Edward III, penny

Pictured here is another find from the collection built up by Tony Hollis. It is a hammered silver penny and the quatrefoil in the centre of the reverse is put there to signify that it was struck for the profit of the Archbishop of York.

The legend on the obverse is very similar to those that can be seen on pennies of Edward I and II. However, this coin was struck during the third or florin coinage of Edward III, which commenced in 1344 and ended in 1351. The archbishop for whom this penny was struck was William de la Zouche, who gained the position after holding a number of other influential posts under Edward III.

In the Standard Catalogue pennies of York of this type are listed as number 1556. They aren’t particularly rare but neither are they as common as some of the other coins struck at York during the reign of Edward III.

Valuation

The coin is weak in places but still good enough to be worth £30.