Edward II obole au léopard, mB below lion, crown second quarter, S8029.jpg

1309-15 obole au léopard
Obverse circumscription is + ЄD' RЄX AnGLIЄ, double annulet stops.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX AQITAnIЄ, double annulet stop, crown second quarter.

Deeman

Edward II Denier au Léopard Bordeaux (mB below lion)

The denier au léopard Bordeaux had a diameter of 18mm. The obverse design has a lion left facing above a line with 'ოB'' below (probably meaning moneta Burdegale), within an inner circle and a circumscription translating to 'Edward, King of England'. The reverse design is a cross pattée within an inner circle, crown in second quarter, with a circumscription translating to 'Duke of Aquitaine, Bordeaux'.

Edward II denier au léopard Bordeaux, mB below lion, no Spink ref.jpg

1309-15 denier au léopard Bordeaux. Very rare.
Obverse circumscription is + ЄD' RЄX AnGLIЄ, colon stops.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX AQIT' BVRD, colon stops.

Deeman

Edward II Denier & Obole au Léopard (G below lion)

The denier au léopard had a diameter of 18mm, obole 15mm. The obverse design is a cross pattée within an inner circle with a circumscription translating to 'Edward, King of England'. The reverse design has a lion left facing above a line with 'G' below, within an inner circle and a circumscription translating to 'Duke of Aquitaine'.

Edward II denier au léopard, lion on line, G below, S8031.jpg

Late 1310s denier au léopard. Very rare.
Obverse circumscription is + ED' REX AnGLIE, annulet stops.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX AQITAInE.

Edward II obole au léopard, lion on line, G below, S8032.jpg

Late 1310s obole au léopard. Very rare.
Obverse circumscription is + ED' REX AnGLIE, annulet stops.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX AQITAIIE, annulet stop.

Deeman

Edward II Denier à la Couronne

The denier à la couronne had a diameter of 18mm. The obverse design has 'AGI' between two lines with crown above, 'Є' below, within an inner circle and a circumscription translating to 'King Edward'. The reverse design is a cross pattée with 'Є' in first quarter, within an inner circle and a circumscription translating to 'Duke of Aquitaine, Bordeaux'.

Edward II denier à la couronne, S8030.jpg

c1319 denier à la couronne. Very rare.
Obverse circumscription is + EDVARDVS REX.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX AQIT BVRD, slanting 'Є'.

Deeman

Edward II Denier & Obole au Léopard (cross above and below lion)

The denier au léopard had a diameter of 18mm, obole 15mm. The obverse design has a lion left facing, cross above and below, within an inner circle and a circumscription translating to 'Edward, King of England'. The reverse design is a cross pattée within an inner circle, 'G' in first quarter, with a circumscription translating to 'Duke of Aquitaine'.

There is no image for the obole. Extremely rare.

Edward II denier au léopard, lion between lines, cross above and below, S8033.jpg

Early/mid 1320s denier au léopard.
Obverse circumscription is + ЄDVARDVS RЄX.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX AQITAИIЄ.

Deeman

Edward II Denier au Léopard Bordeaux (cross above and below lion)

The denier au léopard Bordeaux had a diameter of 18mm. The obverse design has a lion left facing, cross above and below, within an inner circle and a circumscription translating to 'Edward, King of England'. The reverse design is a cross pattée within an inner circle, 'G' in second quarter, with a circumscription translating to 'Duke of Aquitaine, Bordeaux'.

Edward II denier au léopard Bordeaux, cross above and below lion, no Spink ref.jpg

Early/mid 1320s denier au léopard Bordeaux.
Obverse circumscription is + ЄDVARDVS RЄX.
Reverse circumscription is + DVX A[QIT]A BVRDЄ.

Deeman

Edward II Silver Coinage

Gros Turonus Regem

The silver gros Turonus regem had a diameter of 27mm. The obverse design has two circumscriptions within beaded circles around a cross pattée. The outer circumscription translates to 'Blessed be the name of our lord God, Jesus Christ' (Benedictum sit nomen domini nostri dei ihesu christi). The inner circumscription translates to 'King Edward'. The reverse design is a châtel with annulet turrets, three pellets within, circumscription of TVRONVS REGEM, the translation of which is uncertain, all within an inner circle surrounded by a tressure of 12 arches, each containing a lis.

Edward II silver gros Turonus regem, S8024.jpg

1319 gros Turonus regem. Considered candidate for Ellesfield silver strike. Very rare.
Obverse outer circumscription is BnDICTV SIT nOmЄ DnI nRI DЄI IIhV XP, triple pellet stops.
Obverse inner circumscription is ЄDVVAR DVS RЄX, annulet stops.
Reverse circumscription is + TVRONVS RЄGЄm, pellet stop.

Deeman

Edward II Gros Maille Blanche & Gros Maille Blanche Hibernie

The silver gros maille blanche had a diameter of 23mm. It was a close imitation of the maille blanche issue of Charles IV on 2 Mar 1322/3. The gros maille blanche Hibernie had a diameter of 22mm.

The obverse design has two circumscriptions within beaded circles around a short cross pattée. The outer circumscription translates to 'Blessed be the name of our lord God' (benedictum sit nomen domini nostri dei). The inner circumscription translates to 'Edward, King of England'. The reverse design is a châtel, three pellets within, and circumscription all within an inner circle surrounded by a tressure of 10 arches, each containing a lis. For the maille blanche the châtel has annulet turrets and the circumscription translates to 'Duke of Aquitaine'. For the maille blanche Hibernie the châtel has three pellets below the gateway and normally has crenelated turrets, the circumscription translating to 'Lord of Hibernia'. Varieties exist for the maille blanche Hibernie concerning the châtel. These are turrets formed with crescents, turrets formed with hemispheres or missing the gateway.

Edward II silver maille blanche, S8025.jpg

1325 gros maille blanche. Very rare.
Obverse outer circumscription is + [BnDICTV SIT] nOmЄ [DnI nRI DЄI].
Obverse inner circumscription is + ЄD RЄX AnGLIЄ, double annulet stops.
Reverse circumscription is DVX AQITAnIЄ.

Edward II silver maille blanche Hibernie, S8026.jpg

1326 gros maille blanche Hibernie.
Obverse outer circumscription is +BnDICTV SIT nOmЄ DnI nRI, double annulet stops.
Obverse inner circumscription is + ЄD' RЄX AnGLIЄ, double annulet stop after ЄD'.
Reverse circumscription is DnS hIBЄRnIЄ, double annulet stop, crenelated turrets.

Edward II silver maille blanche Hibernie, crescent turrets, S8026.jpg

1326 gros maille blanche Hibernie.
Obverse outer circumscription is +BnDICTV SIT [nOmЄ] DnI nRI, double annulet stops.
Obverse inner circumscription is + ЄD' RЄX AnGLIЄ, double annulet stop after ЄD'.
Reverse circumscription is DnS hIBЄRnIЄ, double annulet stop, crescent turrets.

Deeman

Edward III

Edward's 50-year reign was one of the longest in English history. In 1325, Edward was given the titles Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Ponthieu. The titles were created because his father refused to travel to France himself. He became king at the young age of 14 in Jan 1326/7 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. 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.

The retention of Agenais by the French king was mortifying to Edward. The conflict with France gained more prominence in light of the ascendancy challenges which emerged from the death of the French king Charles IV who passed away without any children. Edward III was Charles IV's nephew and therefore had a legitimate claim to the throne, however, it was subsequently rejected by the French parliament who instead chose Philippe VI, Charles's cousin as the new face of France. To add more fuel to the fire, continued French resistance to the presence of the Plantagenets in Gascony was growing. With Philippe staking his claim to Gascony, skirmishes broke out, precipitating war in 1337. An invasion by the French did not produce a clear outcome and by Mar 1339/40 Edward had declared himself King of France, even choosing to add the lis to his coat of arms.

Back on the battlefield, in Jun 1340 fighting at Sluys resulted in a huge number of deaths. Edward overran Brittany in 1342 and in 1346 he landed in Normandy, defeating the French King, Philip VI, at the Battle of Crécy where intense hand-to-hand combat allowed the English to overwhelm the French, move on and lay siege to Calais. An English colony was founded in Calais in 1347 and continued to be held for a further two centuries.

The war continued until the first phase, of what became known as the Hundred Years' War, was ended by the Treaty of Brétigny, ratified 24 Oct 1360, where the French ceded extensive territories in northwestern France to England, while Edward III renounced his claim to the French throne. The treaty failed to establish a lasting peace and the second phase of the war commenced in 1369. The wresting of so many provinces from France, of which she had once possessed, was more than the pride of Charles V could submit to with patience. The extreme illness of Edward the Black Prince and the old age of Edward III gave a favourable opportunity to the French king to recover the territories and he seized Ponthieu and excited a revolt in Guyenne in 1369. While the death of the Black Prince deprived the English of their best general, the greatest warrior France had ever seen, Bertrand du Guesclin, sprang up to guide her armies. By the close of 1375, Edward had lost all his Gallic possessions and his lands were reduced to only Calais, Bordeaux and Bayonne.

After years of warfare, Charles V of France and Edward III agreed a truce, under papal auspices, and established a conference at Bruges in 1375 to negotiate a permanent settlement. Edward died at Sheen in Jun 1377 and the fighting resumed.

Edward 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. He was succeeded by his grandson Richard II, son of Edward the Black Prince who had perished a year earlier.

Deeman

#28
Edward III Coinage

Edward III was the first English king to strike gold coinage in France, from around 1345. A great variety of coins of different denominations were issued from his mints in France. Upon this coinage he is variously entitled King of France, Duke of Aquitaine or Lord of Aquitaine.

The silver and black coinage was struck during the first phase of the Hundred Years' War and comprised many types, subtypes and varieties. The English and the French both used profits from striking coins and manipulated their values to fund their war efforts. This was achieved by issuing a coin type and debasing it repeatedly either by weight or fineness reduction, or both. Secret marks were used so officials could know which coins were debased, allowing them to put the better ones back into the melting pot to produce more debased ones. When the public lost confidence in the coin type, it would be replaced by a new one, only to repeat the process for that type as well. Allied to this was the was the fiscal reality to take into account the fluctuations of the French royal coinage. The English had to ensure that their coins did not exceed the quality of the French issues. As a result, many coin types were short-lived.

Mints active during Edward III's reign were:
Bordeaux, continuous throughout reign with period of inactivity in early to mid-1330s.
Dax, from 1338 well into reign of the Black Prince.
Bayonne, short-lived in 1339.
Mezin, from 1341-52.
Hastingues, from 1342-44.
St Sever, from 1345-54.
Bergerac, struck coins for Henry Grosmont 1347-61.

Mints were operated by the crown or subcontracted to private individuals. Coins were marked so their origin could be traced, but for most of the reign it is not known as to which marks identified which mints. Around 1360 a system was implemented where coins were marked with the name of the mint town or the first letter of the town's name.

Gold denominations:
Écu à la chaise.
Florin.
Léopard.
Guyennois.

Silver denominations:
Gros aux trois fleurs-de-lis.
Sterling.
Demi-sterling.
Gros aquitanique, lion above châtel with crenelated turrets.
Blanc au léopard, crown above lion.
Gros with M.
Gros tournois, pellet-in-annulet in châtel.
Gros à la couronne, medium cross.
Gros tournois à la couronne, long cross with crown in châtel.
Gros au léopard.
Gros à la lis.
Gros au léopard passant.
Gros aquitanique, three pellets in châtel with crenelated turrets.
Gros à la couronne, short cross.
Gros tournois, short cross.
Gros tournois, long cross.
Gros tournois, medium cross.
Gros à la porte.
Gros aquitanique, lion below châtel with crenelated turrets.
Blanc aux quadrilobes. No image.
Gros au léopard couchant.
Gros à la couronne, cross calvary.
Gros tournois à la couronne, short cross with crown in châtel.
Double sterling.
Sterling, Bordeaux mint.
Sterling, Dax mint.
Gros au lion.
Demi-gros au lion. No image.
Sterling guyennois, two issues.
Gros.
Demi-gros.

Billon denominations:
Double (denier) au léopard sous couronne.
Double (denier) au léopard.
Double (denier) à la couronne, cross fleury.
Double (denier) à la couronne, processional cross.
Double (denier), cross calvary.
Double (denier) à la couronne, cross pattée with pellet in voided quatrefoil.
Double (denier) guyennois.
Denier au léopard, AnGL between two lines with lion above and symbol below.
Obole au léopard, AnGL between two lines with lion above and 'Є' below.
Denier au léopard, lion between two lines with letters above and below.
Obole au léopard, lion between two lines with letters above and below. No image.
Denier au léopard, lion between two lines with symbol below.
Denier au léopard, lion above AnG between two lines.
Obole au léopard, lion above line with AG or AnG below.
Obole au léopard, lion with asterisk below.
Denier au lion (petit guyennois noir), lion right.
Denier au lion (petit guyennois noir), lion left.
Ponthieu denier.
Ponthieu obole.

Deeman

Edward III Gold Coinage

Écu

The écu à la chaise had a diameter of 28mm. The obverse design is a seated figure of king on a Gothic throne facing holding sword, within tressure of seven and a half arcs with trefoils in spandrels, small trefoils on cusps, symbols along throne base, all within an inner circle. The circumscription, divided by the throne, translates to 'Edward, by the Grace of God, King of France and England'. The reverse design is a pellet in central quatrefoil of a cross with pierced quatrefoil terminals, each terminal with three slipped trefoils, within an inner and lined quadrilobe tressure, leaf trefoils on cusps, pellet centred trefoils in spandrels, all within an inner circle. The circumscription translates to 'Christ reigns, Christ conquers, Christ commands'.

Edward III gold écu à la chaise, saltires and pellet-in-annulets on throne base, S8035.jpg

1344-52 écu à la chaise. Saltires and pellet-in-annulets on throne base.
Obverse circumscription is + ЄDVVARDVS DЄI / GRA / AGL FRANCIЄ RЄX, double pellet stops, saltire after DЄI ,saltires flanking GRA, saltire before AGL.
Reverse circumscription is + XP'C VInCIT XP'C RЄGNAT XP'C IMPЄRAT, trefoil after first 'P', double pellet stops.

Edward III gold écu à la chaise, saltires and trefoils on throne base, S8035.jpg

1344-52 écu à la chaise. Saltires and trefoils on throne base.
Obverse circumscription is + ЄDVVARDVS DЄI / GRA / AGL FRANCIЄ RЄX, double pellet stops, saltire after DЄI ,saltires flanking GRA, saltire before AGL.
Reverse circumscription is + XP'C VInCIT XP'C RЄGNAT XP'C IMPЄRAT, trefoil after first 'P', double pellet stops.

Edward III gold écu à la chaise, saltires only on throne base, S8035.jpg

1344-52 écu à la chaise. Saltires only on throne base.
Obverse circumscription is + ЄDVVARDVS DЄI / GRA / AGL FRANCIЄ RЄX, double saltire stops, saltire after DЄI ,saltires flanking GRA, saltire before AGL.
Reverse circumscription is + XP'C VInCIT XP'C RЄGNAT XP'C IMPЄRAT, saltire after first 'P', double saltire stops.