GREAT BRITAIN. Groat, ND (ca. 1279). London Mint. Edward I. PCGS EF-40.

S-1379f; N-1003 (ER). New coinage, variety a.5. Obverse: Crowned facing bust within double (plain and beaded) polylobe, cinquefoil to left and right; flowers in spandrels; Reverse: Long cross pattee; trefoils in quarters. From the first series of Groats, this charming and VERY RARE specimen presents attractive toning and clear devices the remain problem-free. A monumental piece for the advanced collector of the English series, or medieval hammered issues in general.
Nicknamed “longshanks,” Edward instilled fear into his contemporaries with an imposing character and sometimes brutal reign. A capable military man, Edward launched numerous military campaigns against the Scots and French, and despite his aptitude for battle, the toil of conflict detracted from his popularity. Edward also focused on reforming the legal customs of England though this caused trouble by attempting to tax the Church. Perhaps the largest blight upon the reign of Edward I, and the legacy of his term is his expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290. This edict was not revoked until over three and half centuries later during the Republican period.  

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From the Paul C. Runze Collection.