Cleveland Museum of Art

Angel: St. George Slaying the Dragon (obverse); Ship with Shield of Arms and Cross (reverse)

Date

1483–85

Medium

gold

Culture

England, Richard III, 1483-1485

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This coin is similar to the angel of Henry VI, 1969.167 , but from completely different dies. Between the second reign of Edward IV and the reign of Richard III, Edward V, at the age of 13, reigned briefly from April 9 to June 22, 1483. Richard, Edward's uncle, caused the boy to be imprisoned in the Tower where he and his younger brother were murdered at the instigation of Richard. Their bodies were buried under a staircase and lay undiscovered for 200 years. Richard, who had been Protector during the reign of Edward V, was crowned king. The initial mark, half-rose and sun, once thought to indicate the coins of Edward V, was been assigned to those of Edward IV. The only coins of Edward V which can definitely be attributed to his reign are those with the mink mark boar's head that was also the mark of Richard III. Only five examples of gold angels of Edward V exist. The reverse side shows an English galley, the monogram R, and a rose representing the House of York.

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