Edward III Pre-Treaty Noble, series C (1351-52)

Edward III (1327-77), gold Noble, Pre-Treaty series C (1351-52), King standing in ship sailing right, with upright sword and quartered shield, Latin legend beaded circles surrounding, annulet stops both sides, E DWARDo DEIo GRAo REXo ANGLo Zo FRANCo Do hYB, rev. large closed E at centre of ornamental cross with lis terminals, crowns over lions in angles, fleur de lis by upper right lion, all within a beaded and linear tressure, fleurs in spandrels, legend +IhCo AVTEmo TRANSIENSo Po mEDIVmo ILLORVmo IBT, 7.63g (Schneider 18; N.1144; S.1486). Rim a little crimped in places, with a good face on the King, struck from a lightly rusted die with associated texture to surfaces, one tiny punch mark on ship's hull, otherwise good very fine.

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.

This coin was struck in the earlier period before the Treaty of Bretigny when Edward III laid claim to the French throne in the Latin titles upon the coinage. The legend contains gothic style letter m, along with closed C and E and with a Roman style letter N which are reversed in combination with annulet stops. This defines series C which is thought to have been struck 1351-52.