High Middle Ages · Europe · Politics

1282

Edward I issues Welsh coinage reform

1282

As part of his pacification of Wales, Edward I launched a thorough reform of the English coinage, recalling worn pennies and minting silver groats and farthings for the first time. The new coins circulated from Carnarvon to Bordeaux and underwrote his wars. The reform standardized weights and designs across the realm, creating a uniform currency that facilitated trade and strengthened the crown's fiscal authority.