Irish Coinage
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Edward IV
Part II

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Irish Coinage of Edward IV Part II (1470 to 1483)

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© 2006 - Copyright
John _ Stafford-Langan
Version 1.13a
24 February, 2006

   

Introduction to Irish Coins of Edward IV's second reign (1471-1483)

( this page is unfinished and contains only a brief summary )

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This page is quite long and is divided into sections corresponding to the main Irish coinages of the period. To jump directly to a point on this page select one of the topics below.

  • Portrait, Cross and Pellets Coinage with English Titles (1470-1472)
  • Light Cross and Pellets Coinage (1472-1475)
  • Rogue mints issues, Cork and Wexford - (1467-1475)
  • Transitional issues relocated dies Trim/Dublin and Drogheda/Dublin - 1475
  • Light Cross and Pellets Coinage Annulet type , Dublin Only (1475-1478)
  • Cross on Rose / Sun Coinage (1478)
  • Portrait Suns and Roses / Rose on Cross Coinage (1478-1483)

Portrait, Cross and Pellets Coinage with English Titles (1470-1472)

The following 23 years until Edward's death in 1483 were witness to a continual struggle between the local Irish authorities striving to maintain a lower Irish standard, the King trying to exercise control over coinage struck in his name which sometime circulated in England (to the great annoyance of the English merchant class because of the lower standard) and the unscrupulous activities of a series of Irish mintmasters. 


For numismatists this struggle led to a wonderful series of coins being produced with a variety of designs, mints, and standards which are still today being untangled. My forthcoming paper on this reign will move the confusion to a higher level!


Edward IV Light Portrait Groat - Waterford

In short there are six distinct designs. Two of which have more than one weight standard. There are factions between Eastern and Southern mints. There are base metal and billon issues and there are lots of mints (some of which were illegal, and some of which are still unrepresented by a surviving coin).


Edward IV Cross on Rose Penny - Dublin

As a final act Edward IV attempted another revision of the Irish coinage before his death in 1483. But this new coinage did not emerge until after his death.

Richard III did implement his brother Edward IV's new coinage (see next section) but the earliest coins in his name are of the last type of Edward (with Richard's name often stamped over Edward's on the die).