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Florin - Edward III 3rd coinage, 1st period
| Issuer | Tower Mint, London |
|---|---|
| Year | 1344 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Florin (3⁄20) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | DOMINE NE IN FURORE TUO ARGUAS ME (Translation: O Lord rebuke me not in Thine anger) |
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| Additional information |
The florin of 1344 — England's first attempt at a gold coinage — failed almost immediately. Valued at six shillings, it was rejected by merchants because the exchange rate against foreign gold coins made it commercially unworkable. The entire issue was called in and melted within months of release, which is why surviving examples are genuinely exceptional rarities rather than merely scarce ones. Fewer than a handful are known to exist today.
The failure prompted Edward III to recalibrate, and the noble — introduced later that same year at a more pragmatic valuation — succeeded where the florin could not.