Very Rare Transitional Treaty Period Groat

CNG 96, Lot: 1421. Estimate $2000. Sold for $1900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

PLANTAGENET. Edward III. 1327-1377. AR Groat (26mm, 4.34 g, 5h). Transitional Treaty period. London mint; im: cross potent. Struck 1361. + ЄDWΛR’ x DЄI x G’ x RЄX x AnGL’ x DnS’ x hIB’ x ΛCQ, crowned and draped facing bust within tressure of arches, with inward-facing lis on lower cusps and annulets flanking crown / + POSVI x DЄVm x Λ DIVTOR Єm x mЄV//CIVI TΛS LOИ DOИ, long cross pattée; trefoils in quarters. Lawrence 1; North 1225; SCBC 1610. VF, toned, a little porosity, small scratch on obverse, light deposits on reverse. Very rare.

Ex Spink Numismatic Circular XCIX.3 (April 1991), no. 1854; R. Carlyon-Britton Collection; L.A. Lawrence Collection (Part IV, Glendining, 28 November 1951), lot 1138; B. Roth Collection (Part 2, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 14 October 1918), lot 175.

The Roth sale lists further pedigrees for this coin, which may be erroneous:

H. Montagu Collection (Part 2, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 11 May 1896), lot 439; H. Webb Collection (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 9 July 1894), lot 73; J.F. Neck Collection (purchased by H. Webb). [Neck used his coin in an article: J.F. Neck, “On a Hoard of Edward I. Coins discovered at Northampton, with Remarks on the Coinage of Edward I., II, and III,” NC 1882, p. 115]

None of these publications illustrate the coin in question, but the reasons these pedigrees may be erroneous are twofold. First, they all list a different end to the obverse legend, AC' rather than ACQ. The former is Lawrence 2 and the latter Lawrence 1, so both varieties are known for this issue with annulets beside the king's head. Second, the weight listed in these sales is 69 grains, which would equate to 4.47 grams. The present coin weighs 4.34 grams = 66.7 grains. This is not an insignificant difference, and suggests that we are discussing two different coins.