an old English silver coin, equal to fourpence. Other nations, as the Dutch, Poles, Saxons, Bohemians, and French, have likewise their groats, grosos, groschen, gros, and the like. In England in the Saxon times, no silver coin larger than a penny was struck, nor after the Conquest till the reign of Edward III., who about the year 1351 coined grossoes or great pieces, which went for fourpence each; and so the matter stood till the reign of Henry VIII., who in 1504 first coined shillings.