No indenture with the master of the mint during this reign has been preserved, earlier than one with William Lord Hastings, dated the 13th of August, 1464, in the king's fourth year, by which the weight of the silver coins was reduced, and the gold coins, though their weight was to remain as before, were raised in nominal value, so that a noble, which had hitherto been current for 6s 8d, was now to pass for 8s 4d. Silver coins of Edward IV were certainly struck before this depreciation of the currency, but whether gold ones were or were not, we have no means of knowing. The two following nobles, however, were certainly struck before 1465, when another alteration in the gold coins was made. They are of the same type as those of the preceding kings. 1. EDWARD DI GRA x REX ANGL Z x FRANC x DNS. HYB. No MM. Pellet to left of king’s crown, lis under the shield, no flag or rudder to the ship, the ornaments on which are lis, lion, lis, lion, lis, as on most of Henry VI’s nobles. Rev. IHC AVT TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORV x IBAT. MM lis. There is an E in the centre of the cross, but it appears to have been stamped over an h which has been placed upside down, as on Henry VI’s nobles, Nos. 4 and 7. Wt. 107½ grs. Num. Chron. xvi. 38. EVANS. 2. Same as the last but from a different die, pellet each side of crown. Wt. 107¼ grs. (35) Num. Chron. xix. 8. EVANS. These two nobles are the only specimens known of gold coins of Edward IV, struck before his fifth year, 1465. The first was found with one of Henry VI’s latest nobles, No. 13. They are both in the collection of Mr. J. Evans.
In the king’s fifth year, 1465, by another indenture with Lord Hastings, the gold coins were again altered, and it was ordered that 45 nobles only, instead of 50 as in the last two reigns, were to be made of a pound of gold. This brought back the weight of the noble to 120 grs., as it had been from 1351 to 1412, but its value was raised to ten shillings. At the same time new coins impressed with angels were ordered to be made, 67½ to be struck from a pound of gold, and each to be of the value of 6s 8d, that is to say, the new angel which weighed 80 grs. was to be of the same value as the noble had been which weighed 108 grs. The new nobles, to distinguish them from the old ones, were called rose nobles, from the rose which is stamped on both sides of them, or ryals, or royals, a name borrowed from the French, who had given it to a coin which bore the figure of the king in his royal robes, which the English ryals did not. Notwithstanding its inappropriateness, however, the name of ryal was given to these ten- shilling pieces, not only by the people but also in several statutes of the realm, and by that name, instead of noble, we shall designate them. The new six and eightpenny pieces were named, from their device, angels, and were sometimes called “noble angels,” as being of the value of the former nobles. Half and quarter ryals were also coined, and angelets, or half angels.
RYALS, or ROSE NOBLES. Obv. the king standing in a ship, crowned, holding a sword in his right hand, a shield bearing the arms of France and England in his left. The ship has three ropes from the stern to the mast, one from the prow, at the stern is a flag marked with the letter E, and on the side of the ship is a rose, with a lion and lis on each side of it. Rev, within a double tressure of eight arches, having a trefoil in each spandril, is a cross, the centre concealed by a rose upon a sun, the extremities corniced and ending in a lis between two cartouches; a lion, and a crown above him, in each quarter; the whole within an inner circle. The rose on the side of the ship, and the rose and sun on the reverse, are the badges of Edward IV, who is said to have adopted the sun in consequence of the appearance of three suns in the heavens immediately before his first battle, that of Mortimer’s Cross in 1460, in which he was successful. The white rose was the well- known badge of his family. 1. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC DNS IB. Trefoil after every word and between I and B; one after Ed, two after Di; lis after Franc and IB. Rev. IHC AVT TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT. MM. Rose. Trefoil after Aut, Transiens, and Illorum, and between I and B in Ibat, two between I and E.in Transiens and after Medium. MB. This coin in the British Museum is counter-marked with a double cross, surmounted by a crown, being the arms of Dantzic, which were doubtless stamped upon the coin in order to make it current in that town. 2. Obv. as the last. Rev, legend as last. MM sun, trefoil after every word and between I and B in Ibat, two after Transiens and Medium. (36) MB. 3. Legends as 1, but HIB, HIBAT. MM sun on both sides. Trefoil between all the words except after Franc and Per, two after Di, Transiens, Medium, and Illorum, one between I and B in Hib. MB. The difficulty of the aspirates was evidently felt 400 years ago. The maker of these coins found it necessary either to leave out the H in Hiberni or to add it to Ibat! 4. Legends as 1. MM sun on both sides. Trefoil after every word except Franc and Ibat, two after Di, Transiens, and Medium, one between I and B in IB, each side of the I in Transiens, and after the I in Illorum. MB. 5. Legends as 1, but TRANNIENS. MM sun on both sides. Trefoil after every word except Per and Ibat, before Dns, and after I in Ib and Ibat, quatrefoil also after Franc, two trefoils after Tranniens, Medium, and Illorum. MB. 6. Legends as 1, but DEI. MM sun on rev, only. Trefoil after last six words on obv., before Dns, and between I and B, two after B; one after every word on rev, and between I and B in Ibat, two after Illorum and Ibat. MB. This coin in the Museum is countermarked as No. 1. 7. Legends as 1, but ILLORV. MM sun on rev, only. Trefoil after every word except Per and Ibat, before Dns, and after Ed in Edward and the I’s in IB and Ibat, two after Di, Medium, and Illoru. MB. 8. Legends as 1, but FRAN, ILLORV. MM crown on rev. only. Trefoil after Ed in Edward and after every word except Ihc, one also before Dns. MB. 9. Same as last, with trefoil after Ihc. MB. This coin in the Museum is counter marked with a shield on the breast of a double-headed eagle, being the arms of the towns of Groningen and Cambrai. 10. Legends as 1, but TRANSIES. MM crown on rev, only. Nothing after Di, Dns, Ib, or Illorum, two trefoils after Ibat, one after every other word, before Dns, and between I and B in Ibat. The trefoils in the spandrils are formed by three pellets. MB. Rud. iii. 4, where however the trefoils are arranged differently. 11. Legends as 1 but MEDVM. MM cross fitchee on rev, only. Trefoil after every word except Edward and Ibat, one before Dns and after the I’s in IB and Ibat, two after Ed in Edward. Trefoils in spandrils formed by three pellets. MB. This last is the only ryal which appears to have been struck after 1470, the year of the restoration of Henry VI, when the crown MM was in use. After this, few coins except angels and half angels were issued.
BRISTOL. With B under the ship. 1. Obv. legend as the first London ryal. Trefoil after every word except Gra, two after Di and Ib, one before Dns, and between I and B in Ib. Rev. IHC AVT TRANSIENS B MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT. MM sun. Rose after Illorum, trefoil after every other word, and between I and B in Ibat, two after Transiens. MB. 2. Obv. same as last, Rev, legend as last, but PER instead of B, MM sun, trefoil after every word, and between I and B in Ibat, two after Illorum and Ibat. MB. 3. Obv. as the others, Rev, as last, but MM crown, and no trefoils after Ibat. MB. See Rud. Suppl. vi. 22, obv. only.
COVENTRY. With C under the ship. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRNC DNS IB. Trefoil after every word except Rex, and between I and B in Ib. Rev. IHC AVT TRANSENS B MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT. MM sun. Rose after Illorum, trefoil after every other word and between I and B in Ibat, two after Ibat. Rud. iii. 5. MB.
NORWICH. With N under the ship. Obv. legend as the Coventry coin. Trefoil after Edward, Gra, Rex, Angl, and Z, before Dns, and between I and B in Ib; two after Di, quatrefoil after Frnc. Rev, legend as the first London ryal, MM sun, trefoil between every word and between I and B in Ibat, two after Medium. MB. See Rud. Suppl. vi. 24, obv. only.
YORK. With E (for Eboracum) under the ship. Legends as first London ryal. MMs, on rev. only, sun and lis, with two trefoils between them. Trefoil after every word except Dns and Per, one before Dns, two after Medium, Illorum, and Ibat, and between I and B in Ibat, trefoil and quatrefoil after IB on obv. MB.
ANGELS. The type of these has already been described by anticipation under the reign of Henry VI, who in his short restoration copied the current coins of Edward IV. On the earliest angels, however, Edward placed over the mast of the ship his own badge, the rays of the sun, and this seems to have continued till it was removed by Henry VI in 1470. In the field, on each side of the cross on the reverse, are a rose and a sun, both being emblems or badges of Edward and his family. 1. EDWARD x DI : GRA x REX x ANGL x z x FRANC x DNS x I x B x Rev. PER CRVCEM TVAM SALVA NOS XPC REDEMPTOR. No MM on either side, crown with rays descending from beneath it over the mast, sun to left, rose to right of cross; trefoil after Per, Salva, and Nos, two after Crucem and Tuam. (37) Rud. iii. 13, rev, only. MB. 2. Same but CRVCE TVA, small rosette before rev, legend, rays as on the last but no crown above them, rose to left, large sun to right of cross, small trefoil above the ropes on each side. Trefoil between all the words except after Z, Per, and Cruce, one between I and B in Ib, and before D in Redemptor, two after Di, Angl, and Nos; two pellets after Per. See Rud. Sup. vi. 23. MB.
These are the earliest angels, and were doubtless struck before 1470. The mint-mark then in use was a crown, as is proved by its adoption on the quarter noble struck in that year by Henry VI. Neither this nor any previous mint-mark appears on Edward IV’s angels, but the annulet enclosing a pellet, which on the silver series immediately succeeded the crown, does. We conclude, therefore, that the angels with the sun’s rays, and with no mint-mark, were the only ones issued before Henry VI’s restoration. Afterwards, the regular series of mint-marks, the same as on the other coins, was adopted, and the sun’s rays, which had been removed by Henry VI, were not replaced. Instead of them, there is the topcastle on the top of the mast, surmounted by a cross-crosslet, which was introduced by Henry VI; and E and a rose in the field; except on the first coin now to be described.
3. EDWARD DEI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC. Rev. PER x CRVCEM x TVA x SALVA x NOS x XPE x REDEMPT. MM annulet enclosing pellet on both sides, no crown or rays above the mast, but instead of them an object, possibly intended for a topcastle. E to left, sun to right of cross. Trefoil after the first four and last words on obv. MB.
The rest all have a topcastle above the mast, surmounted by a cross-crosslet, and E to the left, a rose to the right of the cross.
4. EDWARD DEI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC. Rev. PER CRVSE TVA SALVA NOS XPC REDEMTOR. MM annulet on obv. only. Trefoil between all the words except after Dei, Tua, and XPC. MB. 5. Same but REDETO, trefoil between all the words except after Gra and XPC, one after Franc. MB. 6. As 4, but MM to left instead of right of the angel’s head, trefoil before Edward and after first four words on obv., and after Cruse, Salva, Nos, and XPC on rev. MB. 7. As 4 but DI, REDETOR. Trefoil after Di and last four words on obv., and after Cruse, Salva, and XPC, and between E and T in Redetor on rev. MB. 8. Legends as last. MM cross pierced on obv. only. Trefoil after every word on obv., no stops on rev. MB. 9. Obv. legend as 4. Rev. PER x CRVCEM x TVA x SALVA x NOS x XPC REDEMPT MM on each side a cross pierced. Saltire after Rex, Angl, and Z, three after Franc. 10. Legends as last, MM on each side a cross pierced with a pellet in one angle, saltire after every word on obv., four after Franc, two after Crucem and Tua, one after Salva and Nos. MB. 11. Same but one saltire between each word on rev., none after Franc. MB. 12. Legends as 9, MM on each side a cross with a pellet in each angle. Saltire after every word on obv. except Dei, two saltires, a trefoil, and another saltire after Franc. No stops on rev. MB. Rud. 11, where the pellets in the obv. MM are omitted. 13. Legends as 9, but REDEMP. MM on both sides heraldic cinquefoil. Saltire after every word on obv. except Z, no stops on rev. MB. 14. Same as the last but REDEMT, two saltires after Franc and Crucem, one after Tua and Salva. MB. 15. Same but saltire only, on obv., after Edward, Gra, and Angl, two after Dei. Rev. same as last. MB. 16. Same as last with no saltires after Dei, four after Franc. MB. 17. Legends as 9, MM as 13. Saltire after Edward, Dei, and Angl, two after Franc, one after each word on rev, except the first and last. (38) MB. 18. Same with saltire after Edward, Rex, and Angl, two after Dei and Gra. MB. 19. Legends as 9, MM on both sides rose and sun united. Saltire after first four words on obv. and two after Franc, one after Crucem, Tua, Salva, and XPC. MB. A similar coin, having R instead of E in the field on the reverse and therefore struck for Richard III, will be found described under his reign. Coins with MM rose and sun are sometimes attributed to Edward V, and therefore fetch high prices. Mr. Sheppard’s was sold in 1861 for £10.
BRISTOL. With B under ship. Legends as 4 but REDETOR. MM annulet on obv. only. No stops on obv., but two trefoils after Franc; trefoil after Cruse, Salva, Nos, and XPC, two after Per. MB. We know of no provincial angels other than these, which are very rare. The Museum specimen was bought at Mr. Cuff's sale for £12.
HALF-RYALS. Type same as the ryals. None of them appear to be later than 1470. 1. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC. MM sun, followed by two trefoils and a quatrefoil. Trefoil between every word, two between F and R in Franc. Rev. DOMINE NE IN FVRORE TVO ARGVAS ME. MM crown, trefoil after the first five words.MB. 2. Same but no MM on obv., nothing after Franc or between F and R, two trefoils after DOMINE. MB. 3. Same as 1 but FRAN, no MM, nothing after Z or Fran, or between the F and R, no trefoil after Furore. MB. 4. Legends as 1, lis under the ship in the same place as the distinguishing letter on the provincial coins; MM obv. rose, rev, crown, quatrefoil after the rose, trefoil after Edward, Gra, Rex, Angl, and Z, and after Domine, Ne, Furore and Tuo, two between the R and A in Franc. (39) MB. The lis on this coin looks as if it was intended to denote some mint other than that of London.
No coins are known to have been struck at Calais in this reign; but the Statute 3 Edward IV, c. 1, enacts that any “plate or bullion of silver or gold” received by merchants in Calais in payment for wool sold there, shall be taken to be coined at the mint of Calais. Whether this enactment was ever carried out is doubtful. But though there are no coins in existence bearing the name of that mint, yet there are a few silver groats which, with the name of London on the reverse, have on the obverse the marks generally used under Henry V and VI at the Calais mint. These were struck before the reduction of the weight of the silver coins in the king’s fourth year. The half-ryal with the lis under the ship cannot have been struck before the fifth year, and the crown mint-mark is probably three or four years later than this; but as it is evident that in the king’s third year there was an intention to strike coins at Calais, it is not unlikely that during the next year or two dies for this purpose were prepared at the Tower, and that some of them, not being required at Calais, were used at the Tower for the obverses of the gold and silver coins in question.
BRISTOL. With B under the ship. 1. Legends as London No. 1, but ARGVS, trefoil after every word except Di, Gra, In, and Me, after Ed in Edward and before Franc, two after Tuo and Argus. MMs on rev, only, a rose and a sun separated by two trefoils. MB. 2. Legends as London No. 1, trefoil after first three words on obv. and after Franc, lis each side of Z, trefoil after Ne, Tuo, and Arguas, two after Domine, quatrefoil and two trefoils after Me. MM crown on rev, only. Rud. iii. 7, obv. only. MB.
COVENTRY. C under ship. Legends as London No. 3 but ARGVS. Trefoil between all the words except after In, and one also before Fran, two after Di, Rex, Tuo, and Arguas. MMs as Bristol No. 1. The trefoils in the spandrils, all except three, are omitted. MB.
NORWICH. N under ship. Legends as London No. 1, trefoil after Franc, Ne, and In, two after Domine, Tuo, and Me. MM rose on rev, only. MB. It is doubtful whether there are any stops between the words on the obverse of this coin, and it differs from other half- ryals in having no lis on the side of the ship.
YORK. E under ship. Legends as London No. 1. 1. Small cross after each word on obv., and before Franc, two after Rex. Trefoil after each word on rev, except Ne and Me, two after Tuo. MMs rose and lis on rev. only. MB. 2. Trefoil between all the words on obv. and before Franc, two after Di; one after Domine and Ne, two after Tuo and Arguas. After Me are two trefoils, a quatrefoil, and the MM, a lis. There are no trefoils in the spandrils. MB. 3. Trefoil after every word on obv. except Rex, one after E in Edward and before Franc; two after Domine, one after In and Furore. MM sun on rev. only. Rud. iii. 6. MB.
ANGELETS. Type same as the later angels, and as the angelets of Henry VI. 1. EDWARD DI GRA REX. ANGL : Rev. 0 : CRVX AVE SPES VNICA. MM annulet on both sides, rose after Crux, trefoil after Ave, Spes, and Unica. MB. 2. A coin with the same obverse as this, except that it has a small cross instead of a pellet after Rex, has on the reverse the king’s titles, EDWARD DI GRA REX. ANGL. Z. FR, instead of any other legend, with no MM. MB. 3. On another coin the legends are transposed, so that it has on the obv., with the figure of St. Michael, the legend 0 CRVX AVE SPES VNICA, with a pierced cross for MM., and on rev. EDWARD DI GRA REX. ANGL. Z. FRA, with no MM. Trefoil after Crux, Ave, Spes, and Unica, and after the first letter in Unica. (40) MB. 4. Legends as 1, MM obv. pierced cross, rev, pierced cross and pellet. Saltire after every word on obv., two before 0 and after 0, Crux, and Spes, rose after Ave, sun after Unica. MB. 5. EDWARD x DEI GRA REX x ANGLE x Rev. legend as 1, MM plain cross on a circle. Small cross after Spes, two before 0 and after 0 and Unica, rose after Ave. MB. 6. Legends as last but ANGL. MM plain cross on rev. only. No stops on obv., saltire after every word on rev., two each side of 0. Rud. iii. 12. 7. As 6 but MM cinquefoil on both sides, rose after Crux and Spes. THORBURN. 8. Legends as 1 but MM rose and sun united on both sides. Saltire after Edward and Di, and after Spes and Unica, two each side of 0. It is doubtful whether there are any marks on either side of Ave. MB. There are no provincial half angels.
QUARTER RYALS. 1. Within a double tressure of eight arches, having a trefoil at each angle, is a shield with the arms of France and England quarterly, a rose above it, the whole within an inner circle. EDWARD x DI x GRA x REX x ANGL Z F. MM sun. Rev. Within a double tressure of eight arches is a cross, the centre concealed by a rose upon a sun, each limb ending in a lis between two cartouches, a lion passant guardant in each angle. EXALTABITVR IN GLORIA. Trefoil after Exaltabitur and Gloria, two after In. MM rose. Rud. iii. 10, obv. only. MB.
The type of all the rest is, obv. within a tressure of four arches, having a trefoil in each spandril, is a shield bearing the arms of France and England quarterly, the whole within an inner circle. Rev, type as No. 1. 2. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL FR or ANGLIE (the last two letters are doubtful). E above shield, lis below, sun to left, rose to right. MM rose. Lis after Edward, trefoil after Di, two after Gra. Rev. EXALTABITVR IN GLORIA CN. MM sun. Two trefoils after Exaltabitur, In, and Cn. (41) MB. It does not appear what Cn. stands for. 3. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL. Trefoil after Edward and Gra, two after Di and Rex; MM sun; otherwise as 2. Rev. EXALTABITVR IN GLORIA. MM crown, trefoil between the words. MB. 4. As the last, but two trefoils also after Gra, EXATABITVR, rose after each word on rev. Rud. iii. 8, obv. only. MB. 5. Legends as 3; E above shield, lis below, rose to left, sun to right; MM obv. crown, rev, rose and crown; trefoil after Edward Di and Rex and on each side of In. There is no lis at the extremity of the right hand limb of the cross upon this coin. MB. 6. Obv. as 5; rev, legend same, but lis before, rose after In, MM clipped off. THORBURN. 7. Same as 5, but no trefoils in the spandrils or between words on obv., rev. MM crown only, two trefoils between each word, lis at each extremity of cross. MB. 8. Same as the last, with Z after Angl, a small cross after Di, and a lis instead of trefoils after each word on rev. MB. 9. EDWARD DI GRA RE A. MM crown on obv. only, ornaments round shield as 5, two or three dots instead of trefoil in each spandril, rev, legend as 3, the word Gloria blundered, a star, apparently, before the R; no stops between the words. MB. This is a very rudely executed coin. 10. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z. MM cross fitchee, trefoil after Z, ornaments round shield as 2. Rev, legend as 3, MM rose and cross fitchee, trefoil between each word. MB. 11. Legends as last, MM obv. plain cross (perhaps intended for cross fitchee), rev, rose, E above shield, nothing below, rose to left, sun to right, trefoil (?) after each word. Rud. iii. 9. 12. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FR. MM lis, trefoil after first three words, ornaments round shield as 5. Rev, legend as 3, MM lis? trefoil before each word, saltire after Gloria. MB. The lis does not appear as a MM on any silver coins of Edward IV except those struck at York, of which mint it is a common mark; and as all the other MMs on the London gold coins occur also on the silver ones of the same place, and as we have no quarter ryals marked with an E like the ryals and half-ryals to denote that they were struck at York, it is possible that this coin may be from that mint.
Edward IV was the first English king who struck gold coins at any place in England, except London. His provincial mints, which were at Bristol, Coventry, Norwich, and York, were probably established in or about the year 1465, to assist in the great recoinage then taking place, and those at Bristol and York were made use of by Henry VI in 1470; but they seem to have been discontinued after a short time, as none of the later mint- marks appear on the provincial coins; and their coinage of gold seems to have been almost confined to ryals and half-ryals. No coins are known to have been struck at Calais during this reign, though it was at one time intended to do so, and some dies appear to have been made for the purpose. See ante, p. 64.
From a comparison of the numerous silver coins of this reign, it appears that the mint- marks followed each other in the order in which they are here arranged. The approximate date of each coin may be thus ascertained.
In the king’s fifth year, 1465, by another indenture with Lord Hastings, the gold coins were again altered, and it was ordered that 45 nobles only, instead of 50 as in the last two reigns, were to be made of a pound of gold. This brought back the weight of the noble to 120 grs., as it had been from 1351 to 1412, but its value was raised to ten shillings. At the same time new coins impressed with angels were ordered to be made, 67½ to be struck from a pound of gold, and each to be of the value of 6s 8d, that is to say, the new angel which weighed 80 grs. was to be of the same value as the noble had been which weighed 108 grs. The new nobles, to distinguish them from the old ones, were called rose nobles, from the rose which is stamped on both sides of them, or ryals, or royals, a name borrowed from the French, who had given it to a coin which bore the figure of the king in his royal robes, which the English ryals did not. Notwithstanding its inappropriateness, however, the name of ryal was given to these ten- shilling pieces, not only by the people but also in several statutes of the realm, and by that name, instead of noble, we shall designate them. The new six and eightpenny pieces were named, from their device, angels, and were sometimes called “noble angels,” as being of the value of the former nobles. Half and quarter ryals were also coined, and angelets, or half angels.
RYALS, or ROSE NOBLES. Obv. the king standing in a ship, crowned, holding a sword in his right hand, a shield bearing the arms of France and England in his left. The ship has three ropes from the stern to the mast, one from the prow, at the stern is a flag marked with the letter E, and on the side of the ship is a rose, with a lion and lis on each side of it. Rev, within a double tressure of eight arches, having a trefoil in each spandril, is a cross, the centre concealed by a rose upon a sun, the extremities corniced and ending in a lis between two cartouches; a lion, and a crown above him, in each quarter; the whole within an inner circle. The rose on the side of the ship, and the rose and sun on the reverse, are the badges of Edward IV, who is said to have adopted the sun in consequence of the appearance of three suns in the heavens immediately before his first battle, that of Mortimer’s Cross in 1460, in which he was successful. The white rose was the well- known badge of his family. 1. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC DNS IB. Trefoil after every word and between I and B; one after Ed, two after Di; lis after Franc and IB. Rev. IHC AVT TRANSIENS PER MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT. MM. Rose. Trefoil after Aut, Transiens, and Illorum, and between I and B in Ibat, two between I and E.in Transiens and after Medium. MB. This coin in the British Museum is counter-marked with a double cross, surmounted by a crown, being the arms of Dantzic, which were doubtless stamped upon the coin in order to make it current in that town. 2. Obv. as the last. Rev, legend as last. MM sun, trefoil after every word and between I and B in Ibat, two after Transiens and Medium. (36) MB. 3. Legends as 1, but HIB, HIBAT. MM sun on both sides. Trefoil between all the words except after Franc and Per, two after Di, Transiens, Medium, and Illorum, one between I and B in Hib. MB. The difficulty of the aspirates was evidently felt 400 years ago. The maker of these coins found it necessary either to leave out the H in Hiberni or to add it to Ibat! 4. Legends as 1. MM sun on both sides. Trefoil after every word except Franc and Ibat, two after Di, Transiens, and Medium, one between I and B in IB, each side of the I in Transiens, and after the I in Illorum. MB. 5. Legends as 1, but TRANNIENS. MM sun on both sides. Trefoil after every word except Per and Ibat, before Dns, and after I in Ib and Ibat, quatrefoil also after Franc, two trefoils after Tranniens, Medium, and Illorum. MB. 6. Legends as 1, but DEI. MM sun on rev, only. Trefoil after last six words on obv., before Dns, and between I and B, two after B; one after every word on rev, and between I and B in Ibat, two after Illorum and Ibat. MB. This coin in the Museum is countermarked as No. 1. 7. Legends as 1, but ILLORV. MM sun on rev, only. Trefoil after every word except Per and Ibat, before Dns, and after Ed in Edward and the I’s in IB and Ibat, two after Di, Medium, and Illoru. MB. 8. Legends as 1, but FRAN, ILLORV. MM crown on rev. only. Trefoil after Ed in Edward and after every word except Ihc, one also before Dns. MB. 9. Same as last, with trefoil after Ihc. MB. This coin in the Museum is counter marked with a shield on the breast of a double-headed eagle, being the arms of the towns of Groningen and Cambrai. 10. Legends as 1, but TRANSIES. MM crown on rev, only. Nothing after Di, Dns, Ib, or Illorum, two trefoils after Ibat, one after every other word, before Dns, and between I and B in Ibat. The trefoils in the spandrils are formed by three pellets. MB. Rud. iii. 4, where however the trefoils are arranged differently. 11. Legends as 1 but MEDVM. MM cross fitchee on rev, only. Trefoil after every word except Edward and Ibat, one before Dns and after the I’s in IB and Ibat, two after Ed in Edward. Trefoils in spandrils formed by three pellets. MB. This last is the only ryal which appears to have been struck after 1470, the year of the restoration of Henry VI, when the crown MM was in use. After this, few coins except angels and half angels were issued.
BRISTOL. With B under the ship. 1. Obv. legend as the first London ryal. Trefoil after every word except Gra, two after Di and Ib, one before Dns, and between I and B in Ib. Rev. IHC AVT TRANSIENS B MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT. MM sun. Rose after Illorum, trefoil after every other word, and between I and B in Ibat, two after Transiens. MB. 2. Obv. same as last, Rev, legend as last, but PER instead of B, MM sun, trefoil after every word, and between I and B in Ibat, two after Illorum and Ibat. MB. 3. Obv. as the others, Rev, as last, but MM crown, and no trefoils after Ibat. MB. See Rud. Suppl. vi. 22, obv. only.
COVENTRY. With C under the ship. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRNC DNS IB. Trefoil after every word except Rex, and between I and B in Ib. Rev. IHC AVT TRANSENS B MEDIVM ILLORVM IBAT. MM sun. Rose after Illorum, trefoil after every other word and between I and B in Ibat, two after Ibat. Rud. iii. 5. MB.
NORWICH. With N under the ship. Obv. legend as the Coventry coin. Trefoil after Edward, Gra, Rex, Angl, and Z, before Dns, and between I and B in Ib; two after Di, quatrefoil after Frnc. Rev, legend as the first London ryal, MM sun, trefoil between every word and between I and B in Ibat, two after Medium. MB. See Rud. Suppl. vi. 24, obv. only.
YORK. With E (for Eboracum) under the ship. Legends as first London ryal. MMs, on rev. only, sun and lis, with two trefoils between them. Trefoil after every word except Dns and Per, one before Dns, two after Medium, Illorum, and Ibat, and between I and B in Ibat, trefoil and quatrefoil after IB on obv. MB.
ANGELS. The type of these has already been described by anticipation under the reign of Henry VI, who in his short restoration copied the current coins of Edward IV. On the earliest angels, however, Edward placed over the mast of the ship his own badge, the rays of the sun, and this seems to have continued till it was removed by Henry VI in 1470. In the field, on each side of the cross on the reverse, are a rose and a sun, both being emblems or badges of Edward and his family. 1. EDWARD x DI : GRA x REX x ANGL x z x FRANC x DNS x I x B x Rev. PER CRVCEM TVAM SALVA NOS XPC REDEMPTOR. No MM on either side, crown with rays descending from beneath it over the mast, sun to left, rose to right of cross; trefoil after Per, Salva, and Nos, two after Crucem and Tuam. (37) Rud. iii. 13, rev, only. MB. 2. Same but CRVCE TVA, small rosette before rev, legend, rays as on the last but no crown above them, rose to left, large sun to right of cross, small trefoil above the ropes on each side. Trefoil between all the words except after Z, Per, and Cruce, one between I and B in Ib, and before D in Redemptor, two after Di, Angl, and Nos; two pellets after Per. See Rud. Sup. vi. 23. MB.
These are the earliest angels, and were doubtless struck before 1470. The mint-mark then in use was a crown, as is proved by its adoption on the quarter noble struck in that year by Henry VI. Neither this nor any previous mint-mark appears on Edward IV’s angels, but the annulet enclosing a pellet, which on the silver series immediately succeeded the crown, does. We conclude, therefore, that the angels with the sun’s rays, and with no mint-mark, were the only ones issued before Henry VI’s restoration. Afterwards, the regular series of mint-marks, the same as on the other coins, was adopted, and the sun’s rays, which had been removed by Henry VI, were not replaced. Instead of them, there is the topcastle on the top of the mast, surmounted by a cross-crosslet, which was introduced by Henry VI; and E and a rose in the field; except on the first coin now to be described.
3. EDWARD DEI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC. Rev. PER x CRVCEM x TVA x SALVA x NOS x XPE x REDEMPT. MM annulet enclosing pellet on both sides, no crown or rays above the mast, but instead of them an object, possibly intended for a topcastle. E to left, sun to right of cross. Trefoil after the first four and last words on obv. MB.
The rest all have a topcastle above the mast, surmounted by a cross-crosslet, and E to the left, a rose to the right of the cross.
4. EDWARD DEI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC. Rev. PER CRVSE TVA SALVA NOS XPC REDEMTOR. MM annulet on obv. only. Trefoil between all the words except after Dei, Tua, and XPC. MB. 5. Same but REDETO, trefoil between all the words except after Gra and XPC, one after Franc. MB. 6. As 4, but MM to left instead of right of the angel’s head, trefoil before Edward and after first four words on obv., and after Cruse, Salva, Nos, and XPC on rev. MB. 7. As 4 but DI, REDETOR. Trefoil after Di and last four words on obv., and after Cruse, Salva, and XPC, and between E and T in Redetor on rev. MB. 8. Legends as last. MM cross pierced on obv. only. Trefoil after every word on obv., no stops on rev. MB. 9. Obv. legend as 4. Rev. PER x CRVCEM x TVA x SALVA x NOS x XPC REDEMPT MM on each side a cross pierced. Saltire after Rex, Angl, and Z, three after Franc. 10. Legends as last, MM on each side a cross pierced with a pellet in one angle, saltire after every word on obv., four after Franc, two after Crucem and Tua, one after Salva and Nos. MB. 11. Same but one saltire between each word on rev., none after Franc. MB. 12. Legends as 9, MM on each side a cross with a pellet in each angle. Saltire after every word on obv. except Dei, two saltires, a trefoil, and another saltire after Franc. No stops on rev. MB. Rud. 11, where the pellets in the obv. MM are omitted. 13. Legends as 9, but REDEMP. MM on both sides heraldic cinquefoil. Saltire after every word on obv. except Z, no stops on rev. MB. 14. Same as the last but REDEMT, two saltires after Franc and Crucem, one after Tua and Salva. MB. 15. Same but saltire only, on obv., after Edward, Gra, and Angl, two after Dei. Rev. same as last. MB. 16. Same as last with no saltires after Dei, four after Franc. MB. 17. Legends as 9, MM as 13. Saltire after Edward, Dei, and Angl, two after Franc, one after each word on rev, except the first and last. (38) MB. 18. Same with saltire after Edward, Rex, and Angl, two after Dei and Gra. MB. 19. Legends as 9, MM on both sides rose and sun united. Saltire after first four words on obv. and two after Franc, one after Crucem, Tua, Salva, and XPC. MB. A similar coin, having R instead of E in the field on the reverse and therefore struck for Richard III, will be found described under his reign. Coins with MM rose and sun are sometimes attributed to Edward V, and therefore fetch high prices. Mr. Sheppard’s was sold in 1861 for £10.
BRISTOL. With B under ship. Legends as 4 but REDETOR. MM annulet on obv. only. No stops on obv., but two trefoils after Franc; trefoil after Cruse, Salva, Nos, and XPC, two after Per. MB. We know of no provincial angels other than these, which are very rare. The Museum specimen was bought at Mr. Cuff's sale for £12.
HALF-RYALS. Type same as the ryals. None of them appear to be later than 1470. 1. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC. MM sun, followed by two trefoils and a quatrefoil. Trefoil between every word, two between F and R in Franc. Rev. DOMINE NE IN FVRORE TVO ARGVAS ME. MM crown, trefoil after the first five words.MB. 2. Same but no MM on obv., nothing after Franc or between F and R, two trefoils after DOMINE. MB. 3. Same as 1 but FRAN, no MM, nothing after Z or Fran, or between the F and R, no trefoil after Furore. MB. 4. Legends as 1, lis under the ship in the same place as the distinguishing letter on the provincial coins; MM obv. rose, rev, crown, quatrefoil after the rose, trefoil after Edward, Gra, Rex, Angl, and Z, and after Domine, Ne, Furore and Tuo, two between the R and A in Franc. (39) MB. The lis on this coin looks as if it was intended to denote some mint other than that of London.
No coins are known to have been struck at Calais in this reign; but the Statute 3 Edward IV, c. 1, enacts that any “plate or bullion of silver or gold” received by merchants in Calais in payment for wool sold there, shall be taken to be coined at the mint of Calais. Whether this enactment was ever carried out is doubtful. But though there are no coins in existence bearing the name of that mint, yet there are a few silver groats which, with the name of London on the reverse, have on the obverse the marks generally used under Henry V and VI at the Calais mint. These were struck before the reduction of the weight of the silver coins in the king’s fourth year. The half-ryal with the lis under the ship cannot have been struck before the fifth year, and the crown mint-mark is probably three or four years later than this; but as it is evident that in the king’s third year there was an intention to strike coins at Calais, it is not unlikely that during the next year or two dies for this purpose were prepared at the Tower, and that some of them, not being required at Calais, were used at the Tower for the obverses of the gold and silver coins in question.
BRISTOL. With B under the ship. 1. Legends as London No. 1, but ARGVS, trefoil after every word except Di, Gra, In, and Me, after Ed in Edward and before Franc, two after Tuo and Argus. MMs on rev, only, a rose and a sun separated by two trefoils. MB. 2. Legends as London No. 1, trefoil after first three words on obv. and after Franc, lis each side of Z, trefoil after Ne, Tuo, and Arguas, two after Domine, quatrefoil and two trefoils after Me. MM crown on rev, only. Rud. iii. 7, obv. only. MB.
COVENTRY. C under ship. Legends as London No. 3 but ARGVS. Trefoil between all the words except after In, and one also before Fran, two after Di, Rex, Tuo, and Arguas. MMs as Bristol No. 1. The trefoils in the spandrils, all except three, are omitted. MB.
NORWICH. N under ship. Legends as London No. 1, trefoil after Franc, Ne, and In, two after Domine, Tuo, and Me. MM rose on rev, only. MB. It is doubtful whether there are any stops between the words on the obverse of this coin, and it differs from other half- ryals in having no lis on the side of the ship.
YORK. E under ship. Legends as London No. 1. 1. Small cross after each word on obv., and before Franc, two after Rex. Trefoil after each word on rev, except Ne and Me, two after Tuo. MMs rose and lis on rev. only. MB. 2. Trefoil between all the words on obv. and before Franc, two after Di; one after Domine and Ne, two after Tuo and Arguas. After Me are two trefoils, a quatrefoil, and the MM, a lis. There are no trefoils in the spandrils. MB. 3. Trefoil after every word on obv. except Rex, one after E in Edward and before Franc; two after Domine, one after In and Furore. MM sun on rev. only. Rud. iii. 6. MB.
ANGELETS. Type same as the later angels, and as the angelets of Henry VI. 1. EDWARD DI GRA REX. ANGL : Rev. 0 : CRVX AVE SPES VNICA. MM annulet on both sides, rose after Crux, trefoil after Ave, Spes, and Unica. MB. 2. A coin with the same obverse as this, except that it has a small cross instead of a pellet after Rex, has on the reverse the king’s titles, EDWARD DI GRA REX. ANGL. Z. FR, instead of any other legend, with no MM. MB. 3. On another coin the legends are transposed, so that it has on the obv., with the figure of St. Michael, the legend 0 CRVX AVE SPES VNICA, with a pierced cross for MM., and on rev. EDWARD DI GRA REX. ANGL. Z. FRA, with no MM. Trefoil after Crux, Ave, Spes, and Unica, and after the first letter in Unica. (40) MB. 4. Legends as 1, MM obv. pierced cross, rev, pierced cross and pellet. Saltire after every word on obv., two before 0 and after 0, Crux, and Spes, rose after Ave, sun after Unica. MB. 5. EDWARD x DEI GRA REX x ANGLE x Rev. legend as 1, MM plain cross on a circle. Small cross after Spes, two before 0 and after 0 and Unica, rose after Ave. MB. 6. Legends as last but ANGL. MM plain cross on rev. only. No stops on obv., saltire after every word on rev., two each side of 0. Rud. iii. 12. 7. As 6 but MM cinquefoil on both sides, rose after Crux and Spes. THORBURN. 8. Legends as 1 but MM rose and sun united on both sides. Saltire after Edward and Di, and after Spes and Unica, two each side of 0. It is doubtful whether there are any marks on either side of Ave. MB. There are no provincial half angels.
QUARTER RYALS. 1. Within a double tressure of eight arches, having a trefoil at each angle, is a shield with the arms of France and England quarterly, a rose above it, the whole within an inner circle. EDWARD x DI x GRA x REX x ANGL Z F. MM sun. Rev. Within a double tressure of eight arches is a cross, the centre concealed by a rose upon a sun, each limb ending in a lis between two cartouches, a lion passant guardant in each angle. EXALTABITVR IN GLORIA. Trefoil after Exaltabitur and Gloria, two after In. MM rose. Rud. iii. 10, obv. only. MB.
The type of all the rest is, obv. within a tressure of four arches, having a trefoil in each spandril, is a shield bearing the arms of France and England quarterly, the whole within an inner circle. Rev, type as No. 1. 2. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL FR or ANGLIE (the last two letters are doubtful). E above shield, lis below, sun to left, rose to right. MM rose. Lis after Edward, trefoil after Di, two after Gra. Rev. EXALTABITVR IN GLORIA CN. MM sun. Two trefoils after Exaltabitur, In, and Cn. (41) MB. It does not appear what Cn. stands for. 3. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL. Trefoil after Edward and Gra, two after Di and Rex; MM sun; otherwise as 2. Rev. EXALTABITVR IN GLORIA. MM crown, trefoil between the words. MB. 4. As the last, but two trefoils also after Gra, EXATABITVR, rose after each word on rev. Rud. iii. 8, obv. only. MB. 5. Legends as 3; E above shield, lis below, rose to left, sun to right; MM obv. crown, rev, rose and crown; trefoil after Edward Di and Rex and on each side of In. There is no lis at the extremity of the right hand limb of the cross upon this coin. MB. 6. Obv. as 5; rev, legend same, but lis before, rose after In, MM clipped off. THORBURN. 7. Same as 5, but no trefoils in the spandrils or between words on obv., rev. MM crown only, two trefoils between each word, lis at each extremity of cross. MB. 8. Same as the last, with Z after Angl, a small cross after Di, and a lis instead of trefoils after each word on rev. MB. 9. EDWARD DI GRA RE A. MM crown on obv. only, ornaments round shield as 5, two or three dots instead of trefoil in each spandril, rev, legend as 3, the word Gloria blundered, a star, apparently, before the R; no stops between the words. MB. This is a very rudely executed coin. 10. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z. MM cross fitchee, trefoil after Z, ornaments round shield as 2. Rev, legend as 3, MM rose and cross fitchee, trefoil between each word. MB. 11. Legends as last, MM obv. plain cross (perhaps intended for cross fitchee), rev, rose, E above shield, nothing below, rose to left, sun to right, trefoil (?) after each word. Rud. iii. 9. 12. EDWARD DI GRA REX ANGL Z FR. MM lis, trefoil after first three words, ornaments round shield as 5. Rev, legend as 3, MM lis? trefoil before each word, saltire after Gloria. MB. The lis does not appear as a MM on any silver coins of Edward IV except those struck at York, of which mint it is a common mark; and as all the other MMs on the London gold coins occur also on the silver ones of the same place, and as we have no quarter ryals marked with an E like the ryals and half-ryals to denote that they were struck at York, it is possible that this coin may be from that mint.
Edward IV was the first English king who struck gold coins at any place in England, except London. His provincial mints, which were at Bristol, Coventry, Norwich, and York, were probably established in or about the year 1465, to assist in the great recoinage then taking place, and those at Bristol and York were made use of by Henry VI in 1470; but they seem to have been discontinued after a short time, as none of the later mint- marks appear on the provincial coins; and their coinage of gold seems to have been almost confined to ryals and half-ryals. No coins are known to have been struck at Calais during this reign, though it was at one time intended to do so, and some dies appear to have been made for the purpose. See ante, p. 64.
From a comparison of the numerous silver coins of this reign, it appears that the mint- marks followed each other in the order in which they are here arranged. The approximate date of each coin may be thus ascertained.