124 



On a Hoard of Gold Nobles 



on the obverse and reverse seems to indicate either a forgery, or great 

 disorganisation in the proceedings of the mint. 



The most curious, from the historical point of view, appear to be 

 four which, having on the obverse the armed figure in the ship, like 

 the rest, have nevertheless, instead of the arms of Edward IIL> 

 those of thilip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, as shown in the illu- 

 minations of Froissart, except the tinctures, which could not be ex- 

 presssed on coin, viz., 1st and 4th quarters, azure semee of fleurs de 

 lis or, within a bordure compony gules and argent ; 2nd and 3rd, 

 bendy or and azure within a bordure gules, with the legend p. H. s. 



DEI GRA DUX BURG COMES & DNS FLAND. 



This quartered coat, sometimes called modern Burgundy, was 

 assumed by Philip the Bold, fourth son of John II. of France, when 

 created Duke of Burgundy in 1363. The coat in the 2nd and 3rd 

 quarters is that of the first house of Burgundy, which flourished 

 upwards of three hundred and twenty years, and came to an end in 

 1361, by the decease of Philip le Rouvre, Duke of Burgundy, be- 

 trothed to Margaret, heiress presumptive of Flanders, who at the 

 said date was about 11 years old. The arms on these Flemish nobles 

 agree minutely with the coat depicted over the head of Philip the 

 Bold in the illumination of the MS. of Froissart in the British 

 Museum, where he is represented sitting in council with the Duke 

 of Berri. 1 



The diameter of the coins is nearly If in.,a little larger than our half- 

 crown, the thickness scarcely more than that of a sixpence, the average 

 weight 120 grains, nearly that of a sovereign. They all appear to be 

 of the finest gold, and the impressions are mostly clear and sharp, 

 showing very little wear from circulation, but some few are not so 

 successfully coined as others, and are somewhat blurred. The value 

 of the noble as mentioned below in the quotation from a contem- 

 porary chronicle was fixed at 6s. 8d., but it must be borne in mind 



1 In Humphrey's " Illustrations of Froissart," 1844-5, vol. i., pi. xv., vol. ii., 

 pi. xxiii., the illuminations are misrepresented, the bordure gules not being indi- 

 cated all round the bends in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. In " Geneal. Hist, des 

 Mais. Souv.," 1738, t. IV., 1. ii., c. i., art. 3, the coat is given correctly. 



