1/2 Noble - Edward III Treaty period, Calais mint

The Treaty period coinage of Edward III was introduced following the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360, under which France ceded enormous territories to England — a settlement that briefly made Edward the most powerful monarch in Western Europe. The Calais mint was critical to this coinage; captured in 1347 after an eleven-month siege, the city became England's primary continental trading port and a dedicated bullion exchange, legally required to receive all wool, cloth, and tin exports before onward sale.

North 1241 distinguishes Calais-struck pieces by the small cross on the hull, a detail that repays close examination with a loupe.