Until the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272), any need in England for coins worth more than one penny was met, at least partially, by the use of Byzantine or Arabic gold and silver coins which circulated among merchants and traders. However as commerce increased, so did the need for higher value coins. In 1257 Henry instructed his goldsmith, William of Gloucester, to produce a coinage of pure gold. The twenty pence coin was one of the issues introduced, with the obverse showing the king enthroned, with the legend HENRICUS REX III (King Henry III), while the reverse contained a long cross extending to the edge, with a flower in each quarter, and the moneyer's name in the legend, thus WILLEM ON LUND (William of London). Henry III (October 1, 1207 – November 16, 1272) is one of the least-known British monarchs, considering the great length of his reign. ... Events Prince Louis of France, the future King Louis VIII, invades England in the First Barons War Henry III becomes King of England. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Inter. ... Above: A variety of coins considered to be lower-value, including an Irish 2p piece and many US pennies. ... Anastasius 40 nummi and 5 nummi Byzantine currency, money used in the Eastern Roman Empire after the fall of the West, consisted of mainly two types of coins: the gold solidus and a variety of clearly valued bronze coins. ... The Arabs ((Arabic: عرب ʻarab) are a large ethnic group widespread in the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ...
Unfortunately the issue was undervalued, so by 1265 the gold in the coin was worth twenty-four pennies rather than twenty, and it is thought that most of the coins were melted down for profit by individuals. Consequently this coinage was not a success, and gold coins would not be minted again in England until the reign of King Edward III. Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English kings of medieval times. ...
The Noble was the first English gold coin produced in quantity, having been preceded by the Twentypencecoin and the Florin earlier in the reigns of King Henry III and King Edward III, which saw little circulation.
The coin was introduced during the second coinage (1344-1346) of King Edward III, when the coin weighed 138.5 grains (9.0 grams); during the kings' third coinage (1346-1351) the weight of the coin was reduced to 128.5 grains (8.3 grams), while in his fourth coinage (1351-1377) it became even lighter, at 120 grains (7.8 grams).
In contrast, a new coin worth six shillings and eight pence (the same as the original Noble), the Angel[?] was introduced in 1464 and soon became a popular and important coin.
Feeds |
Contact