Edward III. 1327-1377. AR halfpenny. .49 gm. 15 mm. Third (Florin) coinage. 1344-1357. London mint. Bust with bushy hair; +EDWARDVS REX / CIVI TAS LON DON. S. 1557. N. 1131. Withers Type 6. Very Fine; well centered on an even round flan; attractive old toning; pleasing coin with a charming portrait.

Ex Davissons Auction 27 (17 September 2008) lot 133. Ex Davissons Auction 35 (3 February 2016) lot 148.

Struck and circulated during the first (and most severe) outbreak of the Black Death in London, which killed a third or more of the population. The plague contributed to a pause in the Hundred Years War, and led directly to an increase in wages due to shortages of labor.