Thread: Gold Noble/Ryal: original English issue or Flemish Imitative coinage?

Guys,
Meet my most exciting metal detecting find ever: found years ago in a forest, at the side of a footpath where people still go for sunday strolls. I was geting ready to pack up and go home after having found 2 dozen or so pull tabs and shells. This signal was very loud, much like a pull tab and i almost decided not to pick it. But somehow it was different i guess, because i did stop
to dig it up. Boy am i glad that i did! My hear skipped a beat when i slowly realized realized what it was. I am glad i did not damage it since i weas pretty careless digging it up. I have been very fortunate, but nothing like this before. As usual i searched the entire area, but this was a single find.
So what is it? Gold Noble or Ryal in tabout he name of the English king Edward IV. However, very simlar coins, imitating the original english issues were also struck in the low countries (Gorinchem and Utrecht as fas as i know). It weighs 7.42 grams. Can anybody please help identifying the issue, as well as date of mintage, and the coins grade. It does appear a bit weak
in places, particularly the reverse. But all in all an amazing condition for a coin like this.
Thank you

Splendid, splendid find! And people around here usually get excited to find a Mercury dime! Lol.

I haven't any of my references with me at the moment, I'll check it later in the week if no one else chimes in.

Thank you for pointing me to that Thread. I did not think to look in the obvious place first. Well, that was a very nice Gold Noble
which you posted there!
So the diagnostic for Gorinchen is the Crown (instead of the cross) on the reverse. This one has a crown (rather faint, but definitely not a cross). This is therefore a Gorinchem issue.
I guess it makes sense this is not of English origin, but rather from the low countries: would have been very unusal to find an English coin here, a flemish one makes more sense. Amazing how well the Flemish were able to copy/imitate English issues.
I will try to do a search to determine which are more common: Edward IV Nobles, or the Gorinchem imitative issues.
regards,
Eduard

This coin is probably imitative (but contempory). The grade is around VF to GVF, hard to tell without holding it in hand.....If GDJSMP thinks it is F, I would like him to show me an EF example of the same coin !

Thank you very much GDJMSP and everybody, you have given me much more of an answer than i was hoping for. It gives me all of the background i need concerning this coin. For sure i did not realize this coin is so scarce. This is a very pleasant surprise.

Concerning similar finds, i read recently in a UK-detectorist forum that somebody had found 8 Gold Nobles and ca. 40 pennies and groats of Edward III and Edward IV buried in a field.....
Regards,
Eduard

I know of someone who found a purse of mint state Elizabethan sixpence. twenty or so of them.

WOW! That is about all I can say! Thanks for sharing with us Eduard!


Frank