A resource for collectors, metal-detectorists and students
Early Edwardian Pennies
Group 15
Type 15a (1319-1319/20) - Spink 1461; North 1066
Coins of type 15a are identifiable by a combination of the group 15 crown (realistic widely splayed side-fleurs and poorly defined ornaments, both of which are inclined to the left) and a large face with pointed chin and enigmatic smile, as on type 14. When worn, the type is easily confused with 15c, but can be distinguished by the letter E, which is angle-backed.
King’s name: EDWAR
Mints: Bury, Canterbury, Durham, London
Type 15b (1319/20-1321) - Spink 1462; North 1067
Coins of type 15b are identifiable by a combination of the group 15 crown (realistic widely splayed side-fleurs and poorly defined ornaments, both of which are inclined to the left) and the face, which although similar to that of 15a, is much smaller.
King’s name: EDWAR
Mints: Bury, Canterbury, Durham, London
Type 15c (1321-1327/28) - Spink 1463; North 1068
Coins of type 15c are identifiable by a combination of the group 15 crown (realistic widely splayed side-fleurs and poorly defined ornaments, both of which are inclined to the left) and a large face, which is similar to that of 15a, but lacks the enigmatic smile. When worn, the two types are easily confused, but the distinctive letter E of type 15c is much larger and doesn’t have an angled back.
King’s name: EDWAR
Mints: Bury, Canterbury, Durham, London
Type 15d (1327/28-1343) - Spink 1526-34; North 1095-99
Coins of type 15d are generally similar to those of type 15c, but have pellet or wedge stops in the obverse legend and usually Lombardic N’s on both obverse and reverse. The Roman 'N', however, does occur on some varieties. The type can be subdivided into 15d1 (gallery images 1 and 2) and 15d2 (gallery images 3 and 4), the latter sub-type having a pellet in the centre of the obverse initial cross and three tiny additional pellets in one angle of the reverse. Durham coins have a crown within a lozenge in the centre of the reverse cross (gallery image 2), York coins have the usual quatrefoil (gallery image 4), and Reading coins have a scallop-shell in one angle.
King’s name: EDWAR
Mints: Bury, Canterbury, Durham, London, Reading, York (ecclesiastical)
15d Notes
The 15d penny of Reading could not have been struck before 1338, as the abbot's right to a mint and moneyer, originally granted by Henry I, had long since lapsed and was only restored in that year. The coin, of which only a single, incomplete specimen is known, has neither stops in the obverse legend nor additional pellets on the reverse. As it deviates thus from the usual classification criteria applied to either 15d1 or 15d2, and was struck very late in the issue, Lord Stewartby (English Coins 1180-1551) assigns it to a third sub-type, 15d3.
The attribution of Durham pennies of type 15d to either Bishop Louis de Beaumont (1317-1333) or his successor, Richard de Bury (1333-1345), has long been the subject of numismatic debate. Although the personal lion-and-lis initial mark of Louis occurs on Durham coins of types 13 to 15c, it is absent from those of type 15d. The new crown-in-lozenge motif on the reverse of this coin was formerly thought to depict a charge from the heraldic arms of Richard de Bury, but this is now known to be incorrect, thus leaving the question of attribution unresolved. A possible resolution, however, is proposed by Denis Martin in his paper, The Durham Class 15d Coinage of Edward III: Beaumont or de Bury (BNJ 88, 2018). He suggests that the mark might indicate the king's temporary expropriation of the bishop's mint in order to coin money for payment of his army, which in July 1327 had moved to the Durham area to deal with a Scottish incursion. It follows that the use of the crown motif would thereby indicate that the coins were struck at a royal mint, rather than an ecclesiastical mint. The early date is also consistent with the fact that all the Durham coins conform to the 15d1 classification criteria.
The known combinations of 15d sub-type and mint, taking account of the above notes, are:
15d1 - Bury, Canterbury, Durham, London
15d2 - Canterbury, York (ecclesiastical)
15d3 - Reading