Half Esterlin - Jean the Blind

Jean the Blind, Count of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia, died at Crécy in 1346 — famously ordering his attendants to tie his horse to theirs so he could strike at least one blow despite his total blindness. His Luxembourg coinage largely mirrors English sterling types, a deliberate policy of monetary compatibility with trade partners across the Low Countries.

The half esterlin denomination itself derives directly from the English halfpenny sterling, adopted by several Low Country rulers in the early 14th century to facilitate cross-border commerce.