Edward III, groat

This coin is a very recent find, which surfaced on 18 August after being in the soil for hundreds of years. It was unearthed by Colin Pearson, who identified it as a po st treaty period London groat of Edward III.

On the obverse the legend ends with FRANCIE, the mint mark is a cross pattee and the stops in the legend are all double saltires.

The inner legend on the reverse reads CIVI TAS LON DON, with a single saltire before CIVI and before LON. There is a bar over the N of DON, which indicates that the legend is an abbreviated form of LON DON IEN SIS. Apart from the marks just mentioned, all the other stops on this side are double saltires.

In the Standard Catalogue Edward III groats of this type are listed as number 1637. In volume II of J. J. North’s English Hammered Coinage they are number 1286. Post treaty period goats are scarcer than most of those struck during the pre-treaty and treaty periods.

Colin’s find has some scuffs to the obverse but this side is otherwise in near VF condition. One quarter of the reverse is a little weak but it is otherwise in VF condition. This is an attractive and scarce coin and Colin has been very lucky to find it.