Edward III Noble, 3rd coinage, 3rd period, chevron bar As, MS63 top population

Edward III (1327-77), gold Noble, Third Coinage (1344-51), Third Period (1346-51), King standing in ship sailing right, with upright sword and quartered shield, with four whole lis in uypper left quarter, Latin legend with chevron barred As and beaded circles surrounding, saltire stops both sides, ED WARx Dxx GRAxx REXxx ANGLxx Zxx FRANCxx DnSxx hYB, rev. large closed E at centre of ornamental cross with lis terminals, crowns over lions in angles, all within a beaded and linear tressure, fleurs in spandrels, legend +xxIhCxx AVTEmxx TRANSIENSxx PERxx mEDIVmxx ILLORVmxx IBATxx, weight 8.30g (Schneider 4; Potter 2a, dies 9/13; N.1110; S.1481). A superb example of this early Noble of practically full weight though a touch off-centre in striking, a little double struck in parts as a consequence but an excellent survivor of this early issue with distinctive larger lettering and chevron barred As, has been slabbed and graded by NGC as MS63, currently the top of the third party population.

NGC certification 8534362-001 with Carrington Collection label with "ex Norweb" on black core.

As of October 2025, we note this coin is the joint finest graded at NGC and one step higher than the finest example at PCGS.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "Edward by the Grace of God, King of England and France, Lord of Ireland "; and on the reverse "But Jesus, passing through the midst of them, went His way" taken from the Bible.

For the third period of the gold coinage of Edward III a new mint indenture dated 28^th July 1346 was made with Lote Nicholyn, George Cleckyn and others, altering the standard weight to 128 ½ grains or 8.327g making the gold to silver ratio 1:11.6, charges were also increased to 11s and 8d of which 1s and 2d was for the master-workers and the remainder to be accounted for by the warden. This coinage was struck through the 20^th anniversary of the reign of Edward III and was unchanged until 1351 when the weight was lowered. Interestingly a further indenture dated 27^th January 1349 defines the fineness of the gold coinage for the first time at 23 carats 3 ½ grains fine gold (0.995) as well as a small change in the charges and allocation between masters and warden. To give some context of what was happening at that period of issue it was a time when the plague was rife in the UK having arrived from the continent in 1348 and spreading as far as Scotland by 1350.

One of the longest reigns of the medieval period Edward III born 13^thNovember 1312 as Edward of Windsor came to power aged 14 after his Father was forced to relinquish the crown by his Mother and he was coronated on 1^stFebruary 1327. Edward married Philippa of Hainault on 24^thJanuary 1328 at York Minster and they had five sons and four daughters. His Father passed away suspiciously whilst imprisoned at Berkely Castle on 21^stSeptember of 1327 but young Edward waited until he was 17 before leading a successful coup d'etat on 19^thOctober 1330 against Roger Mortimer the lover of his mother and de facto ruler whom he had executed. Next English magnates known as "The Disinherited" having lost land in a peace accord invaded Scotland and won a victory at the Battle of Dupplin Moor in 1332 and attempted install Edward Balliol the son of John Balliol on the throne in lieu of the infant David II. Balliol was soon expelled and seeked the help of Edward who then won a decisive victory at Berwick reinstalling Edward Balliol and giving Edward III swathes of land in southern Scotland. However, this was short lived and David II's forces regained control by 1338. Meanwhile Philip VI in France confiscated the Duchy of Aquitaine and the county of Ponthieu. Therefore, Edward III declared himself rightful heir to the French throne as grandson of Philip IV in 1337 sparking off the Hundred Years War, and after some initial teething troubles the first phase went well for England with the naval victory at Sluys on 24^thJune 1340 being decisive, supposedly influencing the design of the gold Noble. This was followed by other major land victories at Crecy on 24^thAugust 1346 and the Battle of Poitiers won by his son Edward the Black Prince on 19^thSeptember 1356, all of which led to the Treaty of Bretigny drafted on 8^thMay 1360 and ratified on 24^thOctober as the Treaty of Calais, giving large territorial gains if Edward renounced his claim to the French throne. However, the relative peace that followed did not last long and by 1369 the French war commenced again and son of Edward III, John of Gaunt led a military campaign which failed and led towards the 1375 Treaty of Bruges which reduced the lands to only Calais, Bordeaux and Bayonne. These battles and campaigns were all played out against a backdrop in England of the spread of plague known as the "Black Death" leading to labour shortages and led to the adoption of the "Statute of Labourers" in 1351 which ultimately failed. Edward's wife Phillipa died on the 15^thAugust 1369 from illness similar to edema at Windsor Castle. Directly connected to the continued military activity a great deal of taxation occurred which led to political discontent, though the King always remained popular publicly. The politics came to a head in 1376 with the "Good Parliament where grievances were aired dismissing varied advisors from their positions and the banishment of Edward's mistress Alice Perrers who was wielding far too much influence over the aged King who was becoming incapacitated by illness. Edward III signed letters patent for the succession of the crown and in late September he fell ill from a large abscess. He rallied a little in the coming months from February 1377 but later descended in health into early and died on 21^stJune 1377. His son Edward of Woodstock known as the "Black Prince" had pre-deceased him on 8^thJune 1376 from dysentery, therefore his ten year old grandson Richard became King Richard II under the regency of his uncles, John of Gaunt and Thomas of Woodstock.

Provenance:

Ex Spink and Son, November 1957 by private treaty to Mr & Mrs Norweb.

Ex Emery May Norweb, English part 1, Spink Coin Auction 45, 13^th June 1985, lot 126.

Ex Spink Coin Auction 75, 29^th March 1990, lot 161.

Ex Carrington Collection 557.