Richard II's reign was administratively turbulent for English gold coinage, with the Calais mint functioning as the primary outlet for wool-staple revenues — merchants paying export duties in bullion that was coined on the spot. The Calais operation gave the Crown direct control over continental trade flows in a way the domestic mints could not replicate.
North 1316 distinguishes this as a Type III issue, differentiated from earlier types by specific annulet and lis arrangements in the mm and stops. Die-linking studies by Schneider placed Calais output for this reign considerably below London's, making Calais-mint halves noticeably harder to source than their face frequency suggests.
Richard II's reign was administratively turbulent for English gold coinage, with the Calais mint functioning as the primary outlet for wool-staple revenues — merchants paying export duties in bullion that was coined on the spot. The Calais operation gave the Crown direct control over continental trade flows in a way the domestic mints could not replicate.
North 1316 distinguishes this as a Type III issue, differentiated from earlier types by specific annulet and lis arrangements in the mm and stops. Die-linking studies by Schneider placed Calais output for this reign considerably below London's, making Calais-mint halves noticeably harder to source than their face frequency suggests.