Edward III was a popular king of England, ruling from 1327 to 1377. He was one of the most influential English monarchs of the medieval period.
Edward was born in 1312, as the son of King Edward II and Queen Isabella of France.
He is best known for initiating the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) with France.
This conflict began due to Edward’s claim to the French throne, through his mother, Isabella of France. Due to the lack of a male heir in the Capetian line, sparking a prolonged conflict between England and France.
During Edward’s reign, England faced the devastating impact of the Black Death, the bubonic plague that swept through Europe between 1347 and 1351. This pandemic drastically reduced England’s population, leading to labor shortages, economic disruptions, and social upheaval.
Coins from his reign can be found on the MA-Shops website:
Gold Coins
– Florin (Double Leopard): Issued in 1344, this was England’s first significant attempt at a gold coin since Anglo-Saxon times. It had a value of six shillings and featured Edward III enthroned, with leopards (lions) around him.
– Noble: In 1344, Edward III replaced the florin with the gold noble at a value of six shillings and eight pence. It features Edward standing on a ship with sword and shield, symbolizing England’s naval power. Nobles were extremely popular and widely circulated.
– Half Noble and Quarter Noble: These were introduced as smaller denominations of the noble, valued at three shillings and four pence (half) and one shilling and eight pence (quarter). They featured similar designs to the noble.
Silver Coins
– Groat: Edward III’s reign saw the widespread use of the groat, a silver coin valued at four pence. It featured the king’s portrait and became a standard coin for trade, especially with other European countries.
– Half Groat: A smaller version of the groat, valued at two pence, it had similar designs.
– Penny: The silver penny was a longstanding coin in English currency, featuring the king’s profile and the cross on the reverse. It continued to be used extensively for smaller transactions.
Farthing and Halfpenny: Smaller silver denominations, these were minted for everyday small transactions. They generally featured simplified versions of the king’s portrait.
These coins, especially the gold ones like the noble, are highly collectible and valuable today, with surviving examples in excellent condition fetching high prices at auctions.
Great Britain Noble (1361-69) Edward III MS64 PCGS
31,970.00 US$
Material: Gold
Weight: 7.70 g
PCGS Certification number: 47484600
Year: 1361
Major Variety: S-1504
Edward III, noble, fourth coinage, Treaty Period (1361-69), king in ship holding sword and royal shield, flag at stern of ship, rev. floriated cross with a lis at end of each limb, a crowned lion passant in each angle, ‘C’ for Calais at centre of cross, all set within a tressure of eight arches, cross potent (S.1504; N.1234 but annulet before EDWARD), certified and graded by PCGS as Mint State 64, a fabulous example of this popular type, struck on a full flan with virtually perfect legends and a wonderful strike showing both the tiny details of the king’s face and crisp details on his shield and the entire reverse, blessed too with lovely gold colour—in short, FDC or Gem Mint State
The British Isles possess no gold mines, and up until the reign of Edward III there had been almost no homeland coinage struck in gold. The earliest gold coins of the Anglo-Saxons (early to middle seventh century), thrymsas, were tiny coins also known as gold shillings; they were issued by regional warlords, still mostly unknown, and were the sole gold money other than ‘memorial’ donative pennies such as the Coenwulf gold mancus. The tradition changed some two decades into the reign of King Edward III (1327-77). The kingdom was expanding economically. Henry III had sought to alleviate the burdens of counting piles of silver pennies by attempting to introduce a gold penny, knowing that gold florins had begun circulating on the Continent. Philip IV in France had introduced an even larger gold piece which had found use in commerce—a coin that showed the monarch seated and holding a mace, a symbol of power. This inspired Edward III, who as Duke of Acquitaine had issued a gold florin in his southern French dominions. The first attempt in England occurred in 1344 with his own gold leopards (also called florins at the time, although they had been named ‘Leopards’ in his proclamation of January 1344). Like the French coin, the large double-leopard showed the king seated beneath a canopy holding his symbols of power. The three sizes of leopards’ intrinsic gold values were less than their ‘face values’, however, and as a consequence they were rejected in England and by merchants abroad. A proclamation of August 1344 essentially called them in, exchanging them for only their gold weight, paid in silver pennies. Almost all of them were melted. These were replaced by a new coin of a design that could not be confused with that of the leopard series—the noble—first issued 1344-46. The earliest nobles were too heavy with gold and were soon replaced, but the style was a success although it underwent changes in titles; these were impacted by the Treaty of Bretigny of May 1360 at which Edward surrendered his claim to be king of France, adopting the title of Lord of Aquitaine instead until war was renewed in 1369, whereupon he resumed his royal title as King of France since it was the enemy who had violated the treaty. The golden nobles’ legends reflect these changes. English kings continued to issue coins bearing that title until the reign of George III.
England Hammered Gold 1356 Edward III Noble
8,725.00 US$
Fourth Coinage, Pre-treaty period 1351-61 Mint Mark Cross (4). Great looking coin in the hand very good eye appeal, condition good very fine minimal wear near as struck Very difficult to find in this condition buyer wont be disappointed Far superior to a standard very fine Code: i-30
Great Britain 1361-69 Edward III, Gold Quarter Noble, MS 62
5,275.00 US$
Weight: 1.86 grams – Diameter: 20 mm
Catalog: S.1510; Schneider 82.
Edward III, Gold Quarter-Noble of One Shilling and Eight Pence.
Fourth coinage, 1351-77, Treaty period, 1361-69.
Mintmark Cross Potent, Tower mint London.
Obverse: Quartered shield of arms in tressure of eight arcs, trefoils on cusps, with Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding: EDWARDxx DEIxx GRAxx REXxx AnGL’+
Reverse: Lis in central compartment of ornate cross with lis terminals, lion over trefoil in each angle, all within beaded and linear tressure of eight arcs, with Latin legend and beaded border surrounding: EXALTABITVRxx Inxx GLORIA +
A superb specimen, much as struck, on a very large full flan with crisp detail and a splendid lustrous tone.
Has been graded and slabbed by NGC as Mint State (MS) 62.
NGC Certification number: 2130737-010.
England Groat n.d. (1356-61) Edward III – 4th coinage – pre-Treaty GVF
445.00 US$
Catalog: Spink 1570; North 1194
Material: Silver
Weight: 4.50 g – Diameter: 26.50 mm
London mint – 4th coinage – series G – pre-Treaty, with French title – mm. cross 3 – n.d. (1356-61)
Obv.: Crowned facing bust of King Edward III within tressure of arches with trefoils on cusps; no annulet under bust (scarcer variety); top arches not fleured; legend around: ✠ЄDWΛRDօDօGօRЄXօΛNGL’օZօFRΛNCօDhУB
Rev.: Long cross pattée with pellets in angles, annulet in second quarter, legend around in two circles:
✠POSVI – DЄVmօΛ – DIVTOR – ЄmօmЄV // CIVI – TΛS – LON – DON
245.00 US$
Material: Silver
Weight: 0.59 g – Diameter: 15.40 mm
Third or Florin Coinage – Standard Type “G” – silver – Tower Mint – mm. cross pattée – n.d. (1344-1351)
Obverse: Crowned facing bust of Edward III, with bushy hair; within beaded circle; legend around; mintmark “cross pattée” at beginning of legend; unusual closed X in legend.
O/legend: ✠ ЄDWΛRDVS RЄX
Reverse: Long cross pattée with trefoil of pellets in angles; within beaded circle; legend around; no mintmark.
R/legend: CIVI – TΛS – LOn – DOn
Edge: plain
Coin alignment: irregular
Technique: hammered
Condition: GVF, light iridescent patina.
Provenance: n/a
References: Spink 1557; North 1131; Withers Type 7
Rarity index: Scarce in this quality.
(N649B)
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