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PLANTAGENET. Edward III. 1327-1377. AV Quarter Noble (19mm, 1.75 g, 10h). Fourth coinage, Transitional Treaty period. Tower (London) mint. Struck 1361. Coat-of-arms; all with double polylobe with annulets at cusp, trefoils at spandrels / Cross fleurée, with lis-in-quadrilobe at center; in each angle, lion passant above lis; all within double polylobe with trefoils at spandrels. Schneider 69 var. (trefoils in spandrels on rev.; same obv. die); North 1224; SCBC 1501. Deposits. VF.
Edward II was crowned as a minor upon his father’s death, but once he came of age, he asserted his control by executing his father’s murderer (Roger Mortimer, his mother’s lover), exiling his mother, Isabella of France, and putting-down a number of rebellions. His initial military successes began with a major defeat of the Scots at Halidon Hill in 1333. His most illustrious successes, though, were against the French. Through his mother, the daughter of the French king Philip IV, Edward had a legitimate claim to the French crown after Charles IV died without an heir. The French did not recognize maternal bloodlines, so they chose Charles’ cousin, Philip de Valois, as their new king. In 1337, Edward pressed his claim and invaded France, beginning the Hundred Years War. The initial invasion was only moderately successful, but a second invasion in 1346 yeilded great success. Edward scored a number of victories including a crushing defeat of the French at Crécy that same year. The campaign continued over the next ten years, culminating in the capture of the French king, Jean II (son of Philip V, who died in 1350), after the successful seige of Poitiers in 1356. A lull in the war followed, but unsuccessful negotiations led Edward to invade again in 1359. At the time, the Black Death was ravaging Europe, and the campaign ground to a halt, forcing both sides to negotiate a treaty at Brétigny in 1360, with Edward giving up his claim in exchange for the recognition of the English territories in France (mainly, Aquitaine and Calais). It was during the second invasion that Edward established his magnificent court at Windsor Castle, modelled on the Arthurian legend. He created the Order of the Garter, which was based on the Knights of the Round Table, with his elder son, Edward the Black Prince, as the first inducted. Chivalry and knighthood were promoted, and tournaments flourished throughout the kingdom, resulting in an unprecedented level of esprit-de-corps between Edward and his nobles. Another great feat of Edward was that he was able to maintain the finances and administration of England during the plague. After 1360, though, his fortunes began to wane: the plague made a resurgence in 1361, Jean II died in English captivity in 1364, and Jean’s son, Charles V, successfully rallied the French, who began a strong campaign to retake Aquitane. Most devastating to Edward, personally, were the deaths of his beloved wife Philippa in 1369 and the Black Prince in 1376. By the end of his reign, the Black Death and the ongoing struggle with France drove England into near ruin, and led to the collapse of the Plantagenet dynasty (his decendants’ rival claims to the throne led to the War of the Roses). Nevertheless, his reign reinvigorated the English national identity and placed the kingdom securely on a level with the greatest monarchies of Europe, which endured long past his time.
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 133 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 15-16 September 2026.
CNG Feature Auction 133 – Session Three – Lot 595-896 will be held Wednesday morning, 16 September 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.
Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.
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