Edward IV gold Ryal AU55, Light coinage initial mark crown, TRANANSIENS error

Edward IV, first reign (1461-70),gold "Rose" Ryal of ten shillings, light coinage (1465-70), London, with error spelling in reverse legend, King standing in ship holding sword and shield, E on flag at stern, rose on hull, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding, trefoil stops both sides, initial mark crown on reverse only (1467-69), ED WARD' DI' GRA' REX AnGL' Z FRAnC 'DnS. I.B.,rev.rose at centre on sunburst, over cross with floriate and lis terminals, crown over lion in each angle, all within beaded and linear tressure of eight arcs, fleurs in spandrels, beaded circle surrounding, IhC' AVT' TRAnAnSIEnS. PER mEDIVm ILLORVm IBAT, weight 7.59g (cf.Schneider 364; N.1549; S.1950).Toned with some red colouration, rim a little ragged at one portion, otherwise very fine with nice clear readings and design elements, slabbed and graded by NGC AU55, extremely rare to see with the error reverse reading.

NGC Certification 8221159-003

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.

The English coinage was devalued on 13th August 1464 in response to a decline in the Wool trade, and secondly a general shortage of coinage metal, due to the long-standing value of bullion in England being unchanged since 1412 compared to that in France. Extremely rare gold Nobles were struck in the low output times at the start of the reign until 6th March 1465. The light coinage of the new Ryal at ten shillings face value then commenced with increased output, the devaluation having placed the gold Noble value from six shillings and eight pence up to eight shillings and four pence. To deal with the increased output, branch mints were opened in the cities of York, Bristol, Coventry and Norwich, all opening from July 1465, but output apparently fell away quickly as by 1466 it seems more competitive terms for coining were offered in the Low Countries.

Provenance:
Ex A. H. Baldwin & Son Ltd purchased 2016

A brief history of King Edward IV

Born on the 28^thApril 1442 in Rouen, the son of Richard Plantagenet the third Duke of York, Edward inherited the Yorkist claim on the death of his Father at the Battle of Wakefield in December 1460. After then defeating Lancastrian forces at the Battle of Towton on 29^thMarch 1461 in a snowstorm, he deposed King Henry VI imprisoning him in the Tower of London. Edward went on to marry Elizabeth Woodville on 1^stMay 1464 with whom he had seven daughters and three sons, seven of which survived him, though the two surviving sons later became known as the tragic "Princes in the Tower".

Firstly, though the marriage of Edward to Elizabeth enraged the Earl of Warwick, as Elizabeth was a widow of Lancastrian John Grey of Groby killed at Towton and had had two sons with him. Later Edward dismissed his Lord Chancellor in 1467 George Neville the Archbishop of York, who was Warwick's brother causing Warwick to form an alliance against Edward with the latter's younger brother the Duke of Clarence, who owned neighbouring estates to Warwick. King Edward then blocked a marriage proposal between Clarence and Warwick's eldest daughter Isabel, but the marriage went ahead and took place in Calais, France presided over by George Neville. The three men then issued a "remonstrance" of alleged abuses by the Woodvilles and other advisors of Edward, returned to London and raised an army which went on to defeat the Royal army at Edgecote Moor on 24^thJuly 1469 with Edward then being held at Middleham Castle. On the 12^thAugust Edward's Father in law Richard Woodville and his youngest son John were executed at Kenilworth Castle, but subsequent support for the actions of Warwick and Neville were low and Edward was released in September to resume rule. Edward went on to reinstate Henry Percy as Earl of Northumberland, who had previously fought for Lancaster giving back his estates that had been presented to John Neville, Warwick's brother with Neville in turn being given the title Marquess of Montague as compensation. By March of 1470 Warwick and Clarence escalated a more private feud into a full scale revolt,but were defeated fleeing to France by May of that year. Louis XI encouraged Warwick to negotiate an alliance with Queen Margaret, and with French support they landed in England on 9^thSeptember 1470 to restore King Henry. An army of 30,000 was formed as Yorkist support in England was low. Edward narrowly escaped capture to Bruges and Henry was restored. Edward received little support from his brother-in-law Charles the Bold, but by March 1471 backed by Flemish merchants he landed near Hull close to his Yorkshire estates, and persuading the City of York to open its gates to him. He marched south gaining more support along the way entering London unchallenged and taking Henry prisoner. Warwick was defeated and killed at the Battle of Barnet on 14^thApril 1471, and Edward Westminster the son of Henry, was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury on 4^thMay 1471, with the imprisoned Henry dying shortly after. Edward's second period of rule began, and he had only to quell one significant rebellion in February 1474 by John de Vere the 13^thEarl of Oxford, who survived to be in command of the Lancastrian army at Bosworth field nine years later. The Duke of Clarence was alleged to have been involved in the rebellion leading to his execution at the Tower on 18^thFebruary 1478. In 1475 Edward allied with Burgundy to declare war on France and Louis opened negotiations with Edward, landing at Calais and signing the Treaty of Picquigny giving a payment of 75,000 crowns to Edward and a pension of 50,000 more a year which helped recoup costs of his army. In 1482 Edward backed an attempt by Alexander Stewart to usurp the Scottish throne from James III which led to withdrawal, only capturing Berwick Castle. Edward fell fatally ill at Easter 1483 and survived long enough to add codicils to his will placing his brother Richard as Protector of his son Edward. Edward IV died on the 9^thApril 1483.