William III ruled Hainaut, Holland, and Zeeland jointly from 1356 until his mental incapacitation rendered him unfit to govern — his brother Albert of Bavaria assumed administration of the territories around 1358 and managed them for decades while William remained nominally count. This coin therefore circulated under a reign defined almost entirely by regency, issued in the name of a ruler who had effectively lost control of his own counties within two years of accession.
The "Plaque of the Evangelists" designation distinguishes this type from other groat issues of the county by its specific reverse composition, catalogued discretely by Boudeau at #2128.
William III ruled Hainaut, Holland, and Zeeland jointly from 1356 until his mental incapacitation rendered him unfit to govern — his brother Albert of Bavaria assumed administration of the territories around 1358 and managed them for decades while William remained nominally count. This coin therefore circulated under a reign defined almost entirely by regency, issued in the name of a ruler who had effectively lost control of his own counties within two years of accession.
The "Plaque of the Evangelists" designation distinguishes this type from other groat issues of the county by its specific reverse composition, catalogued discretely by Boudeau at #2128.