This groat, issued between 1483 and 1485, is among a group of medieval coins in the Cathedral’s collection.
We use the term ‘groat’ to describe any medieval coin produced between the years of 1351 and 1662.
The front of this groat (pictured above) features the crowned bust of Richard III within a treasure of nine arcs. Look carefully and you may be able to just about make out the mint mark of a boar’s head above the crown.
The reverse (pictured below) shows the standard long cross seen on many groat coins issued under Richard III, with three pellets in each central quarter of the coin.
Coins were important in medieval society, not only for economic reasons. They also functioned as a tool of social and political influence, as they could be spread easily across different levels of society. The depiction of the monarch on coins – a practice which continues in countries around the world today – is a powerful statement of authority. When Richard ascended the throne in 1483, coins such as this one allowed him to spread and instill his assertion that he was the legitimate king of England, with a rightful claim to the crown.
Richard’s reputation suffered significantly after his death in 1485, not least as a result of his unsympathetic characterisation in Shakespeare’s play, Richard III (c.1592-94). However, the traditional view of Richard as a tyrant and villain has been reassessed in recent years, not least prompted by the extraordinary discovery of his remains beneath a Leicester car park in 2012.
