Ireland, Edward IV, Penny, Drogheda Mint, light cross and pellets issue, Burns 12

Ireland, Edward IV (1461-83), silver Penny, Drogheda Mint, third light cross and pellets issue, Burns group 5 (1473-79) type XII, pellet either side of crown and of neck, inner circle and legend surrounding partially off flan as per usual both sides, rev. long cross with tri-pellets in each inner angle, weight 0.42g (Burns DR-12 this coin; DF.136; S.6374F). Toned, made small as usual, off-centre, fine for issue and extremely rare, only four examples known to Burns and this is the plate coin from his collection.

Born on the 28^th April 1442 in Rouen, the son of Richard Plantagenet the third Duke of York, Edward inherited the Yorkist claim on the death of his Father at the Battle of Wakefield in December 1460. After then defeating Lancastrian forces at the Battle of Towton on 29^th March 1461 in a snowstorm, he deposed King Henry VI imprisoning him in the Tower of London. Edward went on to marry Elizabeth Woodville on 1^st May 1464 with whom he had seven daughters and three sons, seven of which survived him, though the two surviving sons later became known as the tragic "Princes in the Tower".

Firstly, though the marriage of Edward to Elizabeth enraged the Earl of Warwick, as Elizabeth was a widow of Lancastrian John Grey of Groby killed at Towton and had had two sons with him. Later Edward dismissed his Lord Chancellor in 1467 George Neville the Archbishop of York, who was Warwick's brother causing Warwick to form an alliance against Edward with the latter's younger brother the Duke of Clarence, who owned neighbouring estates to Warwick. King Edward then blocked a marriage proposal between Clarence and Warwick's eldest daughter Isabel, but the marriage went ahead and took place in Calais, France presided over by George Neville. The three men then issued a "remonstrance" of alleged abuses by the Woodvilles and other advisors of Edward, returned to London and raised an army which went on to defeat the Royal army at Edgecote Moor on 24^th July 1469 with Edward then being held at Middleham Castle. On the 12^th August Edward's Father in law Richard Woodville and his youngest son John were executed at Kenilworth Castle, but subsequent support for the actions of Warwick and Neville were low and Edward was released in September to resume rule. Edward went on to reinstate Henry Percy as Earl of Northumberland, who had previously fought for Lancaster giving back his estates that had been presented to John Neville, Warwick's brother with Neville in turn being given the title Marquess of Montague as compensation. By March of 1470 Warwick and Clarence escalated a more private feud into a full scale revolt, but were defeated fleeing to France by May of that year. Louis XI encouraged Warwick to negotiate an alliance with Queen Margaret, and with French support they landed in England on 9^th September 1470 to restore King Henry. An army of 30,000 was formed as Yorkist support in England was low. Edward narrowly escaped capture to Bruges and Henry was restored. Edward received little support from his brother in law Charles the Bold, but by March 1471 backed by Flemish merchants he landed near Hull close to his Yorkshire estates, and persuading the City of York to open its gates to him. He marched south gaining more support along the way entering London unchallenged and taking Henry prisoner. Warwick was defeated and killed at the Battle of Barnet on 14^th April 1471, and Edward Westminster the son of Henry, was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury on 4^th May 1471, with the imprisoned Henry dying shortly after. Edward's second period of rule began, and he had only to quell one significant rebellion in February 1474 by John de Vere the 13^th Earl of Oxford, who survived to be in command of the Lancastrian army at Bosworth field nine years later. The Duke of Clarence was alleged to have been involved in the rebellion leading to his execution at the Tower on 18^th February 1478. In 1475 Edward allied with Burgundy to declare war on France and Louis opened negotiations with Edward, landing at Calais and signing the Treaty of Picquigny giving a payment of 75,000 crowns to Edward and a pension of 50,000 more a year which helped recoup costs of his army. In 1482 Edward backed an attempt by Alexander Stewart to usurp the Scottish throne from James III which led to withdrawal, only capturing Berwick Castle. Edward fell fatally ill at Easter 1483 and survived long enough to add codicils to his will placing his brother Richard as Protector of his son Edward. Edward IV died on the 9^th April 1483.

Drogheda is a port town in county Louth just over 50km north from Dublin and a bridging point of the River Boyne. The ancient neolithic site of Newgrange is nearby which dates back some seven meillennia as well as a number of other ancient sites showing a long period of human activity. There is a motte and bailey castle in the town called Millmount Fort erected by Hugh de Lacy before 1186 and overlooking the Boyne and the town was an important one at this time as part of the English Pale. The town was also proved strategically important at the time of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.

Provenance:

Ex Jasper Burns, USA collection, sold through York Coins of Red Hook, New York, January 2011.

Ex Collection of an English Doctor part III, Sovereign Rarities fixed price list online September 2022.