Kings and Coins of the Hundred
Year's War
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Edward
111 (1327-77)
Edward comes to the throne one year before
Philip of Valois does in France.
He outlives Philip and his successor Jean
le Bon.

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Left: Half groat 1361, treaty transition
period, 21mm. Obv: EDWARDVS REX ANGL DNS HIB, central crowned portrait.
Rev inner circle: CIVITAS LONDON, outer circle: POSVI DEVM ADJUTOREM MEVM
(I have made God my helper). Cross mint mk. S:1611, C:E32D-055. Contemporary
French kings were Charles IV, Philip
VI, Jean II and Charles
V.
Right: Half groat, type C, 1351-61,
23mm. Obv: EDWARDVS REX ANGL Z FRAN, crowned central figure. Rev inner
circle: CIVITAS LONDON, outer circle: POSVI DEVM ADJUTOREM MEVM (I
have made God my helper), long cross. S:1573, C:E32D-005/30.
Philip
V1 (1328-50)
Philip experiences defeats at Sluys and Crecy.
He was militarily inept.
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AR Gros a la Couronne (1338), 24mm. Obv: PHILIPPVS REX, central cross. Rev: crown FRANCORVM, chatel avec etoile sous le chatel, 2nd emission. 1338. D262A, C298. Contemporary English coin: Edward III.
Jean 11 le
Bon (1350-64)
Jean II is an ideal representative of high
chivilry but loses battles.
He is captured at Poitiers and spends captivity
in London before being ransomed.
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AR Blanc au chatel fleir de lise, 1st emission, 1/16/1356, 27mm. Obv: IOHANNES REX, central short cross. Rev; TVRONVS CIVIS, chatel. D310, C408. Contemporary English coin: Edward III.
Charles
V The Wise (1364-80)
Charles recovers ground lost during his predecessor's
reigns.
He repudiates the Treaty of Bretigny.
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Blanc au K, 25mm. Obv: DEI:GRACIA in the inner circle, center is K surmounted by crown, with lis on both sides of the K. Rev: FRANCORV:REX in the inner circle. The center has a cross surmounted by a crown. The outer circle is +BENEDCTV:SIT,etc. D363, C47. Contemporary English coins: Edward III and Richard II.
Richard
ll (1377-99)
Richard did not agressively pursue the war
but faced a weak opponent.
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Half penny: type 1V, 12mm. Obv: RICHARD REX ANGLIE, crowned bust. Rev: CIVITAS LONDON, long cross. S:1700A, C:R2HD-010 intermediate issue. Contemporary French kings were Charles V and Charles VI.
Charles
V1 The Fool (1380-1422)
Charles suffers intermitant madness, internal
strife and a major defeat at Agincourt.

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Left: Blanc dit guernar, 1389 or
1411, 26mm. Obv: +KAROLVS FRANCORV REX, shield with three lis. Rev: SIT
NOMEN DNI BENEDICTV, cross with two crowns and two lis. D377A or D377C,
C507 or 509.
Right: Blanc guenar, 1385+, 25mm.
Obv: +KAROLVS:FRANCORV:REX, shield with three lis. Obv: +SIT:NOMEN:DNI:BENEDIC,
cross with two lis and two crosses. D377 (and varieties), C506. Contemporary
English coins: Richard II, Henry IV and
Henry
V.
Henry lV (1399-1413)
France is in civil war, England financially
stressed, but Henry allies himself with Burgundy
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Penny, 15 mm. Obv: +HENRIC REX ANGLIE, facing crowned bust. Rev: CIVITAS DVNOLM, central cross with clover cluster of pellets in each quadrant. Mint is Durham. S1735; C:H41D-055. Id relies on Mark Davidson, given coin condition. Henry IV's coinage was very poor quality and most was removed by Henry V for reissue.
Henry V
(1413-22)
Henry aggressively pursues the war and is
victorious in Agincourt.
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Penny, long cross, 17mm. Obv: HENRICVS REX ANGL, crowned bust. Rev: CIVITAS EBORACI (York) S:1785, C:HE1D-075 - but plain cross above crown is clear, not a cross pattee. The contemporary French king was Charles VI.
Charles
V11 (1422-1461).Henry V1 (1422-61)
Their father's both die about the same time
and each comes to the throne in the same year.
Charles is older, but initially weak, Henry
is a baby. Both face internal domestic strife,
but Charles ultimately mounts an effective
defense and defeats the English.
The war finally ends in 1453, though neither
realized it at the time.
Their respective reigns cover exactly the
same years.
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Left French coin: Blanc aux Couronne,
27mm. Description from (and identification based on) the CGB
web catalogue, France IV, Fall 1999, # 58. Blanc à la couronne,
26/06/1456, Saint-Lô, point 19e au droit et au revers, 4e ém,
(Bill, 27 mm, 2,57 g ), (pd. th. 3,022 g,). A/ + KARO[LVS*]
FRANCORVm* REX*, (ponctuation par simple molette à 5 pointes). Écu
de France entre trois couronnelles, dans un double trilobe. R/ +
SIT* nOmE[N]* DnI* BEnEDICTVm, (ponctuation par simple molette à
5 pointes). Croix cantonnée aux 1 et 4 d'une couronnelle, aux 2
et 3 d'un lis, dans un double quadrilobe. C.688 - Mar.1651 - L.514c - Dy.519C
- Dieudonné 1606-1607. Contemporary English coin: Henry
VI.
Right English coin: Calais Groat
1427-30 rosette/mascle, 26mm. Obv: HENRIC DI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC, crowned
central portrait. Rev inner circle: VILLA CALISIE, outer circle:
POSVI DEVM ADJUTOREM MEVM (I have made God my helper), long cross. S:1859,
C:H64D-040/45. Sharing the exact same years in his French reign was Charles
VII