BROOCH

A silver medieval groat of Edward I (1272-1307), issued in 1280-1 (North variant c, N1005, Fox type 3) which has been converted into a brooch or clothes fastening through the attachment of a fastener (no longer survives) and gilding. Ref: North 1989: 4-8; North 1991: 24.

Description: The coin is a silver groat (fourpence) of Edward I, issued in 1280-1. The coin has then been modified with the addition of gilding, which covers the full face of the reverse. A catchplate or fastening remains as a scar and stubs of the soldolimited solder on the obverse.

Obverse: Crowned facing bust within a quatrefoil formed by three lines, with a small flower in each spandrel. Crown has thick band, pearl ornaments and drapery is curved with rosette at centre. Colon stops.

Obverse inscription: EDWARDVS:DI:GRA'[:RE]X:ANGL':.

Reverse: Long cross with three pellets in each angle dividing a legend in two lines, triple stops.

Reverse inscription: :DNS/hIBIn'/E DVX/AQVT'//LOn/DOn/IA C/IVI (pellet-barred N in DNS)

Measurement: 28.97mm in diameter, 2.79mm thick (including attachments) and 5.62g in weight

Discussion: Edward I introduced the large silver groat in 1280, but it did not become a successful part of the currency at this time: only in 1351, with Edward III's revival of the denomination, did this occur. It is a relatively rare coin, therefore. However, the features that made this coin a brooch are in fact common for the Edward I groat to have survived:of the 60 or so known examples of this coin, about a quarter show such signs. It is also the case that, since this is a relatively rare coin, these additions are sometimes removed for commercial advantage, so this proportion is only a minimum.

This find adds another example to the corpus of Edward I groats and another to those known to have survived in brooch form. Other, similarly-sized coins were also converted into brooches in England at this time, as finds attest - mostly gros tournois of the contemporary kings of France. On both groups of coins, the English and French, the side of the converted coin on display in its brooch form and usually gilded is that with a prominent cross design: for the English groat, this is the reverse of the coin, and it is the portrait and name of the king that is hidden under the attachments, as on this example.

A small number of examples of these coin brooches have been recovered in recent years and have been reported as treasure e.g. 2008 T654 (NCL-7F9C81), 2016 T547 (KENT-E4ED84) and 2008 W18 (NMGW-45F745)

Conclusion: It is therefore clear that this object dates to before 1719 and as the object is made of more than 10% precious metals, it constitutes potential Treasure under the stipulations of The Treasure Act 1996.