Noble of Edward III
1344– ・ gold ・ 14th century ・ England
In 1344 the gold florin, whose ratio was set wrong and which vanished within a few months, was followed by a gold coin that succeeded — the noble. Its face value of six shillings and eight pence, half a mark, was a convenient unit for accounting, and for the century that followed it was the byword for English gold. On the face, the king standing on a ship with sword and shield: an image held to reflect the victory at the sea battle of Sluys in 1340. The failure and the success of the same year teach one thing — money will not circulate if the ratio is wrong, whatever the king commands.