1 Noble - Richard II London mint, type IIIA

Richard II's noble coinage is numismatically significant less for its design than for the political turbulence surrounding its issuer — a king whose treasury was chronically strained by resumed French war costs and domestic baronial opposition, culminating in his forced abdication in 1399. Type IIIA is distinguished from earlier issues by specific annulet and lis arrangements in the quarters, a classification detail that matters considerably for attribution but is easily missed without direct comparison to a reference plate.

The London mint dominated noble production under Richard; the provincial mints at Calais and elsewhere were periodically suspended as bullion supplies fluctuated. North 1303 covers a relatively tight die grouping within this type.