EDWARD III. (1327 to 1377.)
Denominations.—Silver. Groat, Half-groat, Penny, Halfpenny and Farthing. Gold.—Florin, Half-florin, Quarter-florin; Noble, Half-noble, and Quarter-noble.
Obverse.—Type. Groat and Half-groat, head same as Edward I.’s, within a circle formed of nine arches, fleury; Pennies, Halfpennies, and Farthings, as Edward I.’s.
Legend. Groat, EDWARD. DEI G. REX. ANGL. DNS. HY. Z. AQT.; or EDWAR. or EDWARD D. G. REX. ANGL. Z. FRANC. D.H.Y., or HYB. or HIBE. Half-groat, EDWARDVS. REX. ANGL. (or ANGLI) DNS. HYB., or Z. FRANCI or FRANCIE.; or ANGL. FRA. Z. HI. Penny, EDWARD or EDWARDVS.—D. G. or DI. GRA.—R. or REX.—ANGL. ANGLI. or ANGLIE.—D. or DNS. HYB. Z. FRA. FRANC. or FRANCI.
Reverse.—Type. Cross and pellets as his predecessor; one limb of the cross of the Durham coins terminating in a crozier.
Legend. Groat and Half-groat. In the outer circle, POSVI DEVM ADIVTOREM MEVM, or MEV. Inner circle, town name where struck; as, CIVITAS LONDON or CIVITAS EBORACI. Pennies, etc., town, etc., names.
Rarity. Calais Groat very rare; Halfpence and Farthings rare; all others not uncommon.
Gold. Florins (six shillings), Half-florins (three shillings), and Quarter-florins (eighteenpence); Nobles (six and eightpence), Half-nobles, or Maille-nobles (three and fourpence), and Quarter or Ferling-nobles (twenty pence). Florin: obverse, the king crowned and robed, seated under a canopy, with sceptre in right hand and orb and cross in the left; on the robe a fleur-de-lis; two lions, one on each side the throne: reverse, within a quatrefoil a short beaded cross with foliated ends; in each of the angles between the four limbs a lion, or leopard, surmounted with a crown. Half-florin: a lion, crowned; a mantle, or banner, charged with the royal arms, hung from his neck: reverse, within a quatrefoil a foliated cross having a lion in each angle; legend, DOMINE NE IN FVRORE TVO ARGVAS ME, and variations. Quarter-florin: helmet, with lamberquins and crest of lion, field semé-de-lis; reverse, richly foliated cross; legend, EXALTABITVR IN GLORIA. Noble and Half-noble, king in armour, crowned, standing in a ship, with sword in his right hand, and in his left a shield of England and France quarterly; reverse, in a tressure of eight arches a rich foliated cross, in each angle a lion surmounted by a crown, a fleur-de-lis at the end of each limb of the cross; legend, IHC TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT, with variations. Quarter-noble: an escutcheon with the arms of France and England, quarterly, within a tressure of eight foils. All more or less rare. A Florin has sold for £113; a Quarter-florin for £170.
