How to Identify the Gold Noble

What It Is

The Gold Noble was a substantial English gold coin first issued in 1344 under King Edward III, valued at six shillings and eight pence (equivalent to half a mark). It represented a major milestone as one of England's earliest successful gold coinages and remained in production, with adjustments to weight and design, through subsequent reigns before eventually giving way to later gold denominations like the ryal and angel.

Obverse Design and Inscriptions

The obverse shows the king standing within a ship, holding a sword and shield, a design widely believed to commemorate English naval strength, possibly linked to the 1340 naval victory at Sluys. A Latin legend naming the king and his titles runs around the rim.

Reverse Design and Inscriptions

The reverse displays an ornate cross with a small lion or leopard in each angle, surrounded by a decorative border often composed of small crowns or lettered arcs, along with a continuing Latin religious inscription, commonly a biblical phrase invoking protection or blessing.

Size, Weight, Metal, and Edge

Gold Nobles were struck in high-purity gold and were relatively large and thick for a hand-struck medieval coin, with early issues weighing around 7.7-7.8 grams before later weight reductions occurred across different reissues as gold values shifted. As hand-hammered coins, they lack a machine-made reeded edge; edges are typically plain and somewhat irregular, consistent with hammered striking methods of the period.

Mint Marks and Where to Find Them

Medieval English coins often carry a small privy mark, such as a symbol placed at the start of the obverse or reverse legend, used to identify the specific minting period or moneyer. These marks require comparison to specialist medieval coinage references for precise dating.

Telling It Apart From Similar Coins

The ship-and-king obverse is highly distinctive and not shared with other English gold coins of the era, making the Gold Noble relatively easy to identify by design alone once genuineness is established. It should not be confused with the later Angel (which shows the Archangel Michael) or the Ryal (a heavier gold coin with a related but distinct ship design introduced later).

Judging Condition at a Glance

Because these coins are centuries old and hand-struck, look at the sharpness of the king's figure and the ship's details, as well as the legibility of the surrounding legend, keeping in mind that hammered coins often show some natural off-center striking or slight doubling even when genuinely unworn from circulation.

Authenticity Red Flags

Given the high value and historic importance of genuine Gold Nobles, be very cautious of examples with modern, overly uniform edges, incorrect weight for the specific issue, or crude, poorly detailed engraving that does not match the fine linework typical of genuine medieval die-cutting. Given the complexity of attributing hammered gold coinage, professional examination is strongly advisable before assuming authenticity.