Edward III Quarter-Noble Calais Mint, crescent over shield, rare issue

Edward III (1327-1377), gold Quarter-Noble of one shilling and eight pence, Calais Mint, fourth coinage, Treaty period (1361-69), crescent above quartered shield of arms in tressure of eight arcs, trefoils on cusps, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding, annulet before E at start of legend, +.EDWARDxx DEIxx GRAxx REXxx AnGL, curule style X both sides,rev. 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, Latin legend and beaded border surrounding, initial mark cross pattée, +EXALTABITVRxx Inxx GLORIA, weight 1.63g (Doubleday - Schneider 104-105; N.1246; S.1515).Toned with scrapes in metal on both sides no doubt from spade marking in past recovery from soil, otherwise good fine and a very rare issue, seldom offered for sale.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "Edward by the Grace of God, King of England," and on the reverse "He shall be exalted in glory," a Psalm from the Bible.

The town of Calais in France a part of England since 1347 first opened a branch of the Royal Mint, coining on dies shipped in from London, from February 1363 as the Wool Staple was established here on 1^st March 1363 following withdrawal from Bruges in the previous autumn of 1362. Merchants would purchase English wool at the Staple and the continental gold and silver money would be then converted physically into English denominations in this mint.

It is interesting to note that G. V. Doubleday did not have an example of the crescent over shield variety in the sale of his collection in 1972, with he in turn having bought some years before the L. A. Lawrence collection of Edward III gold coins, the latter being the author of the classification of the series and who had assigned the variety Lawrence number 5 but was unable to describe it in detail further as he did not own or have access to an example due to its great rarity.

Provenance:

Ex Patrick Finn Memorial List, 2001, item 5.