Edward I Groats, 1279 – c.1282

If your coin has these two features then the chances are it is an Edward I Groat.

Listed below are the eight varieties of Edward I Groat, their corresponding Spink number and description as given in the Spink Standard Catalogue of British Coins. Please note that there may not be photos available for all varieties due to the scarcity of these coins.

Spink 1379A: “London. Variety a. (Fox 5). Small crowned bust within a quatrefoil of three lines, flowers in spandrels. Flat crown with pellet ornaments, drapery of two wedges with rosette below.”

Spink 1379B: “Variety b. (Fox 6). Larger face with flat hair. Unusual crescent crown carrying pearl ornaments, drapery with rosette in centre.”

Spink 1379C: “Variety c. (Fox 3). Similar face with bushy hair.  Crown with plain band and pearl ornaments, drapery is foreshortened circle with rosette in centre.”

Spink 1379D: “Variety d. (Fox 7). New portrait with smaller pointed face, trefoils in spandrels. Crown with spearhead ornament, drapery is segment of a circle with rosette in centre.”

Spink 1379E: “Variety e. (Fox 4). Larger oval face with bushy hair, flowers in spandrels. Crown with spearhead ornaments, thick curved drapery without rosette.”

Spink 1379F: “Variety f. (Fox 1). Quatrefoil of two lines. Broader face and shorter hair. Crown with spread side fleurs, drapery of two wedges, trefoil of pellets below.”

Spink 1379G: “Variety f. (Fox 2). Quatrefoil of three lines. Crown with bifoliate side fleurs, drapery of two wedges, trefoil of pellets below.”

Spink 1379H: “Variety g. (Fox -). Quatrefoil of two lines. Crown with bifoliate side fleurs, drapery of two wedges with annulet (?) on breast, two annulets after ANG.”

EDWARD I

The Groats of Edward I were struck from the beginning of the New Coinage in 1279 and form a series of eight varieties, with affinities to the pennies of classes 1c – 3g. These Groats are a rare find and as such are highly prized by metal detectorists and numismatists alike. Many Edward I Groats were gilded and mounted as brooches.

There are two key things to look out for with Edward I Groats.

Firstly, the bust of the king is within a quatrefoil of four arches, rather than a tressure of several arches that later Groats have.

Secondly, the inner legend on the reverse reads LOnDOnIA CIVI (City of London), rather than the more common CIVITAS LONDON that is used on later issues and on the smaller denominations of the time.

Obverse showing quatrefoil of four arches

Reverse showing inner legend reading

LOnDOnIA CIVI