1344-1351 Edward III Penny London Mint – Third Coinage

Edward III ruled from 25 January 1327 until 21 June 1377, a reign of more than 50 years. He was considered a great military leader and made England one of the most powerful countries in Europe. Sometimes known as Edward of Windsor.

Edward was born at Windsor Castle on 13 November 1312 to King Edward II and Isabella of France. Edward II was disposed in 1327 and Edward III became King at the age of 14. His mother Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer initially ruled as Regent but at 17 Edward III established himself as ruler.

Edward married Philippa of Hainault and over the next 25 years had eight sons and five daughters. He outlived his eldest son, Edward the Black Prince (also a great commander), and the throne eventually passed to his grandson Richard II.

Edward III coins were initially based on the coinage of his Grandfather, King Edward I. The greater majority of Edward III coins are the penny, halfpenny and groat, but during his long reign he introduced several new coins. Gold coins appeared after 1344. The gold Edward III double-florin (double-leopard) is one of the rarest British coins as is the gold florin, both can obtain high six-figure evaluations. The early gold Noble is also up there.
The Penny is one of the most famous British coins. The coin itself has been around since 600AD and at various times has been struck in silver, copper and bronze. Originally split into halfpennies and farthing, it is now itself the least denomination coin currently in circulation. Made from copper (actually copper plated steel).

Originally there were 12 pennies in one shilling and 240 pennies in £1; since decimalisation in 1971 there are 100 new pence in one pound.

Composition: Early pennies were Silver, then Copper, Bronze and Copper coated steel.The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. 

Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.

Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history.

The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.