The Edwards, from the New Coinage of 1279 to the end of Edward III's reign in 1377.
Groats and Halfgroats
Before Edward I's New Coinage of 1279, the biggest denomination of coin in circulation in Medieval England was the silver penny (with the exception of Henry III's Gold Penny). But with the minting of the New Coinage came a whole new type of coin - the silver Groat. This coin was equal to the value of four pence and was considerably larger in size compared to the pennies of the time.
Groats of Edward I are rare finds and are discussed in detail on the page for Edward I below. No Groats are known to have been struck under Edward II, but under Edward III a great quantity and variety of Groats were struck from 1351 until the end of his reign in 1377.
As well as the Groat, a new silver coin – the Halfgroat – was also stuck in great numbers under Edward III and these generally correspond with the types and varieties of Groat. The Halfgroat was, as the name suggests, half the value of a Groat making it worth two pence, and the Groats and Halfgroats of Edward III are discussed in detail on the page for Edward III below.
A copy of Ivan Buck's Medieval English Groats is a good reference book for all Groats and many corresponding Half Groats from Edward I right through to Charles I.
An article on the Groats of Edward I-III written by Ivan Buck can be found online here:
http://www.vosper4coins.co.uk/ivanbuck/buck-1.htm#Edward%20III
