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THE

CO NAGE O F SCOTLAND

ILLU STRATED

F ROM THE CABINET O F

THOMAS COATS,ESQ , O F F ERGUSLIE

AND OTHER C O LLECT I ON S

BY EDWARD BURNS, P .S.A. Scor .

_

IN THREE VOLUMES

VOL. I .

DAVID I . AD. 1 1 24 TO ROBERT Il l . AD. 1406

EDIN BURGH : ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK

1887

Deb icateb

BY SPECIAL PERMISSION

b e t ma jes tg the ®.ueen

In Memoriam

W IDELY and deeply regretted ; he, at whose i nstance th i s work was under

taken,and whose coins i t was prim a rily i ntended to illustrate , has passed

away while yet i t was in process of publ icat ion . N0 one can more reg ret

than the author of these pages that they now can never meet the eye of

h im for whom they would have had the greatest interest.

I n educational matters,particularly in relation to those connected with

what, i n h is first i nterview with the author, he affectionately cal led h i s“ quaint old town, Mr. Coats was most honourably d ist inguished . From

the first establ ishmen t of the Paisley School Board i n 1873 , t i l l h i s death

on the 1sth of O ctober 1883 , he acted as Chairman . During th is period

he subscribed g 1000 to each of the four new Board Schools , on condit ion

that extra accommodat ion for the scholars should be provided ; by means

of which they now enjoy the most ai ry and well venti lated schoolrooms

i n G reat Bri tain . For the erection of a new school at F e rg usl ie he also

granted a free si te, together wi th a donat ion of g 1000 . The beaut i ful

Fountai n Gardens were presented by h im to the commun i ty of Paisley .

H is last great gift to h is native town was the l iberal ly furnished and

amply endowed O bservatory . To every good cause Mr. Coats was ready

to extend a helping hand. He was emphatical ly a man , the mellowed

richness of whose nature noth ing could change .

E. B.

VOL. 1. 6

preface.

THE opportun ity for the formation of such a large col lect ion i n any

branch of the numismatic series as that i n the Scottish coinage made by

the patriot ic feel ing and l iberal tastes of the late Mr. THOMAS COATS ofF e rg usl ie i s necessarily confined to few .

I mpressed wi th the educat ional importance of a knowledge of the

coi nage of h is nat ive country, Mr. Coats endeavoured to make his col

lection as complete as the opportun it ies of acqu iring spec imens would

permit, with the view of provid ing the materials for a more exhaustive

investigation of the subject than had h itherto been possi ble .

I n the meantime invaluable assi stance had been afforded for th is

purpose i n the publ ication by Mr. Cochran -Patrick of the Records of flu

Coz'

nag e of Scotla nd, from wh ich most of the numerous quotat ions from

offic ial documents i n the fol low ing pages have been taken . I t wa s the

d isadvantage of previous wri ters on Scottish coins that the ir knowledge

of the contemporary records connected with the coinage was scanty, and in

some cases i ncorrect. They had none of the moneyers' accounts before

them . And , above all , they had l i ttle opportunity of comparing coins of

the same series one with another.

The present work contains a detailed descript ion of almost every

Scottish coin in the F e rg us l ie cabi net— the most extens ive collection of

Scottish coins in all the metals that has ever yet been formed,and to which

a most important accession was made while th is work was in_

progress,

by the acqu isi t ion of the careful ly chosen and extens ive series of Scotti sh

gold coins i n the Ca rfra e collection , comprising some of the rarest p ieces

i n the coinage .

Liberal advantage has been also taken of the examples in other

cabinets, publ ic and private, wherever they could i l lustrate the subject .

PREFACE.

Every Scotti sh coi n in the col lection of the Society of Ant iquaries of

Scotland has been carefully examined, and al l the rare variet ies, i n wh ich

that cabinet richly abounds,have been figured and described. The Bri t ish

and HunterianMuseums have afforded many important spec imens. Among

private collect ions,a most valuable contribution has been made by the

Pol lexfe n cabi net, which has been freely placed at the service of the author

for th is work . To the Cochran- Patrick , Kermack - Ford, Ri chardson ,

Guthrie -Lornie , Wakeford , and Sheriff Mackenz ie col lections he has also

been largely i ndebted .

Every coi n described has been examined by the author, with the

except ion of those in the Bri t ish Museum and Hunterian collect ions, of

wh ich casts were kindly forwarded to h im .

The Scottish coinage has thus been deal t wi th i n the same manner as

i f the several examples of the d ifferent reigns had al l been brought together

i n one great collection . Owing to the exceptional advantages thus enjoyed ,

i t has been poss ible for the first t ime to treat the coinage of Scotland as a

whole,and

,while givi ng a more comprehens ive v iew of th is great national

subject than has ever h itherto been attempted , to enter with greater

minuteness into the deta i ls .

The plates have been executed by M. P. Dujardi n of Paris, by the

hel io-gravure process, and their arrangement has been general ly to place

together the several p ieces related to and i l lustrative of each other. This

has necessarily been done i rrespective of the posi tions of the coins as de

scribed in the body of the work . I n each case the number of the coin,

as i t appears i n the descript ive l ist and i n the plates , has been given .

The numbers i n the plates , where letters are not added , general ly

refer to the coins in the F e rgusl ie cabinet ; those with letters added relate

to the coins in other collections, the part icular collection be ing i n every case

specified i n the description of the coi n itsel f.

I n the interleaved descriptions of the plates the names of the gold

pieces are printed i n capi ta l s, those of the s i lver pieces i n ordinary type ,

and those of the bil lon and copper pieces in i tal ics .

EDWARD BURNS.

pos tscript .

EDWARD BURNS, F .S.A . Scot. . the Author of th is work , died suddenly ,

from heart disease, 2 7th March 1886 , i n the s ixty- fourth yea r of h is age.

I ntended for the m inistry,but prevented by loss of hearing, he engaged

for a time in bus iness , and after h i s reti rement devoted h imself to numis

matic pursu its , i n wh ich he found an occupation congenial to h is tastes.

From h is studious habi ts and retent ive memory he soon became a

recognised authori ty i n many branches of numismatics . Though i n a

great measure cut off from soc ial i ntercourse through h is defect of hearing,

he possessed a cheerful , sel f- rel iant, and eminently genial nature , and was

never happier than when among friends or coins .

Naturally attracted to the coi nage of h is nat ive country by the scope

wh i ch i t afforded for original i nvestigation , and perceiving the importance

of a systematic comparison of the various types from a scientific point

of view,he set h imsel f to the ta sk of demonstrating thei r order of

development and establ ish ing a system of attributions on a scientific basis .

I n th is purpose he had from the first the cordial support and encourage

ment of the late Mr. Thomas Coats , by whom he was requested to prepare

the present description of the Coinage of Scotland as represented in the

F e rg usl ie col lection . To this work he devoted , almost un interruptedly ,

the last seven years of h is l i fe.

By h i s lamented decease a large portion of the work as now i ssued

has been deprived of the advantage of h is careful revis ion. At the t ime

of h is death the sheets of the first volume , with thei r relative plates , had

passed through the press, and the remainder of the work was in such a

state of preparat ion as to indicate the form and order of i ts several parts.

These materials, partly i n proofs and partly i n manuscript,were subse

quently placed i n my hands by the publ ishers , with a request, on behalf

POSTSCRIPT.

of Mr.J ames Coats j unior

,that I would undertake the completion of

the work from them .

Having in view the extent and minuteness of Mr. Burns’

s researches ,

and the laborious assiduity with wh ich they had been prosecuted for so

many years,I was unwill ing to encounter the difficul t ies i nseparable from

an undertaking for wh ich I fel t mysel f very incompetent. But the painful

al ternative of the possible loss to science of the results of these researches

i nduced me to d isregard personal incl i nat ion ; and the assurance that I

might rely on the valued aid of Dr. J oseph Anderson and the Re v . j . H .

Pol le xfe n encouraged me to make the attempt . To the assistance so

cordially given in comparing , verifying ,and revis ing the descript ions of the

coi ns,the work owes more than I can possibly express . To Dr. Anderson

my thanks are espec ially due , s ince without h is help the work might never

have been completed. Mr. Po l le xfe n’

s i nt imate knowledge of the subject ,

and his untiri ng supervis ion of the work duri ng i ts progress, have also been

of the greatest importance . Yet,even with al l the care that has been

taken to ensure accuracy , mistakes wi l l doubtless have occurred, especial ly

as i t was found impossible i n every case to recover and verify the part icular

coi n described. I f any such errors are to be found,i t i s hoped that they

may be ascribed to the disadvantages of the case,and not to any want of

effort to reproduce the author’

s material s i n the most complete and faithful

manner.GEORGE SIM.

[1401 1887.

[Mr. GEORGE SIM, P .S.A. Scot , died 8th O ctober 1887, in the 73d ye ar of his ag e , while thelast she e ts of th is work were pass ing through the pre ss ]

INTRODUCTION

atontentz of 111101. ll .

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

DAe I.

ALEx . II. 8: III.

ALEXANDER II.

ALExANDER III.

C lass I.— Berwick, Roxburgh, Uncerta in Mints

C lass II.

-Degraded CoinageC lass III— Eng l ish Types, Edinburgh , Gorebridge of Earl

Henry, Carl isleC lass IV.

—Anoma lous P ie ce s

Bamborough, Corebridge

Roxburgh

Early CoinagesCrescent and P e l le t Coinag e— Jntroductory

Wi thout Min t, Perth , Berwick , Roxburgh , Rau l Derl ig,Edinburgh , Stirl ing

Short Double Cross Coinage— Pert h , Edinburgh , Roxburgh

Without Min t— Hue Wa l ter, Wa l ter Adam ,Henry le

Rus

Double Cross ControversyShort Double Cross Coinage— Roxburgh, B erwick, Unde ter

m ined Mints

Long Double Cross Coinage— Introductory

B erwick

Roxburgh

Marchmon t ?

Perth

Aberdeen

G lasgow, F ort e s, Dunbar ? Montrose , Renfrew

F or —Forfar?Edinburgh

ALExANDER III.

ROBERT BRUCE.

DAv1D II.

CONTENTS .

Long Double Cross Coinage— Kinghom

Lanark

Inverness

St. Andrews

StirlingLong Sing le Cross Coinage— Introductory

Group I.—C1asses I. ,

II.,III.

Interchanges

Group II.— C1asse s I. ,

Interchange s

Anomal ous Coins of La te IssueHa l fpennie s and Farth ingsConcluding Remarks

Edwards I.,IL

,III.

In troductory

Sterl ingsOfRoughSurfa ce— REX SCOTORVM,St.Andrews

Ha l fpenny

SterlingsofSmoothSurfa ce— St.Andrews,REX SCOTORVM

Ha l fpennies

Introductory

Sterl ings

Ha l fpennie s and Farth ingsIntroduc tory

Coinag e s withou t Nam e s ofMin ts— Pe nnie s

Ha l fpennie s and Farth ingsCo inage s with Nam es ofMin ts —Introduc tory

Gre a ts— Sm a l l Head— Edinburgh , Aberdeen

Croa ts— Interm edia te He ad— Edinburgh , Aberdee n

Croa ts— Robert II. Head— EdinburghHa lf-Groa ts —~ Sm a l l Head— Edinburgh, Aberde enHal f-Groa ts— Interm edia te Head— Edinburgh , Aber

de en

Ha l f-Groa ts— Robert II. Head— Edinburgh

Penn ie s— Sm a l l Head— Edinburgh , AberdeenPenn ie s— Intermedia te Head— Edinburgh , AberdeenPennies— Robert II. Head— Edinburgh

CONTENTS .

Gold Coinage— Noble sIn troduc tory

Groa ts~ —Edinburgh, P erth, Dunde e

Hal f-Groa ts— Edinburgh , P erth, Dunde e

P ennie s— Edinburgh , Perth , Dunde e

Ha l fpenn ie s— Edinburgh, Dunde e

Puta tive Gold CoinageROBERT III. Introductory

Croa ts— P la in Tre ssurefiEdinburgh

Thre e P e lle t-Pointed Tre ssure— Edinburgh

Tre foi l—Poin tedTre ssure - Perth— Round Face Long

Fa ce,Aqui line F a ce

P la in and Tre foi l-Poin ted Tressure s —P erth

Tre foi l-poin ted Tressure— Edinburgh , Round Fa ceNon-homogeneous Coinages— Edinburgh

Tre foi l Po inted Tressure Edinburgh Long Fa ce ,Aqui line Fa ce

P la in a nd Tre foi l-Po inted Tre ssures— Edinburgh

Tre fo i l-Pointed Tre ssure— Aberde en— Aqu iline Fa ceP la in and Tre foi l-Pointed Tre ssures— Aberde en

Ligh t Croa ts— Edinburgh, Aberde en, Dum bartonHa lf-Groa ts— P lai n Tre ssure— Edinburgh

Thre e Pe l le t—Poin ted Tre ssure— EdinburghP la in andTre foi l-PointedTre ssure s— P erth,Edinburgh

P enn ie s— Edinburgh , Perth, Abe rde enHa lfpenn ie s— Edinburgh , P erth

Gold Co inage— In troduc tory

Long Cross Lions— CHRISTUS REGNATShort Cross Lions— CHRISTUS REGNATLigh t Lions —CHRISTUS REGNAT

,DOMINUS

PROTECTORDem i Lions or Dem ie s- CHRISTUS REGNATLight Dem i Lions or Dem ies— CHRISTUS REGNAT, DOMINUS PROTECTOR

Conc luding Observa tions

VOL. I.

Ejntrohut tt’

on.

AMONG the Antiquit ies of Scotland none are better represented or possess

a greater i nterest than i ts Coinage , specimens of which exist of every reign

from David I . to Queen Anne, when the union with England took place ,

and Scotland ceased to have a separate currency, notwithstanding that the

conti nuance of i ts coinage had been guaranteed by the Fourth Art icle of

the T reaty of U nion .

That interesting series wi th which the Scottish coi nage commences,—the Dav id I . penn ies or sterl ings— i s now for the first t ime systematised ,

and mistakes which previously resul ted from deal ing with isolated examples

have been corrected .

Additional l ight has been thrown upon the mi ntages of Earl Henry

of Northumberland, son of Dav id I. , for which I have principal ly been

i ndebted to Mr. W . H . D. Long staffe . None of the coins of the Scotti sh

type formerly attributed to that prince belong to h im , as wil l clearly appear

from the greater fulness wi th which the i nscriptions on the coins so a ttri

buted are here rendered from comparison of the several examples .

A new and unique variety of the coinage of Malcolm IV. has recently

occurred , and is figured i n i ts proper place .

Descriptions have been given of the mintages of W i l l iam the Lion,

issued prev iously to the crescent and pellet type hitherto represented as the

first co inage of that king. The numerous double cross sterl ings bearing

the name of W i l l iam have also for the first t ime been classified . Certai n

of these pieces, corresponding to the later Henry short double cross money,dist i nguished by their smal ler module and lettering, are shown Wi th much

probabil i ty to have been struck by Alexander I I . i n continuation of h is

father ’s coinage , i n the same manner as Richard I . and j ohn struck their

INTRODUCTION.

Engl ish money in continuation of that of thei r father Henry II. both in

name and type .

I n connection with the coins of Alexanders II. and I I I . , the double

cross controversy has been discussed in al l i ts beari ngs, and new evidence

has been adduced,derived chiefly from the coins themselves, and leading

to the conclus ion that the whole of the long double cross p ieces must be

assigned to Alexander I I I .

A new mint,that of Berwick , has been added to the short double cross

series ; and, with relation to the long double cross ser ies, re ct ifica t ions havebeen made both in the names of the moneyers and the mints ; while new

names of moneyers and mints have been for the first t ime publ ished .

The long single cross money, or latest coinage of Alexander I I I has

been arranged on a new and more natural system , based upon the order of

sequence of the corresponding Edward I . sterl ings .

This arrangement i s the result of the examinat ion of a very large find

of coins of th is period—Lthe Montrave hoard , consist ing of upwards of 9000

sterl ings or pennies of Edwards I. , I I . , I I I . , together with 242 long single

cross sterl ings or pennies of Alexander I I I . , and coins of j ohn Bal iol,

Robert Bruce , and Dav id I I . ,bes ides a number of the pieces cal led foreign

sterl ings .'

This hoard was del ivered to the Exchequer intact as i t was

found , affording an opportun ity for the definite arrangement of the coins of

the period to which it relates such as very rarely occurs .

For the better i l lustration of the Alexander long single cross coinages,

some Addenda have been inserted, with an accompanying plate , showing

the order of sequence of the sterl ings of the Edward ian series,deduced

from an examinat ion of the Montrave hoard . I t can thus be seen exactly

where and to what extent the long single cross Alexander sterl ings corre

spond to those of the Edwards .

Looking below such obvious d ifference s of type as are presented by the

sterl ings of the one series having on the obverse a full - face head without

sceptre , and on the reverse three p ellets i n each of the quarters of the

cross , while those of the other series have on the obverse a profi le head

with sceptre , and on the reverse a mullet or a star in each of the quarters

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xxi i INTRODUCTION.

l i ngs furnish a complete view of these coinages, showing where the respect

ive mints come i nto operation,and where they severally fal l out of i ssue .

H itherto it has been too much the habit, al ike i n respect of the Scottish and

of the Engl ish coinage , to confine attent ion solely to the coi ns of the one‘

series— a very great m istake, particularly as regards the Scottish coinage ,

which cannot be intell igently stud ied without reference to the corresponding

Engl ish issues .

The coins of j ohn Bal iol have been described on the same principle as

that adopted with the Alexander single cross money .

The l imited coi nage of Robert the Bruce does not call for special remark .

The REIX SGOTTORVm pennies of David I I . have been arranged in

thei r order of series,as i ndicated by the style of the letteri ng.

Valuable assistance has also been obtained from the Montrave hoard in

the classification of the coi nages of Dav id I I'

. with the names of the m ints .

This hoard stops short j ust where the groat coi nages of David I I . with the

Small Head terminate, and those with the I ntermed iate H ead commence ,

leav ing no doubt as to wh ich form the earl ier i ssues . The arrangement i n

consecutive order of the several variet ies of the Smal l H ead groats was

further faci l i tated from the whole of these pieces i n the Montrave hoard

having been in almost unc irculated condit ion , so that rel iance could be

placed upon their weights . Some important facts are thus brought out

of certai n undeclared reductions having taken place i n the weigh ts of the

Scottish coins under David I I . previous to the declared reduct ion of the

weigh ts at the 7th of O ctober 1 36 7 . The coi ns wi th the star on the sceptre

handle are here identified as the coinages issued after the declared redue

t ion of the weights took place .

The relat ions of the gold nobles of Dav id I I . to the s i lver coinages are

discussed, showing that these pieces are to be regarded as coi ns that have

been i n actual currency , and not merely as patterns or medals .

The silver coinages of Robert I I . are simply a continuation of the

later s i lver i ssues of David I I . , and do not cal l for particular remark ; but

two Dundee halfpennies are here for the first t ime publ ished , and the

supposed unique hal fpenny of Roxburgh is shown to be probably only a

INTRODUCTION. xx ii i

mis- struck hal fpenny of Edinburgh . The inscript ions of that piece are ,

however, i n some respects uncertain .

All the gold coins formerly attributed to Robert I I . are here shown to

belong to Robert I I I subjec t to any of the front- face si lver money be ing

assigned to Robert I I . This rect ification is now ful ly accepted .

The Robert I I I . s i lver coinages have been exhaust ively treated , and

the series extended , the author having had the advantage of examini ng the

Robert I I I . si lver money in the Fortrose find , so far as recovered by the

Exchequer . The gold mintages of Robert III. have also been deal t wi th ,

and their relations to the s i lver coinages pointed out . These are shown

also on the plates , by the si lver and the gold pieces of the same se ries being

un iformly placed together .E. B .

QED? (mont ag e of é tot l anh.

IT need scarcely be remarked that unt i l the reign of Dav id I Scotland, as Introductory.

we now know i t, did not exist . This “ ‘m ighty i nnovator , as that truly

enl ightened monarch i s wel l cal led by the late E. W . Robertson, wa s the

creator al ike of commerc ial , agricul tural , and feudal Scotland .

The Scotti sh Coinage, so far as there is yet reason to bel ieve , does

not commence earl ier than with David I .

Unti l Scotland had a coi nage of i ts own , we may reasonably infer that

the currency of other countries formed a princ ipal medium of commerc ial

exchange . Barter also must have entered largely i n these early times into

al l matters of buying and sell i ng.

Finds of anc ient coins i n Scotland of the period prior to David I . Finds of co ins '

have consisted largely of Roman coi ns. During the long occupat ion ofScO t land'

Br i tain by the Romans these, no doubt, consti tuted for the northern port ion

of the island,as they d id mainly for the southern portion , the general ly

rece ived c i rculat ing medium . The coinage known as Ancient Bri tish,

commencing about 1 50 B .C. and continu ing for some two hundred years i n

Southern Bri tain, does not seem to have establ i shed i tsel f north of the

Tweed .

1 The fact, however, that an ancient Bri t i sh coi n , i nscribed BODVOC

(regarded by Evans as having been “ struck i n the western part of

England at a rather late period of the Bri t i sh coi nage was found in

186 1 at Birkhil l , near Dumfries ,2 i nd icates that ancient Bri t i sh coins had

penetrated to what is now known as South - western Scotland . Dumfries

sh ire wa s w e l l with in the terr i tories of the Cumbrian Bri tons, whose lands

extended from the Derwent as far north as the Clyde.

1 Mr. Longstafi'e wri te s : “ Te e s would have be en a lso corre ct .2 Num ism a tic C/zrom

'

cle , Se cond Serie s, vol . i i. p . 1 53 .

B

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND.

Finds of coins in Finds of Anglo -Saxon coins, chiefly of the later re igns, somet imesSca m d' mixed wi th Cufic money, have frequently occurred in the western and

north -western isles and the adj oin ing mainland , brought th ither by the

Vikings when they held possess ion of the d istrict .

I n O ctober 1 782 a considerable number of Styca s— small copper

coins struck by the kings of Northumbria— were found at Paisley . These

were principal ly of the Ethel reds, A.D. 7 74 to 844. This fact suggests

that,had the famous battle of N e chtensm ere i n Forfarsh ire— when Ecg frith,

King of Northumbria, A D. 685 , lost h is l i fe, and al l that the victories of

th i rty years had wrested from the Picts— turned the other way, Scotland ,

under Northumbrian kings,might even at that early period have begun

the h istory of her coinage .

Em meous and Lindsay begins the Coc'

uag e of Scotla nd with three pieces,

W P “ executed i n imitation of the Crux coins of Ethelred I I . , supposed by

him to have been struck by certai n kings of the Hebrides. The a t tri

bu t ion of these three coins to the several Hebridean pri nces named by

Lindsay i s ent irely imaginary.

l A fourth coin , tentat ively ascribed by h im

to Scotland, having on obverse a ful l face of rude execution, with crosier

to left,and on reverse a cross potent wi th a large pel let i n each quarter,

figured L . Pl . I . 4, appears rather to belong to the Rhenish prov inces,

and was probably struck by one of the Bi shops of Metz . I have been

i ndebted to the Rev. j ohn H . Pol le xfe n for the opportun ity of inspecting

th is piece,which is now in h is col lection . The coin attributed by Lindsay

to Malcolm I I I . , L. Pl . I . 5 , belongs to Malcolm I V . Three pieces

which he has ascribed to Alexander I. , L. Pl . I . 6 , 7, 8, with cross fleurie

and s ingle pel let i n each quarter on reverse, are merely blundered or

imi tated coins of Dav id I with the i n i t ial letter of DAVIT omi tted,

as on other coins of the same class . These wi ll be more particularly

referred to here afterward . By the earl ier wri ters on Scottish numismatics

certai n other coins, now recogn ised as having been issued under Alexander

II. and I I I . , with stars i n the quarters of a short double , or long double

1 Se e m y paper on the subje ct in the P roceeding s of rice Society of Am‘

z'

gua rz'

es of Scot la nd, vol .

xi . pp . 2 2 5-2 3 3 .


cross,were assigned to Alexander I . No coins are now attributed to Alex

ander I . by any experienced Scottish numismatist .

I n i ts more importa nt characteri stics the anc ient money of Scotland

approximated closely to that of England . Both were of the same weight

and al loy,as stated i n a proclamation of Edward I I I . , A.D. The

corresponding mintages of France and of other countries were of l ighter

weight and inferior qual i ty and instead of a crowned bust on the obverses

of the coi ns, as on the Engl ish and Scotti sh sterl ings , we find s imply an

inscript ion , a monogram , or a device. The crown on the royal bust on the

better executed coins of Dav id I . i s the exact counterpart of the crown on

certai n wel l-known coi ns of Stephen of England, presumably of the same

period . The sceptre before the bust on the early Scottish pennies is evi

de ntly borrowed from the sceptre on the Engl ish sterl ings . Some points

of difference, to dist i nguish the money of the one country from that of the

other, there were of course ; but keeping i n view the contigu i ty of the

two countries,and the fact that no earl ier Scott ish coins are known than

those of David I. , the points of resemblance between the money of England

and of Scotland at th is period are so strik ing and important as natural ly to

lead to the conclusion that the Scotti sh Coinage origi nated with David I

and was founded upon that of England. David I . was an Engl i sh baron

long before he was a Scottish king. An intimate connection wi th the

Court of England for upwards of a quarter of a century,” remarks E. W .

Robertson , 2 “ had effectual ly ‘ rubbed off the Scottish rust’

from David,

to use the words of the contempora ry Malmesbury ,—converti ng h im into a

feudal baron ; and many yea rs before he w a s ca l led upon to fi l l the throne,-he had gathered around h im i n h i s Cumbr ian pri nc ipal i ty a body of kn ights

and barons,from whom sprang the older Norman ch ivalry of Scotland.

”

I n whatever way Scot land, i n i ts half savage state, may have made sh ift

wi thout a currency of i ts own before the time of David I. , the want of

one would have been a strange anomaly in the changed condi tion of the

kingdom under his c iv i l i s ing sway.

1 Ruding’s Anna l s of tlze Coz

'

nagz of Grea t Brita in , vol . i . p . 2 2 9.

2 Scotl a nd under Icer Ea rly K ing s , vol . i. p . 187 .

Re la tion of the

Scottish to the

Engl i sh coinage .


The pound of weight introduced at the Scottish mint i n the t ime of

David I. ,and long known as “ King David

’

s Pound ,”

contained fifteen

ounces.According to E. W . Robertson i t wa s s imply the O ld merchant

’

s

pound of London.

I n h is Historica l Essay s,“ Early Engl ish Currency

and Standards,” p

. 66 , th is author remarks :“ The Merchant ’

s pound

appears i n the Scottish Statutes of the Gui ld under the name of‘ K ing

David ’s pound,

’

a nd m ay have been introduced by the K ing as the

standard Of Southern Scotland, destined to supersede‘ Caithness weight ,

’

probably the Ve itz slo lh.,or s i lver weight , of the Northm e n , which wa s

apparently the standard of the North .

” There seems to have been no

di fference between th is pound and what was cal led the London Tower

pound,except that the one contained fifteen and the other only twelve

ounces— 300 sterl ings,or pennies

,being ‘coi ned out of the one and 240

sterl ings out of the other. I ndeed,when we come to consider the coins of

the reign of David'

I I . , we shal l find that the use of th i sfifte e n - ounce

pound was quietly d iscon tinued at the Scottish m int, and the twelve - ounce

pound employed in i ts place .

W hat concerns us here more immediately to note is, that s ince the

weight of the ounce was 480 grains, and as 20 penn ies original ly were

coined out of the ounce, the weight of the penny or sterl i ng , whether by

thefifte e n-ounce pound or the twelve-ounce pound— whether as struck i n

the ratio of 300 pennies or sterl i ngs to the heav ier pound , or of 240

penn ies or sterl ings to the l ighter pound— was exactly 24 grains, or‘

one

pennyweight ; hence the name pennyweight. I n modern Troy-weight the

pennyweight Tower was equ ivalent to 2 2% grains .

1 Frequently the we ight

of the penny or sterl i ng, exceeded the proper standard, and not unfrequently

i t fel l short of i t but i n the aggregate i t was i ncumbent on the respective

moneyers that the stipulated number of penn ies or sterl i ngs,ne ither more

nor less, should be coined out of each pound weigh t of si lver. The standard

of qual i ty was 1 1 ounces 2 pennyweights of fine si lver to 18 pennyweights

of alloy . This standard cont inued unti l the deterioration of the coinage

under David I I .

1 Ruding , vol . i . p . 7 .

Berwick.

Roxburgh.


tain,however

,that these do not exhaust the l i st of m i nts. O n a sterl ing

i n the col lection of the Scottish Society of Antiquaries , from the Bute find,

the letters 71711 are dist inctly legible as the first two letters of the name

of the mint ; the remain ing letters are unfortunately i l legible from not

being sufficiently struck up. This coi n i s further pecul iar i n having an

annulet instead of a pel let i n one of the quarters of the cross on reverse.

I t is fig ured here 6B, and No . 6 i n the plate accompanying Polle xfe n’

s

paper on the Bute find.

1 Another sterl ing belonging to the Scottish

Soc iety of Antiquaries,al so from the Bute find, figured here 6c, and

NO . 5 of Pol le xfen’

s plate, has an A as the second letter of the m int,

the other letters being indist i nc t. Probably some other find may some

day enable us confidently to pronounce upon the true attribution of these

two pieces. They are further referred to at page 14, under“ U ncertain

Mi nts,” at the end of Class I .

I t i s noteworthy that both Berwick and Roxburgh , the earl iest

Scotti sh mints of wh ich we have knowledge, should have been s ituated

far to the southward of the old southern frontier of Scotland— viz . the

Frith of Forth,anciently cal led “ the Scots -Water.

” I n A.D. 10 20 the

Lothians and Teviotdal e had been brought under Scotti sh sway by

Malcolm II but unti l the reign of David I . these distr icts were

dependencies only, not portions of Scotia proper.

Under the fostering care of David I . Berwick rose i nto great

importance as a place of commerce, and was peopled by merchants and

traders from England and the Continent . The Flemings alone fin that

town were so numerous as to form a separate and infl uential gu ild .

Roxburgh again , under Dav id , became the centre of an Anglo-Norman

population, mil i tary and agricul tural . The old town of Roxburgh,— now

no more,— or rather i ts castle,which was also named Marchmont

,was

frequently the residence of the king. O ld Roxburgh , the burgh town,

occupied a si te over against Kelso. The present v illage of Roxburgh

stands on what was cal led New Roxburgh,a town which owed i ts origin

1 P roceedi ng s of tlzc Society of Antz’

guam’

cs of Scotl and, vol . v. pp. 2 1 5 and 3 7 2 and

Numism a tic Chronicl e, Se cond Serie s, vol . v . p . 57 .

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND .

ch iefly to the overflow of the populat ion of O ld Roxburgh , attracted David

th i ther by the l iberal pol icy of the Scott ish monarch . W hen David I .

consti tuted that important assoc iation the Hanse , or communi ty of four

burghs,for the regulat ion of trade, the four or iginal members of the

Court were Berwick , Roxburgh , Edinburgh , and St irl ing —al l southern

burghs . And thus,under K ing Dav id, Southern Scotland , which formerly

had been a mere dependency, became , as i t ever s ince has been , the most

important part of the k ingdom . I n connection with the question of the

origi n of the Scottish coinage these facts posses s a powerful s ign ificance .

Viewed i n the complete absence of any Scott ish coins of a date prior to

David I. ,long as these have been sought for, they point to th i s great

pri nce— the creator of commercial and c iv i l ised Scotland— as the creator also

of her coi nage .

The co ins of David I owing to the very imperfec t manner i n wh ich

they have been struck, seldom or never display entire i nscriptions. Lind

say has not i n any one i nstance been able to give complete legends ,obverse and reverse , of any of the pieces publ ished by h im . When

that author, to whom Scott ish numismati sts are so much indebted, pub

l ished h is View of tfie Coinag e of Scotla nd, comparat ively few coins of

David I . were known , and the registered post had not yet come into

existence for’

safe ly transmi tt i ng spec imens for i nspection . Lindsa y wa s

thus obl iged to depend for much of his i nformation - upon the descriptive

not ices furn ished to h im by col lectors of Scottish coins,accompanied

occas ional ly by impressions of the pieces desc ribed. He had l i ttle or no

Opportuni ty of comparing the several spec imens of the same coin one

wi th another. I n one case, i ndeed , to be shown presently,he has

publ ished and figured i n h is plates, as three diHe rent coins, three several

specimens Of a sterl ing of David I . struck from identical d ies. My betterfortune i n the scope for study afforded by the coi ns i n the great Fergus

l ie collect ion,and by the valuable examples sent to me

,for inspection

and comparison, by the kind l iberal i ty of col lectors of Scotti sh coins, —as

also from the opportun i ty of inspect ing the sterl ings of the David I . period

i n the collect ion of the Scotti sh Soc iety of Antiquaries,supplemented

David

Cla ss I.

Berw ick.


by beauti ful electrotypes,executed by the Messrs. Ready , of the Dav id I .

sterl ings i n the Bri t ish Museum ,— has enabled me i n most ca ses to give,

letter for letter,the complete legends of the coi ns here described, a l l of wh ich ,

unless otherwise stated,are i n the F erg usl ie col lect ion .

Damn it.

ACCEDED AD 1 1 24 ; DIED 24TH MAY 1 1 53 .

CLASS I.

Coins of good workmansh ip, with bold, ful l letteri ng. Types.

O bverse : Crowned bust , i n armour,1 to right, a sceptre i n front (the crown

ornamented with three fleurs -de- l i s of three leaves each , exactly as on con

temporary coins of Stephen of England , Ht s . Reverse : Cross

fleurie contained with i n i nner c ircle , a s i ngle pel le t i n each quarter .

BERW I CK .

Fig. 1 .

I. o. E4DA(VIT -)REx R. E4F O (LP)7ILT O (N) BERV I 2 312.

grs.

From the W ingate col lection, figured i n W i ngate’

s Il lustra tions of Me

Coinag e of Scotla nd, Pl . I . 7. Four spec imens of th is coi n are known, al l

from identical d ies. I have had the opportun i ty of comparing these

four pieces one with another, and thus am enabled to give the legends

entire, as above . Three of the said spec imens are figured i n Lindsay as

three different coins— P l . I . 1 3 and 14, and Ist Sup. Pl . I . The coin ,

Pl . I . 1, of Ist Sup. , i s evidently from the same die as these, but I have

not seen th is piece . Notwithstand ing the remarkable di fference i n appear

ance of the sterl ings figured Nos . 1 3 and 14, as shown on Lindsay’s first

plate, there can be no doubt that they are examples of one and the same

coin . A large pel let at the point of the nose of the spec imen N o . 1 3

1 Tha t is, to the specta tor’s right. L. P]. I. 14, and PI. I. 2 , ISt Sup. ,

be long ed to

2 The co in, Lindsay Pl . I. 1 3 , is now in the Mr. Kerma ck Ford.

col le ct ion of Mr. Cochran -Pa tri ck the coins,


has been uni ted in striking w ith the nose i tsel f ; hence the somewhat

unusual breadth and length of that organ . Compare also the specimen

here figured . O n the coin,figured NO . 14 of L indsay, the pellet at the

poin t of the nose,partly through defect of stri ki ng, partly through

obl i teration i n course of currency, i s scarcely observable. The several

examples,however

,when compared together , are not nearly so different

in appearance from one another as they look in Lindsay’

s plates.

Fig. 2 .

z . o.rBDAVIT R(E)X B . *

1 ON BER 2 2 grs .

3 . o. REX) R. i F OLPALU ON B)ER 1 8g grs .

Two coi ns from the same dies,mutual ly supplementing one another

'

s

legends. The second of these sterl i ngs i s the identical piece figured i n

Lindsay, Ist Sup. Pl . I . 4 . The heavier specimen , No . 2 , a magn ificen t

coin,i s probably the finest known example of a Dav id I . sterl i ng i n any

col lection, publ ic or private .

Fig . 3 .

4 . o. 54 DAVID REX B . ( a F O )LPAL >l< ON (BER) 3 4 g rs .

This i s a forgery,struck i n imi tat ion of the coi n Fig . 2 . About the

year 1860 a watchmaker named j ons,resid ing in Dunferml ine, contrived to

obtain impress ions of early Scott ish coi ns, both i n s i lver and gold , and exe

cuted d ies in imi tation of these pieces . Some of the forgeries thus fabricated,

more part i cularly those of the portrai t testoons and half testoons of Mary ,are of clumsy execut ion

,and are readily dete cted by any one famil iar w ith

the genuine coins . O ne of the most successful fabrications by th is person

is probably the piece here publ ished,specimens of which have deceived

numismatists of great experience. The coi n N o . B of Pol lexfe n’

s

1 In conne ct ion wi th the starbe fore the words one co in of Stephen w i th mul le ts in the quarters,

ON BER, Mr. Long stafl'

e ha s favoured m e w i th but i t m ay not have be en a ctua ll y s truck oy him .

the fo l lowing in te re st ing note Query the Co ins wi th his name a re most e ccen tric imi ta t ionsorig in of th is, which, judg ing from coins and the of Edward the Confe ssor, the W il l iam s

, and

mu lt ifarious Sco tch coa ts bearing stars and Henry I. The mul le ts of Rufus are m ere ly difmoons

, looks l ike a na t iona l badge . There is fere nt ia l,not pers istent. ”

Forg eries.

Berwick.


plate,i nscr ibed DAVID i nstead of DAVIT, figured to i l lustrate h i s paper

on the Butefind,1 has proved on closer examination to be no other thana Dunfermline forgery, from the same die as the specimen above described,

but with a greater appearance of having been i n actual c i rculation, and wi th

the weight more approach ing to that of the genuine sterl i ngs of David I .

The coin,i n im itation of which the false d ie w as executed, i s i n the col

lection of the Scottish Soc iety of Antiquaries . O n that p iece only the letters

DKVI of the K ing’s name are legible . Evidently never doubting but that

the m issing letter was a D, the forger suppl ied that letter from h is own

imagination . Fortunately, l ike most other fabricators of old coi ns, Mr.

j ons was not greatly distinguished by h is numismatic knowledge . These

forgeries of his passed at first with many, with the less susp ic ion , from the

c ircumstance that they were struck, i nstead of ca st coins thus d iffer ing from

the older and better known fabrications of early Scottish money . The only

respect i n which the s upposit i tious pieces of Mr. j ons are valuable is,that

they are struck upon genu ine Bri t ish s i lver and gold coi ns of modern issue,

well beat out . Letters or numerals of the genuine coi ns thus struck over

may sometimes be observed peeping out from below the ficti t ious super

posed impressions . The Du'

nferml ine forgeries , even by those unacquai nted

with the authentic coins , may be detected by their pecul iar hardness and

newness of surface, by the ir st iffness of execution , and by the absence on

them of those natural i ndentat ions observable on early hammered coins,

more particularly on the long l ines of the cross upon the reverses .

Fig. 4 .

5 . o. a (Dnvm R(EX) B . (Ei F OLPA)LT ON 2 3g grs .

This coin , a unique piece , so far as I have been able to trace, has

its obverse struck from the same die as the obverses of the two ster

l ings , Fig. 2 . From the inscript ion on the obverses of these coi ns I have

supplemented, or rather reproduced , the inscription on the obverse of th is

piece . The reverse is struck from the same die as the reverse of the1 P roceeding s of Ike Soci ety of Antz

'

gnari es of Scotl a nd, vol . v. and Num ism a tic Clzrom'

clc,

Second Serie s, vol . v .


very rare Berwick sterl ing reading on obverse DAVIT REX IZSOIZIE,

l David Ifigured here 4A, and Lindsay, 2d Sup. Pl . I . examples of wh ich are in

the col lections ofMr. Cochran - Patrick and ofMr. Pollexfe n the spec imen Fig o 4A ~

i n the cab inet of the latter gentleman is i n each instance the figured coin .

From the i nscription on the reverse of th is last piece , the i nscription on

the reverse of the sterl i ng F ig. 4 has been supplemented .

The sterl i ng Fig. 4 i s the coin figured Lindsay, Pl . I . 1 7, and W i ngate ,

Pl . I . 9 . I n both cases i t i s described as a sterl i ng of Earl H enry, and i t was

sold as such at the Lindsay and W i ngate sales . W ingate, who simply fol

lowed Lindsay ’s attribution of the coin,remarks Th is piece was bought

at Mr. Lindsay’s sale , and although the neck of the bust i s ornamented i n

a difle rent way from David’s coi ns, I cannot see why i t i s ascribed with

greater probabi l ity to Pri nce Henry than to h i s father. I n Lindsay ’s de

script ive notice of th is sterl ing , p. 70 , No. 18, as also on the i llustration .Pl .

I . 17 , the legend on the obverse is represented as commencing with a capital

H. But what Lindsay regarded as the first l imb of th is supposed H i s

merely the adjoining part of the i n i tial cross ; while the second l imb i s

s imply the stalk or front Of the D i n DAVIT, all that i s v is ible of that

letter. I may further remark that on no Scottish coin of th is period,nor

for long after,— not ti l l 1 539 , on the bonnet p ieces of j ames V. ,—does the

capital H occur. W i ngate has fal len into an error i n stat ing that the neck

of the bust on th is piece is ornamented in a different way from that on

David ’s coins . Any sl ight difference observable between the obverse of

th is sterl ing and the obverse of the sterl ing from the same d ie, Fig. 2 ,

results solely from the d ifference i n striking the respective coins .

To Berwick also may possibly belong the remarkable sterl i ng,with

a rosette of seven annulets in the first quarter of cross,and a large

star i n the Opposite quarter, of which only two specimens are known ;one being in the S SA. col lection , figured here 2 1B, and the other i n the F ig . 2 18

Pol le xfe n collect ion , figured C of Bute Plate, and Lindsay, 2d Sup. Pl . I .

1 . The moneyer ’s name on these pieces is evidently F OLPART,but al l

1 ESOEIE, a s sugg e sted by Mr. Pol lexfen,

Csoa’

e is curious. In Eng land Ang lornm doe s

is eviden tly a transpos i tion for SEOEIE. Mr. not g i ve way to Ang l ze unti l Henry II., and then

Long stafl'

e,in connection w i th this word, wri te s only part ia lly .

”

Roxburgh.


that can be made out of the name of the mint, and that only doubtfully, i s

what seems to be an R,the las t letter on reverse on the SSA. specimen,

suggesting that the reading of the inscript ion may have been F OLPART

(O )N (BE)R. W hat further countenances the attribution to Berwick i s that

the ornamentation of the armour round the neck“

i s rendered by annulets,

i nstead of by pellets, exactly as on the Berwick sterl i ngs by F olpal t , Figs.

2 and 4 ,and that the king ’s eye is al so put i n by an annulet. The letters

R and L were at that t ime i nterchangeable, so that F olpart may be

regarded as the same name as F olpa l t .

ROXBURGH.

Fig. 5 .

6 . o. EDAVoaT R)EX R. (emvco ON ROCNSBVRG) z z g grs.

Three other spec imens of th is sterl ing exist ; of wh ich two are i n the

collection of the Rev. Mr. Pol le xfe n , one being the example figured in

Lindsay,Pl . I . 1 5 ; the th i rd is i n the col lect ion of the Scottish Society of

Antiquaries, from the Bute find , and is figured in the P roceeding s of the

Society, vol . v. Pl . VI I . 7 , as also i n the Num ism a tic C/zronicl e , 2d S. vol . v.

Pl . V. 7 . From these pieces, which have been personal ly i nspected by me ,

I have completed the i nscriptions on th is sterl ing, which was formerly i n

the W ingate Cabinet, and is represented W ingate , Sup. Pl . I . I.

Fig. 6 .

7 . 0. (a var) REx B . (m moo ON 2 2 115 grs.

Owing to the very great rari ty of the Roxburgh sterl ings of David I. ,

the two above are the only specimens wh ich as yet there has been the

opportunity of acquiring for the F e rgusl ie col lect ion . A sterl i ng attributed

to Roxburgh , with annulets enclosing pel lets in the quarters of the cross on

reverse, w a s purchased for th is col lect ion at the W i ngate sa le . As figured

i n W ingate, Sup. Pl . I . 2, that piece is made to appear as i f having the

words ON ROC on reverse —but th is i s an entirely imaginary renderi ng,

14 THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND.

Guthrie Lornie , Fig. 80, has for legend on reverse what seems intended for

hVGO ON ORVO ,or ON ORNO , i n very rude letters . These pieces

may be regarded as the earl ier issues of that extensive series of anomalous

sterl i ngs of the David I . period, represented here under Class I I . , hav ing

types of a degraded character, with the K ing’

s name usually rendered AVIT,

i nstead of DAVIT,and with the inscriptions on the reverse more or less

blundered or unintell igible. Many of these coins are so rude as to giverise to grave doubts whether they were genu ine currency of David I . There

can be no doubt,however

,that they are of the same period, and c iren

lated i n common with the sterl ings of Dav id I. , of good work and

unquestionable authentic i ty,for they occur along with these in the Bute

and otherfinds .

1

UNCERTAIN MI NTS.Uncerta in m ints.

At p. 6 reference has been made to a unique sterl ing in the S SA.

F ig . 63 . collect ion from the Bute find, here figured 6B, and No. 6 of Pol lexfen’

s

plate,having an annulet, i n place of a pel let, i n the first quarter of cross ,

with TIA as the first two letters of the name of mint, the other letters of the

name of the mint being insufficiently struck up . Haddington has been sug

gested byMr. Po llexfen as the most probable place of mi ntage for th is piece .

This attr ibution natural ly carr ies with i t much weight , on account of the

importance of Haddington at th is period . Haddington was a royal burgh,

and was bestowed by David I . i n 1 1 39 on Ada de W arenne as a marriage

gift, on her un ion with Prince Henry . U nfortunately,however

,for the

attribution of th is coi n to Haddington , such sl ight traces of letteri ng as

appear after TIA have very l i ttle resemblance to the letter D,having more

the appearance of M or IM, suggesting the read ing h AM or h AIM,either

of wh ich would represent Hamer, now Wh i tekirk , where the monks of

Holyrood possessed an establ ishment, connected with wh ich was a famous

shri ne, the source to these eccles iastics of much wealth . This was not an

1 Mr. Long sta ffe wri te s Query if the un in te l l igible co ins are authori ta tive , or contemporaryforg eries . F ig . 2 1 (p . 20) is, however, ag a ins t such a doubt . ”

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND. 1 5

unl ikely place where a mi nt might have be en establ i shed for a short season

to convert i nto money of the realm some of the coined or uncoined si lvermints.

there accumulated. There is no reason to suppose that, wherever i t may

have been s ituated,the mint represented by the letters nA could have

been a very long t ime i n operation ; as the only instance in wh ich the name

of the m int on any Scotti sh coi n unmistakeably commences with the letters

nA occurs on this piece,rendering i t the less probable that the place of

mintage could have been i n i tself of any great importance. Hami lton

need not be mentioned i n connection with th is coin as a place of m intage ;

that town,formerly Cadz ow ,

hav ing received its present name by charter

from j ames II. i n 1445 .

The other sterl ing to which reference was made , No . 5 of the Bute

plate,here figured 60, has an A as the second letter of the name O f F ig . 6c.

the mint. What remains of the first letter of the name is suggest ive

rather of a square IS, as shown on some Roxburgh sterl ings of David 1

than an h, al though possibly i t may belong to the same mint as the

preceding, the name of the moneyer be ing apparently the sam e on both

coins . This piece shows a neat sa l t i re pommee on the centre of the cross

fleurie formed by the pel lets in the quarters be ing connected by stalks wi th

the angles of the cross. The style of head on the obverse is s im ilar to that

on the Earl Henry sterl ing,Fig. 2 3 , at page 36 .

CLASS II.

COINS WITH THE KING’

S NAME MORE OR LESS MUTILATED OR BLUNDERED,

AND W ITH UNSATISFACTORY INSCRIPTIONS ON THE REVERSE ; TY PESAS CLASS 1.

Fig. 9.

8 0. A V l 'l'M -h B . « h vm o z w o rW l-e z z grs .

The execution of th is piece as regards both types and lettering is

extremely rude. I ndeed, but for the existence of two other specimens, i n

the collect ion of Mr. Cochran - Patrick, I should not have been able to have

given the legends ent ire, as they are here rendered. The G i n hVGO can


scarcely be cal led a veri table representation of that letter, resembl ing rather

twopothooks placed over against one another. The RV i n RVR i s i n

monogram with the V.A very s imilar coi n i s figured i n Lindsay, Pl . I . 8,

and erroneously ascribed to Alexander I . Lindsay’

s i l lustration of that

p iece does not give the inscription on the obverse correctly. The letter

above the sceptre,treated as an A, i s s imply the R i n RX rudely rendered .

Fig. 10 .

9 0 As F ig . 9 . R + G a e e N 0D o e N J}. 2 1% gm .

Th i s com was formerly i n the W i ngate col lection , and i s figured

W ingate, Pl . I . 4, as an Alexander I . The only other s terl i ng that I

have seen with the obverse struck from the same die as th is piece i s in the

collection of the Rev. Mr. Pollexfe n, a nd i s the very coi n figured i n

Lindsay,Pl . I . 8, as an Alexander I .

Fig. 1 I.

10 . Smal ler head than the preceding, but with more bust. The legend on

the obverse is ev idently i ntended for AVIT REX the i nscript ion on the

reverse is absolutely unintell igible . From the W i ngate collection , figured

W ingate , PI. I . 6— weight, 18% grs .

Fig . 1 2 .

I1 . Bold, coarse workmansh ip. The legend on the obverse , as supple

m ented from a specimen from the same dies i n the col lect ion ofMr. Cochran

Patrick,reads \l/ “ R NR the legend on the reverse exhibi ts an uncouth

resemblance to h e R t t t vA— weight, grs. The first two

letters on the obverse are probably intended for AV, but placed upside down .

To attempt to make any meaning of the inscription on the reverse , the let

tering on which itsel f i s scarcely i ntel l igible,would be a waste of ingenui ty .

Fig. 13 .

1 2 . The head, crown, and sceptre on th is coi n are rendered i n better

style than on the precedi ng. No letters are v isible on the obverse. The


onl y letters legible on the reverse are RO— weight, 165 grs . O n two other David I.

spec imens from the same d ies,i n the Cochran - Patrick and Guthrie Lornie

De _

col lections,a rude travestie i s presented of the name hVGO . graded

Figs . 14, 14A.

1 3 . Two coins from the same obverse die as Fig. 1 3 , but from a different

reverse die. Fig. 14 Shows no lettering on obve rsefiwith a fragmentaryand unintell igible legend on reverse— weight, 1 gg grs. From the W i ngate

col lect ion, and fig ured, W . Pl . I . 3 , as Alexander I . Fig. 14A reads

legibly on obverse MAID for AVID REX, with hV at the com

m e ncem ent of the legend on the reverse— weight 2 1 grs. I n the Hendry

col lect ion .

1

Fig. 1 5 .

14, 1 5 . o. 4‘ M V l'

rRNq-A B .-t-B V PN ~W §MVIW J V

Two spec imens of th i s Sterl ing are i n the Fergusl ie collection,

weigh ing respectively 2 1§and 19 grs . ; three are i n the Brit ish Museum ;

one is i n the Museum of the Scottish Soc iety of Antiquaries, and one i n the

collection ofMr. Pol lexfe n— al l from identical dies, both as regards the Oh

verse and the reverse. The above is a l iteral tran scription of the legends on

the coins ; what is defective in the inscription on one piece being suppl ied

by the others . The legend on the reverse i s whol ly un intell igible ; that

on the obverse begins as u sual with AVIT, but w ith what looks l ike a

very smal l Merc ian M, probably i ntended for a D, at the foot of the A.

This sterl ing i s figured twice i n Lindsay, Pl . I . 1 1 , and 1st Sup. Pl. I . 6

in the first i nstance apparently from one of the Bri tish Museum specimens,

and stated i n Descmjétioe Ca ta log ue, p . 70, No . 1 2 , as reading on the

reverse nvE WA — a reading which wil l be vainly sought for

i n Lindsay’

s i l lustration of the coin i tself. A sterl ing in the col lection

of the Re v. Mr. Pol le xfe n has i ts obverse struck from the same die as

the obverse of the coi n Fig. 1 5 , with i ts reverse from the same d ie as

the reverse of the sterl i ng Fig. 16 . Another instance of interchange of

1 Now in the Fergusl ie cabine t.

D

1 8 THE COINAGE O F SCOTLAND.

dies is afforded by the sterl i ng F ig. 1 7, wh ich has i ts obverse from the

same die as the sterl ing F ig. 16 .

Fig . 16 .

1 6 . o.R. 0 h v o a gfl uzv fl y 2 05 g rs.

Two other specimens of th is sterl ing are respectively i n the

Cochran-Patrick and Guthri e Lornie col lect ions . From the inscript ions

on these two pieces the i nscript ions on th is co i n have been supplemented ,

as also from that on the obverse of F ig . 1 7. This i s the identical p iece

figured in Lindsay, Is t Sup. P l . I . 5 . Compare also the s imi lar coi n

figured,Lindsay

,Pl . I . 6 , as

“ Alexander I. , and the Sterl ing, L. Pl . I I .

2 2 , described, p . 2 73 , as“ U ncertain ; l ike the coins of Alexander I .

F ig . 1 7.

1 7 . 0. As above . B . +5 11 9 14 Im a m ,2 3

-5 grs.

I have met with no other spec imen of th is p iece . I t was formerly i n

the possession of Mr. Thomas G ray, G lasgow,whose extensive col lection

of rare Scottish and other coins has been incorporated i n the Fe rg us l ie

collection .

Fig. 18.

1 8, o i fl S’ l’

l VA'

v Br. i ' HNV/ CQN KNR : 2 3 and 19 g rs .

Two coins from identical d ies . The one suppl ies what i s defective i n

the inscriptions on the other. A short stalk rad iates from each angle of the

cross on the reverse , form ing a rude salt i re connected with the pel lets . Two

other specimens, from the same dies as the above, are respectively i n the

Cochran-Patrick and Pol lexfe n col lections , the spec imen in the latter collee

t ion being the co in figured i n L indsay,Pl . I . 7, as a sterl ing of Alexander

I . The coin described below, No . 20 , Fig . 19, has its obverse from the

same die as the sterl ings Nos . 18, 19, and is the identical Spec imen figured

Lindsay, P]. I . 1 2 , and W ingate, Pl . I . 8.

THE COINAGE O F SCOTLAND.

Fig. 19.

20 . 0. As F ig . 1 8, from same die . Br. 1! F‘ \IHN R“ ks” AV:2 28 grs

This coin was formerly i n the Lindsay and W i ngate col lections . Mr.

Lindsay states,p . 2 70 ,

that i t was purchased at Berwick i n 1844, at the

t ime the small find of David I . coins occurred at Bamborough Castle ,

and,along with two sterl ings , figured Nos . 1 1 and 14 of h is first plate ,

obtained at the same time and place , is supposed by h im to have

formed part of that boa rd. As figured both i n Li ndsay , P]. I . 1 2 , and

W ingate, Pl . I . 8, the reverse of th is p iece seems to have a fleur-de

l is i nstead of a pel let i n one of the quarters of the cross . This appear

ance is s imply occasioned by three sl ight indentations from the

obverse , showing themselves on a dark ground upon the reverse .

I have compared the com W i th two other specimens,from apparently iden

tical d ies , respect ively i n the col lections of Mr. Kermack Ford and of

the Scottish Soc iety of Antiquaries, the latter from the Bute find,figured

No. 4 of the plate accompanying Pol lexfe n’

s paper,on nei ther of

which is there any appearance of a fleur-de- l i s u pon reverse . I observe,

moreover, that the supposed fleur-de- l i s comes out very indist inctly on the

impression taken of the coin i tsel f. I am indebted to Mr. Kermack Ford ’s

specimen for supplying what of the inscription does not come out clearly

on the reverse of th is p iece.

The sterl ing Fig. 4 , Bute find , i s of spec ial i nterest, as i t wa s from the

extremely legible inscription on the obverse of that coi n that Mr. Pol le xfe n

was enabled to restore to David I . the sterl i ng, Lindsay, PI. I . 7 , erroneously

attributed by Lindsay to Alexander I . Respecting th is p iece Pol le xfen

remarks : “ Figure 4 , though of rude workmansh ip , reads very legibly

—AVIT R retrograde , and is evidently Similar i n type to Lindsay,Pl

.

I . Fig. 1 2 . But i t seems to me to resemble even more closely h is F ig. 7 ,

which he attributes to Alexander I . and , after careful consideration , I am

disposed to assign to David two out of the three coins attributed by him to

Alexander, viz . h is Nos . 7 and 8. W i th regard to h is No. 7 I have no

doubt ; on comparing i t with our F ig. 4 i ts identi ty wil l be apparent .


About h is No . 8 I am less certa i n ; but to me i t appears to read —VIT

retrograde,the T being more blundered than the other letters , and made to

resemble an A.

” Curiously enough , as wi ll be seen from what I have said

respecting the coins F igs . 9 and 10 of the F e rgusl ie collection , the identical

sterl ing figured Lindsay,Pl . I . 8, i s now i n Mr. Pol lexfen

’

s own cabinet ; 1

the inscription on the obverse of that piece is not retrograde. The coi n

to wh ich I have referred was kindly sent to me for i nspection , along w i th

other sterl ings of David I . by Mr. Polle xfen, when I was col lecting m a te rials

for a more exhaustive study of the coins of that period tha n had h itherto

been attempted the results of which are here for the first t ime publ ished.

The sterl ing No. 16 , Fig. 16 , i s very s imilar to the coi n figured i n Lindsay,

Pl . I . 6 , erroneously attributed to Alexander I .

Fig. 2 0.

2 1 . O . u+ B . i nN "°QV R A l YN o l z z i grs.

This piece has i ts obverse i n the same style as the sterl i ngs F igs . 18

and 19,but the inscript ion , AV IT RX, i s not retrograde. As th is is the only

Specimen of the coin I have met with , I am unable to complete the legend

on reverse . Possibly th is coin m ay have been of earl ier issue than the

sterl ings figured 18 and 19 . A Short stalk,scarcely observable, Shoots out

salt ire-wise from each angle of the cross . The style of head on these ster

l ings is not so uncouth as on most of the other nondescript p ieces of Class I I .

Fig. 2 1 .

2 2 . o. Q n aMIm-(M ) B . mommmm vfl2 15 g rs .

This coin is what i s called a mule , a un ion of an obverse with a reverse

that does not belong to i t . The obverse i s of very fair workmansh ip,show

ing good lettering with the K ing ’s name unmuti lated ; the reverse i s of rude

execution with bad letteri ng, and with the i nscription i n the anomalous

1 The sterl ing s L. , P l . 1. 7 , 8, were purcha sed Mr. Pol lexfen had no opportun i ty of judg ing of

by Mr. Pol lexfen a t the Lindsay sa le,long a fter the co ins e xcept by the i l lus tra tions gi ven of

his paper on the Bute hoard wa s published ; pre them in Lindsay’s pla te s.

viously to the ir com ing into his own possess ion


cant lyto the same conclusion . I t is, moreover, a very extens ive class,

evidently extending over a considerable period, and marked by many degrees

of degradation. Somewhere above Sixty specimens of th is anomalous series

have come under my own observation , as against l i ttle more than a th ird

of that number of the better-executed coi ns of David I as here described

under Class I. , with the K ing’s name correctly rendered, and wi th the names

of the moneyers and mints i ntel l igibly expressed I need scarcely advert to

the well - understood maxim of archmolog ica l research , that the further the

process of degradation has been carried upon any object , the more certain

i s i t that that object i s of recent i ssue for i ts period .

1 Revers ing th is

rule, Scottish numismatic wri ters have mistak enly regarded rudeness of

execution as a sure Sign of priority of issue, assigning, for example , to

Alexander I . those sterl ings of the cross'

fleurie and pelle t type of Dav id I .

on which the process of degradat ion , i n respect to types and inscriptions,

has been carried the furthest.

CLASS III.

COINS BEARING THE NAME OF DAVID, BUT W ITH ENGLISHTY PES ON THE REVERSE.

Fig. 24 .

Plai n- looking style of head and bust, with sceptre to right the crown

without ornaments . Reverse : cross mol i ne, the ends meet ing and form

ing a tressure of four compartments, each compartment enclos ing a fleur

de - l i s, as on the sterl i ng of Stephen , Hawkins , 2 70 , but with the ends of

the cross not p ierced .

1 Hawkins and Evans ha ve g iven e xpl ic it out in a pa per “ On rude stone im plem ents foundenuncia tion to th is principle in conne ct ion wi th the in She tland (P roceeding s of tlze Society of Anti

An cient Bri t ish Co inag e , of which the prototype gua ri es of Scotl a nd, vol . vi i . p.

is now re cogn ised a s the Ma cedon ian Phil ippus . Long doubted, Dr.Mitche l l’s conclus ions are now

By Dr. Arthur Mi tche l l its gene ra l appl ica t ion un iversa lly a ccepted.

in archaeolog i ca l m a tters wa s cog ently brought


2 3 . 0.+Dn V l DRE+E.

( 1 124 -

53 )

Class III.This p i ece, in fabri c, style of head, lettering, type of reverse, and name Eng l ish trim

of moneyer,i s exactly as the coi n F ig. I of the plate accompanying

Pol lexfen’

s paper on the Bute find , and represented here Fig. 24A, reading F ig ,

on obverse h ENRIEVS,and on reverse EREBALD O (N E)OLEB, now

recogn ised as belonging to Henry , Earl of Northumberland , and struck

at Corbridge near Carl isle , where Earl H enry had a mi nt . Unfor

tuna te ly, while the i nscription on the obverse of this sterl ing of Dav id I. , by

Ere ba ld,i s very legibly rendered, that on the reverse giving the name of the

mint,partly from the edge being defective and partly from the obl i teration of

some of the letters, does not come out very clearly . I was at first i ncl i ned

to regard the prope r read ing on the reverse as EREBALD ON EOLEBVR ;

but on closer inspect ion , and from a comparison of what remains of the

letters of the name of the mint wi th the letters in Erebald’

s name,I

am sat isfied that the first letter of the name of the mint i s an E,and that

the second i s probably a D, with BVR as the three last lett ers— the whole

apparently reading EREBALD ON EDENEBVR. I have given as above

an exact transcript of what is v isible of the legend on the reverse,supple

m e nt ing such of the letters as are defect ive with dotted l i nes . At the Cuff

sale , l ot 76 3 , what seems to have been a Sim ilar coi n i s described as Uh

certain— hav ing a reverse s im ilar to Hks . 2 70 ,FREBALD ON ED.

” Thi s

so far confirms the attribution here given of th is coin . I have l i ttle doubt

that the moneyer’

s name on the reverse of Cuff's sterl i ng was EREBALD,

not F REBALD, and that possibly the i nscription on the obverse may have

been DAVID REX, as on the sterl ing F ig. 24 . Under what c ircumstances

Erebald came to strike money at Edinburgh I am unable to state.I may

here remark , however, that al l or nearly al l the David I . coins of the Bute

find,with the same type of reverse as on th is p iece, appear to have been

struck at Edinburgh , al though , perhaps, at a rather later date . These are of

smal ler module and of ruder fabric and workmansh ip than th is sterl ing,and

the legends on al l are more or less barbarously rendered ; see F igs . 24C, 24D. Figs. 24C, 24D.

Two of these coins, with the more i ntell igible i nscriptions, on col lation , give

F ig . 240 .

F ig . 24A.


on the obverse +3 N7'

IDSD6 4 and on the reverse own i ng onm m

respectively,for DAVID REX and DERIND 3 ON EDON— readi ngs to

which general ly the i nscript ions on the other pieces approximate . O ne

coin,with the name of the mint unfortunately i l legible, has the moneyer

’s

name F VLBOLD or FVLBOLD, Fig. 24D. This last sterl i ng has its obverse

struck from the same die as the obverse of one of the coins wi th DERIND

as moneyer.Presumably

,therefore, Fulbold 1 or Pulbold was moneyer at

the same mint as

The sterl i ng of David I . i n the F e rg usl ie collection, Fig. 24, by

Ereba ld, i s the more i nterest ing as i t i s the first coi n of the type pub

l ished as belonging to David I . I t formed lot 4 1 2 Of the Martin SaleCatalogue (Sotheby, May and is descr ibed as follows 4 1 2 . Penny,

Ei DAVID REX,Profile to right, with sceptre ; rev. Plai n cross wi th i n a

tressure of e ight curves, a fle ur-de-l is i n each angle ; of g rea t ra rity

nnpnol zs/i ed. The Bute find , to which we owe the d iscovery of other coins

of the same type , with the name of David, but not by the same moneyer , did

not take place t i l l j une 1863 . Mr. Pol lexfe n has i nadvertently described

the Bii te pieces as the first of the type known as belonging to Dav id I .

Apart from i ts i ntrinsic importance the sterl i ng of Erebald,Fig. 24,

i s of great numismatic value i n confirming the attribution to Earl Henry of

the sterl i ng i n the Bute find, here figured 2 4A, with the same type of reverse

and name of moneyer. The i nscr ipt ion on the reverse of that piece is so

much off the coi n , that, for the greater part, only the lower portions of - the

letters are v is ible. I t has the name of Henry, without Re x , on the obverse.

Two s imilar p ieces, figured Ruding , Sup. Part I I . Pl . I I . Figs . 8 and 10,the

latter corresponding to Hawkins , Fig. 2 59, have been attributed by Rudingand Hawkins to Henry I . of England . Po l le xfe n, however, questioned

whether the Bute coin ought not rather to be given to Pri nce Henry, son of

David I . An important clue was suppl ied subsequently by Mr. Long s taffe

i n h is valuable paper , enti tled a Postscript,by the ed itor of A rena olog ia

1 Se e note , pag e 2 I. I. was struck by a Durand orDuran t.” Durham,

2 Mr. Long sta ffe rem arks If Irem ember a s we sha ll see underDavid II. , wa s a most l ike lyrightly, the only known Durham penny of Henry pla ce for moneyers to com e from to Scotland.

THE COINAGE or SCOTLAND. 2 5

E l ia na ,to the Re v. D. H Ha igh

’

s paper on the Coins of the Dan ish David 1.

Kings of Northumberland . The place of mintage of the Bute Sterl ing

of Henry,by Ereba ld, of which only the letters OLE and the lower Enghsh types.

portion of the B were visible,was there determined as GOLEB

COLEBRIGIA,and identified with Corbridge — the demesne manor

nearest to a valuable s ilver mine i n the Earldom of Northumberland .

This Earldom had been bestowed upon Prince Henry i n 1 1 39.

“ The modern nam e, — Corbridge , —observes Mr. Long s ta ffe ,“ l inks i ts Corbridg e

h istory with Cors topitum , the Roman st ation , wh ich i t undoubtedly

represents . Yet there is ample proof that for euphony’s sake the r

was 1 when i t had a co inage. Thus we have the express ion ‘ Cole

brig ia Civi tate,’ temp . Stephen, and the L is reta ined i n the pipe-roll s

down to Edward I . ’s days . To a port ion of th is Si lver mine Henry

had become entitled , when at the commencement of 1 1 3 6 the fie f -

of

Carl isle had been conferred upon h im by Stephen . The silver m ine,

”

as Long staffe further remarks, “ though called that of Carl isle,was in

fact partly i n Cumberland and partly i n Northumberla nd i n plain words,

i t was contained in the lead of the front ier manor of Alston Moor,and

the Northumberla nd share was by far the richest.

At Carl isle certa in coins, wi th the same peculi ari ties of lettering as on

the Corbridge sterl ing of Henry by Erebal d, and with the sam e type of

reverse, were struck with the"

name of Stephen by two moneyers, Ere ba ld

and W i l l iam . O f these sterl i ngs, one by Ereba ld and two by W il l iam

were discovered, with many other sterl ings of the period, i n a find of

coins at Watford in Hertfordsh ire i n 1818, described by Ra shle igh i n the

Num ism a tic Cdronicle, First Series, vol . xi i . Two Sim i lar sterl ings wi th

the name of Stephen, by Ere ba ld, were among the Bute coins , represented

here F ig. 24B .

l The name of the mint, which on the Watford Spec imens F ig 248

appears as CARD and CARDI, Ra shle igh, i n h is descrip tive notice , has

rendered as Cardiff, although now fully concurring in Carl isle as the correct

attribution . Referring to the pecul iari ties of the lettering and the bust on

1 A spe cim en of th is rare pie ce is now in the F ergu sl ie col le ct ion, show ing on reverse the

le tters at a: * )ALD ON El i a


these pieces,which occur also on the sterl i ng of David I . by Ereba ld,

Ra shle igh remarks : “ Their pecul iari t ies, as they are extremely rare ,

have been hitherto unnoticed . The letters are of the character of those

on the early - Saxon coins, having no seri fs , and the portrai t considerably

more rude than usual . ”

By thei r having no seri fs, Ra shle igh means

that the stems of the letters have not the cross l ines common to the

more modern characters .

These sterl ing s of the Carl isle mint by Erebal d and W i l l iam , with the

name of Stephen, Fig. 24B, thus curiously connected with the Corbridge

sterl ing of Earl Henry , Fig. 24A, by Ereba ld, are regarded by Mr. Long

staffe, the h ighest authori ty on North of England coins, as hav ing really

been struck by Earl H enry . The W atford hoard determines the period

of issue of these pieces . This hoard was composed almost exclusively of

pennies of Henry I . and of Stephen . But of above 600 sterl ings of Stephen ,

representing more than th irty d ifferent m ints, the only type of reverse

found was that on these Ca rl isle sterl i ngs of Ereba ld and W i l l iam

(Hawkins, showing clearly that that type must have been the very

earl iest of the types of Stephen ’s reign , i ntroduced probably about the

t ime that Earl Henry came i nto possession of Carl isle. Keeping in V iew

the remarkable pecul iari ties of the bust and of the letteri ng common to these

Carl isle sterl ings with the name of Stephen , and to the Henry sterl ing of the

Bute find,minted at Corbridge, we cannot avoid the conclusion that these

Carl isle pieces i n the Bute find , although bearing Stephen’s name, were

also struck by Earl Henry .

But i t i s not so clear, as assumed by Long sta ffe , that the Erebal d

or Hereba ld with the aspirate— whose name appears on these coins,i s

to be identified with Erche nba ld, or Erkenba ld, of whom there is some

mention , but not as moneyer, i n the Corbridge serjeantries of 16 Henry I I .

and 1 7 Henry I I . , referred to by Long sta ffe . Between the issue

of these Carl isle and Corbridge sterl ings struck by Erebald, and the

mention made of th is Erche nba ld or Erke nba ld i n the Corbridge

serjeantries , an i nterval of probably more than th irty years must have

elapsed. I n the absence of any closer proof to connect the one


with the other,and in the difference i n the manner of rendering thei r

names,w e are scarcely warranted in regarding the Ereba ld of the coins

as one and the same person with the Erche nba ld of the serjeantries .

U nfortunately,from the imperfect state Of the inscriptions on the reverses

of the Ereba ld sterl i ngs in the Bute find and in the absence of any

opportunity of persona l ly exam ining t/ce coins, Mr. Long s taffe , whose

numismatic Sagaci ty i s so rarely at fault, has misread the name of the

moneyer,both as it is given on the Carl isle Sterl i ng of Stephen and on

the Corbridge sterl ing of Henry— th is i n both cases being EREBALD but,

as rendered by Long sta ffe , appearing respectively as

ON CARD on the Carl isle sterl ing of Stephen, Fig. 243 , and ERCBOLD

O (N) COLEB on the Corbridge sterl ing of Henry, Fig. 24A. To take

the last of these readings first, the third letter of the moneyer’s name

,

which on the plate looks l ike a square E, can on the coin itself be plain ly

recognised as an E, part of the middle cross - bar bei ng st il l observable

on the coin,although the upper half of the letter is away ; wh ile the

character treated by Long sta ffe as an O, of which very l i ttle is vis ible

on the coin, i s undoubtedly an A,very wel l represented on Ereba ld

’

s

sterl ing of David I. , Fig. 24 ; and even on th is piece the straddl ing lower

extremities of the A are quite dis tinctly defined and far enough apart

to satisfy any one of the true cha racter of the letter. W i th regard

to the Carl isle sterl ing of Ereba ld, Mr. Pol le xfe n must to some extent

be credited with the misreading. Neither of the two Specimens of

th is coin in the Bute find i s engraved,but i n Pol lexfe n

’

s descriptive

l ist the moneyer’

s name appears with five gaps between the R and the

LD. No warrant for these five gaps between the second

letter and the last two letters of the moneyer ’s name wil l be found on1 Finding, however, these duly set forth in Pol lexfe n

’

s description,

Mr. Long sta ffe naturally enough fil led them up according to h is own

pre conceived ideas of the name of Earl Henry ’s first moneyer,assumed

by him to be Erkemba ld - th is Erkemba ld being further assumed to

the coins .

1 Mr. Ra shl e igh’s rendering of the leg end on the reverse of the Wa tford Spe c im en shows the

correct reading-u ERE L - C RD


be the Erchenbald or Erke nba ld of the Corbridge s ilver mine accounts ;

whom,again

, Long s taffe assumed to be the father of the wel l - known

W i l l iam Fitz Erkemba ld,

l whose name i s met with as moneyer on Carl isle

and Newcastle coins of Henry II.

’

s first coinage, and “ who was lessee

of the si lver mine of Carl isle when the Pipe -Roll s recommence in 4Henry I I . probably also for some time previous.

I t would have been grati fying could we have obtained sat isfactory

information about th is Ere ba ld from contemporary documents. Sti l l, there

is every reason to bel ieve that the Ereba ld who struck sterl ings bearing on

their obverses the names of Stephen , Henry, and David, at apparently

three different mints, Carl isle , Corbridge, and Edinburgh , al l with the same

remarkable pecul iari t ies of bust and lettering, and with the same type of

reverse, was one and the same person . The head on the David I . sterl ing

by Ereba ld, Fig. 24 i n the F e rgusl ie collection , i s identical with that on the

Henry sterl ing of Corbridge by Ereba ld, Fig. 24A, i n the S SA. collection

from the Bute find ; rendering i t the more probable that the Henry for

whom Ereba ld Struck coins was Earl Henry , son of David I . of Scotland.

The two following coins of David I. , Class I I I . , i n the F e rgusl ie col

lection,very much resemble i n the type of reverse that on the Pax pennies

of W i l l iams I . I I . of England— having a plai n cross, the ends sl ightly

potent, with a large annulet i n each quarter but enclosing a round pel let

i nstead of a letter. A sim ilar type, except that the cross i s rather more

ornamented, wil l be found on the reverses of two sterl ings, attributed to

Henry I.,figured in Hawkins Nos . 2 56 , 2 64, as al so on a coi n with uncertai n

legend on the obverse , Hawkins , No. 2 75 . Compare also Fig. 5 i n Snell ing’s

View of tbe Coins struck in Me Is le of Ma n , and N o. 9 of Ra shl e igh’

s plate,— Nnm . Cit ron . Is t S. vol . xi i i . p. 181 ; the i nscript ion on the reverse of

the latter piece , RI CAR(D O )N CAR,

2 being the same legend , apparently,

as on the reverse of the fi rst of the two sterl i ngs here described .

1 In a le tter to m e on the subje ct Mr.

‘Long ing RICAR ON CAN, but in his i llustra t ionstafl

'

e now sta te s It m ay b e tha t none of the of the pie ce the leg end is undoubtedly RICARcoins were struck by W i ll iam ’

s fa ther,Erkemba ld

,N CAR— the R be ing ident ica l in form

who m ight not b e a m oneyer a t a l l .” wi th the R on the obverse of F ig . 2 4 in the Fer2 Mr. Rashl e igh de scribe s this coin a s re ad gusl ie col le ct ion .

F ig . 24C.

30THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND.

i f struck during the l ifetime of David i t was minted at the close of

h is reign ; possibly i n h is last year, after 1 2 th j une 1 1 5 2 , when h is son

Earl Henry died . Carl isle had been held as a fie f by Prince Henry,

i n right of h is mother,from 1 136 . The sterl i ng No. 9 of Ra shle igh

’

s plate ,

Nam . Cnron . ,Is t S. vol . xi i i . p . 18 1 , with the same type of reverse as on

th i s coin,and apparently of the same moneyer and mint, also gives the

rounded C on reverse,only represented as open . The legend on the ob

verse of the coin, Rashle igh No. 9, i s very defective , but enough remains

to suggest that i t m ay have been of retrograde Character, and possibly

intended to represent DAVID REX, as on the example below.

Fig. 28.

2 5 . 0. A nna p urna» : B. f DEP l Hom u sn on oH 2 31, g rs .

Same types as the preced ing, but with smal l stalks i n the angles of

the cross . The obverse legend is retrograde and partly transposed, ev i

de n tly designed to represent DAVID REX. The reverse legend appears

to have been intended for DERIND ON ROMDN or ROXDN. This coin

may possibly have been struck under Malcolm I V. , at Roxburgh , after

the surrender of Northumberland and Cumberland to the Engl i sh Crown,

an event which took place i n the fourth year of the reign of that prince .

The De rind whose name occurs as moneyer was probably the same

person as the De rind O n Edon of the Bute coi ns, Fig. 24C, with the

tressure fle urie type of reverse. This i s the more l ikely, as the last D

i n the name of De rind on these coins, as on th is p i ece , i s almost invari

ably formed l ike an O . The manner in which the head,crown, bust, and

sceptre are rendered on these coi ns i s also very Sim i lar to what appears

on th is sterl ing.

This coin, unique so far as known, was purchased at the sale of

num i smat ic property of the late Mr. j ames j . Lamb of Paisley. I n the sale

catalogue of the Lamb col lect ion i t i s represented as “ from the Hoare sale,

186 1 , lot 1 1 7, previously i n the Cuff collection ,” and i t is so described in the

Hoare catalogue ; but the only coin i n the Cuff sale catalogue correspond ing


to th is piece , and l ikewise bel ieved to be unique, i s represented as having

for type of reverse a crescent and pel let i n each quarter of cross, fig ured

Lindsay,Pl . I . No. Unless

,therefore , there are two Specimens pre

cise ly al ike , even to the manner of striking, that coin i s the piece here

figured 2 8A,now in the Brit ish Museum . I t affords a fairly i ntell igible

although retrograde rendering of the name and ti tle of David on the

obverse,with an utterly un intel l igible and barbarously rendered form of

legend on the reverse. The type of the reverse is ident ical with that on

some of the crescent and pel le t sterl ings of W i l l iam the Lion - a crescent

enclos ing a pel let (without stalk) i n each quarter of the cross, with a

pellet beh ind the crescent i n each Of the angles.

A curious sterl ing, Fig. 26A, i n the S SA . collect ion, has the head and

bust as on the Stephen, Hks . 2 78, with a s imilar cross fleurie on the t e

verse, but without the pla in cross i n salti re with the cross fleurie as on that

p iece . The only letters v is ible of the inscription on the obverse are D at

the commencement and O ‘I

‘ Z ) at the end,with WL as as M ON CAR

retrograde on reverse . The Merc ian ‘P,as on the obverse of th is p iece

,

occurs also on a sterl ing, Hks . 2 84, ascribed to W i l l iam ,son of Stephen .

I n connection with the sterl ing F ig. 2 6A,Mr. Long staffe , to Whom I had

sent an impression of i t, has contributed some very i nteresting i nformation .

He writes : “ I t reminds me of a broken coin found i n 186 5 by Mr. Fred

W oodm as s i n some old lead work flooring, over which one foot deep of

moss had grown , at Blag ill mine (Alston district) . The reverse probably

read backwards l ike yours . The finding of i t i n the disused workings of

the s ilver m ine of Carl isle was i nteresting. And it may be added that

the finding of th is broken coin i n Earl Henry’s old mine (of which Mr.

Long sta ffe favoured me with a drawing,corresponding exactly wi th the

sterl i ng F ig. 2 6A) closely connects both pieces wi th Earl Henry, or with

h is father, i n whose name they may have been struck.

F ig . 28A.

F ig . 7A.

F ig . 7B.


CLASS IV.

Coins of good workmanship and of the same types as Classes I . I L ,

but with whol ly unintell igible and apparently purposely blundered inscriptions .

This is the very coin ,figured i n L indsay , Pl . I . 18, and erroneously

ascribed to Prince Henry. Another sterl i ng, Lindsay, Pl . I . 1 7, also erro

neously attributed to th is prince, now forms No. 5 , Fig. 4 , of the F e rgus l ie

collection,and has been already (pp . 10 , II) brought under consideration . I n

reference to these two coins, Lindsay, p. 7, remarks The obverse legend

of the first (L. Pl. I . 1 7) commences rIiH and seems to be the

name of the prince i n question ; that of the second (L . Pl . I . 18) i s also imper

fee t, but sufficient remains to prove that i t was HENR I I n point of fact

al l that remains of the inscription on the obverse of th is second coi n (Fig . 7)are the letters RV at the commencement and NR at the end ; out of these

letters i t required very pecul iar powers of v ision to prove that the name of

the prince was HENRI. A Spec imen of th is coi n i n the Bri tish Museum,

Fig. 7A, from prec isely the same dies, puts the true reading of the legend on

the obverse beyond doubt. There is sti l l another spec imen in the collection

of the Scottish Soc iety of Antiquaries from the Bute find , figured No .. 3 of

the plate accompanying Pol lexfe n’

s paper. From these two coi ns the

inscriptions on th is p iece , as above rendered, have been supplemented .

Another sterl ing i n the collection of Mr. Cochran-Patrick,figured here

7B, corresponds exactly with these coins wi th respect to the obverse, but has

its reverse struck from a die of the rude anomalous Character, belonging to the

coins described under Class I I . As nearly as I can give i t, what remains of

the inscription on the reverse ofMr. Cochran-Patrick ’s sterl ing is as fol lows

“ w w u v fl z This h ighly important piece, by unit ing a

reverse of Class I I . with an obverse of Class I V.,proves that there

must have been some connection between the sterl ings of these two classes .


I n the same way the sterl ing F ig. 2 1 , p . 20 , and the similar piece figured in

Lindsay,Pl . I . 10 ,

both with correctly rendered legends on the obverse, but

with barbarous,unintell igible inscriptions on the reverse, Show that a con

ne ct ion existed between the coins i n Classes I . and I I . Apparently, there

fore,i n common with the coins i n these two classes, the sterl ings i n Clas s

I V. are to be regarded as of Scottish origin . The coins i n al l three

classes were i n actual c i rculation together, and are al l represented i n the

Bute find .

Fig. 8.

2 7 0. fibfl n v on v R. Ha n a n/ o m mo v p n ) 2 4 grs .

Two other spec imens of th is sterl ing,from dies identical wi th the above ,

are figured as two different coins,Lindsay , Pl . I I . 2 3 and 24 . Both

pieces are now i n the col lection of the Rev . Mr. Pol lexfe n , through whose

kindness I have had the Opportun i ty of comparing them with th i s co in .

Two other spec imens, from the same dies as the preceding , have also been

examined by me— in the Cochran-Patrick and Guthrie Lornie cabinets re

spe ct ive ly. I have thus been enabled to give the i nscriptions of the coin

F ig . 8 enti re , as above rendered. Another Sterl ing of th is class,i n the

S SA. collect ion, Fig. SA, has the legend on the obverse reading NRVOIL

The first three letters of th is inscription, i t wi l l be observed,are the

same as on the sterl ings Figs. 7 , 8, only i n each case the arrange

ment i s different. I n each case also the letter S on the reverse is of the

i nverted or reversed form . The concurrence of the same three letters at

the beginn ing of the inscriptions on the obverses of these three coins,i n

connect ion with the same pecul iar form of the S repeated on the reverses,

as al so the similari ty of the treatment of the busts and of the general

execution, may be regarded as i nd icating that the selfsame hand had been

engaged in the production of these several pieces .

A sterl ing belonging to th is class i s fig ured No. 8 of the plate i l lus

tra t ive of Ra shle igh’

s i nteresting paper, ent itled“ An account of some

baronial and other coi ns of K ing Stephen's re ign,” publ i shed in the

Num i sma t ic Cnronicle , First Series, vol . x i i i . p . 18 1 . The inscript ions on that

It 1g . 811.

F ig . 2 50 .

F ig .


coi n,as figured i n Ra shle igh

’

s plate, are ent irely gone but from two other

specimens exactly similar,with the same parrot-nosed portrait, and apparently

from identical d ies with that piece,respect ively i n the col lections of the

Rev. Mr. Pol lexfe n a nd'Mr. Kermack Ford , of wh ich the latter i s here

figured 8B,

1 I am enabled to supply the inscript ion on the obverse , viz .

i v n fl o v n . This inscription,i t wi l l be observed , gives much

the same letters as on the obverses Of the two sterl ings, Figs . 7 , 8.

I am unable to give the inscription on the reverse . Another sterl i ng,

also with the Scottish type of reverse, belonging to our Class I I forms

No . 7 of Ra shle igh’

s plate . This coi n seems to have been from the same

dies as a sterl ing from the Bute find, i n the S SA. col lect ion, No. 6 of

Pol lexfe n’

s descript ive l ist of sterl ings i n the Bute find,i nscr ibed on the

obverse 90 , w ] V A G: — DAVI(T) — RE. Mr. Rashle igh states that the

two coins NOS. 7 and 8 of h is plate were lately found i n company with a

few coins of Stephen (type, No .— Same as Hawkins, 2 76 and with

several hundreds of H enry I I . (type , Hawk. I may observe that

precisely the same type of reverse as on the sterl ings of Stephen , Hawkins ,

2 76 , i s found on the reverse of an early sterl ing of W i l l iam the Lion , i n

the col lect ion of the Re v. Mr. Pol le xfe n ,Fig. 2 5D, readi ng on reverse

W F OLPOL OC, stru ck apparently by the same moneyer, and at the

same mint, as the penny of W i l l iam ,i n the Bri t i sh Museum , here figured

2 5B . I t i s supposed that the sterl ings of H enry I I . (type, Hawkins, 2 85 )were commenced to be Struck about A .D. 1 1 58. As Malcolm IV . died i n

I16 5 , i t wa s probably at the end of h is re ign , or at the commencement of

that of W i l l iam the Lion,that the small hoard

,contain ing Ra shle igh

’

s

Scotti sh penn ies , Nos . 7 and 8, represented by the sterl i ngs Clas ses I I .

and IV. , was depos ited . This tal l ies with what has been here stated

i n connect ion wi th the mule No. 2 2 , Fig. 2 1 , that m any of the sterl i ngs

i n Classes I I . and IV. may have been struck after the death of Dav id I .

So far as weight goes, the sterl ings i n Classes I I . and IV. compare

not unfavourably with the unquestionably authentic penn ies of Dav id I . i n

Class I . The qual i ty of the coins i n al l these several classes seems to be1 Now in the F ergusl ie col le ction.

2 Nam . 6717 071. Ist S. vol . x i i i . p . 1 85.


the same,so far as may be judged from their outward appearance . They David I

also ci rculated i n common. Some connection certa inly ex isted between

them,as shown by reverses of sterl ings in Class I I . being un i ted to obverses Anoma lou5 ~

of sterl i ngs i n Classes I . and IV. O n the other hand— unless, for some

time after the death of Dav id I. , the coinage had fal len into a very dis

organised state— it i s diffi cul t to conceive how the sterl ings i n Class I I . ,

with the i r blundered and frequently uni ntel l igible inscript ions and degraded

types,could have emanated from any recognised mint master or mint.

As for the sterl i ngs i n Class I V. ,al though they are of good execution i n

respect of the types and the lettering, they exh ibi t no pretence to any

intel l igible rendering of the name of any known prince on obverse or of

any known moneyer or mint on reverse. Possibly with Ra shle igh some

may be disposed to regard the sterl ings i n Class IV . as baron ial coi ns .

AS coins, bearing Scottish types,I have here descr ibed them , and now

pass from them wi thout further remark .

ibcnrp, (Earl of mut tbumbet lann.Barl of

Northumberland

BORN ABOUT AD 1 1 14 ; DIED 1 2TH j uNE AD 1 1 5 2 .

The only coi ns that can be attributed to Prince Henry,son of Dav id I .

of Scotland , are certain sterl ings with so- cal led Engl ish 1 types on the re

verse , struck with i n the Earldom of Northum be rla nd i n i ts then extended

sense . Two coins with Scottish types on the reverse,both now in the

Fe rgus l ie col lection, which are ascribed by Lindsay to Pri nce Henry, have

been shown , respect ively, to be a Berwick penny of David I. ,Fig. 4 , N O .

5 , and a sterl ing of uncertai n attribution , Fig. 7 , No. 2 6 . These are the

only two coins of Scottish type that have been assigned to this prince ; SO

that, unless better authenticated examples can be produced , the attr ibution

of coins of Scottish type to Henry , Earl of Northumberland , must be

1 Mr. Long sta ff e rem arks They ha ve a l l spe cim en bearing the name of Stephe n (Lindsa y,the appe arance of be ing of fore ign work, whol ly Pl . XVIII. No. 2 1) is hardly evide nce .

differe n t from any of our insular. The sol i tary

Henry, Earl ofNorthumberland.

P ia . 23A.

3 6 THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND.

abandoned . W i th respect to the sterl ings of Earl Henry with the so

cal led Engl ish,

types, struck in Northumberland, no hesitat ion need be

entertained i n including these i n a work on Scotti sh coi ns ; because, for

some years before and after the death of Henry, the northern count ies of

England were virtually a part of Scotland .

Much l ight has been thrown by Mr. Long sta ffe upon the cross crosslet

coins of Earl H enry, figured by Lindsay, Pl . I . Nos . 19, 20, 2 1 , respect ing

which considerable misapprehension had prev iously existed, some numis

m a t is ts having even assigned them to Malcolm IV . The great difficulty

with these coins has been the obscure character of the legends on the

obverse and the more or less incomplete condi t ion of the i nscriptions

on both s ides . The following piece i s the only spec imen of the type as

yet i n the F e rguslie col lect ion. I have completed the i nscriptions,as

given below, from Similar coins i n other cab inets, which have been kindly

sent to me for inspection .

Fig. 2 3 .

O bverse : crowned head to r igh t, with sceptre ; the crown as on the

sterl ings of David I Class I . Reverse : cross pa tée i n each quarter

of a cross crosslet, connected by a loop with the inner c i rcle .

I. 0 -l H 2Q5)M c 1 :c o u Bc. +M ILEL2H 3 0M c m g2 ° grs .

The inscription on the reverse is completed ch iefly from Mr. Long

staffe’s spec imen, Fig. 2 3A, giv i ng the final letter B, the i ni tial of the name

of the mint,wh ich is also d ist inctly Shown on a Spec imen belonging to

Mr. Robert Bla i r, South Sh ields . Mr. Long sta ffe’

s coi n i s i nscribed on the

obverse , 4 14 3 5 C I 2C 0 14 displaying a transom , i nd icat i ve of con

tract ion, ou the lower part of the second l imb of the first N. I n reference to

th is Contraction , Long s taffe , i n h is“ Postscript to the Rev. D. H Ha igh

’

s

Paper on the Coins of the Dan ish K ings of Northumberland , remarks

The contraction at the beginning of Henry ’s legend is formed by a

reversed N with a bar across the right - hand stroke . The want of H

i n foreign coins of our H enries , and the use i n our Chron icles of Consul

Henry, Earl of


1 147 that these cross crosslet sterl ings of Henry were m inted. The

W i l l iam whose name appears as moneyer upon their reverses i s supposed

F ig . 6C.

by Long sta ffe to have been the same person as the W i l l iam F i tz Erkem

bold who coined at Carl isle and Newcastle under H enry I I .

None of these coins,so far as known , have been found elsewhere than

i n the north of England . The Spec imen in Mr. Blai r’

s col lect ion wa s

obtained i n the vic in i ty of Morpeth . The great bulk of Prince Henry'

s

coins of th is type came from what is known as the O utchester find . The

sterl i ng with the same reverse, but with Stephen’s name on obverse , figured

Lindsay, PI. 18, No. 2 1 , was struck, i n Long s taffe

’

s opinion, by Earl

Henry ’s moneyer,and probably had no actual connection with Stephen .

I t i s qu ite an exceptional piece , the type not being found on any of

Stephen’s known mints . For one th ing, th is sterl ing with the name of

Stephen may be regarded as d isposing of any idea of attributing the coins

of Earl Henry of the cross crosslet type to the Berwick mint, for, al though

Henry might possibly have been al lowed to strike money wi th h is own

name at a mint in h is father’s possess ion, i t i s not l ikely that coins wi th

Stephen ’s name would have been struck there .

Lindsay ’s read ing of the i nscription on the reverse of one of these

pieces,L . Des . Ca t. 20 , as WILEM ON ICH

, with the attribution to I nch

affray,as suggested i n the Murch ison sale catalogue , cannot be entertained .

Earl Henry could not possibly have had a min t there . What i s given by

Lindsay, Pl . I . 19, at the end of the legend on the reverse of that p iece ,

as a capital H, can be no other than a B,

1 as on the sterl ings previously

ment ioned . The sterl i ng, Fig. 2 3 , i n the F erg us l ie col lection, purchased

at the W i ngate sale,was i ncorrectly described i n the W ingate sale cata

logue as struck at Carl isle . The same style of head appears on the Earl

Henry sterl ing , figured Lindsay, Pl . I . 20 , very Sim ilar to that on the

David 1. sterl i ng by Lindsay,P]. I . 10 , or to that on the David I . penny of

the Bute find, Fig. 6C, and No . 5 of the plate i l lustrat ive of Pol le xfe n’

s

paper on that hoard , and i s rather the head of David I . than of Earl

1 Th is is confim i ed by Mr. Pol l exfe n, on whose a ccount the above -m ent ioned coin wa s pur

cha sed a t the Murchison sa le by the la te Mr. Eastwood.

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND. 39

Henry . Another,and much the more common style of head on Earl

Henry sterl i ngs,with rather wooden- l ike features , i s that figured 2 3A, and

represented by Lindsay, Pl . I . 19 , 2 1 .

I n connection with the David I . sterl i ng, No . 2 3 , Fig. 24, with tressure

fleurie on the reverse , struck apparently at Edinburgh , reference has been

made to an Earl Henry sterl ing of the same type, Fig. 24A, from the Bute F ig . 24A.

find,minted at Corbridge

,correspond ing in fabric , module , style of head

and lettering,with that piece , and ev idently by the same moneyer.

Reference was also made to certain other sterl i ngs of the Bute hoard,

Fig . 24C, with the same type of reverse as these last, but of smal ler module f ig . 24C

and ruder execution,reading on the obverse DAVID REX, and purporting to

have been minted by one DERIND ON EDON— the name of the mint

curiously resembl ing that of Edinburgh , and apparently intended for that

mint. Corresponding with these last i n fabric, module, style of head and

lettering , a nd type of reverse , exactly as the David I . sterl i ng, No. 2 3 ,

Fig. 24, corresponds with the Earl Henry, Fig. 24A, minted at Corbridge , F ig . 24A .

the two following sterl ings in the F e rgusl ie collection— now publ ished for

the first time —i nscribed on the obverse N€NEEN —ev idently for N €NE

EN an abbreviated renderi ng of N €NEI 0 EON— can scarcely be assigned

to any other than Earl H enry .

Fig. 2 5 .

O bverse : crowned head to right, with sceptre. Reverse : tressure

fle urie , as on the Dav id I . sterl ing, Fig . 2 4.

2 . O . iNQN hEN BL. wn xbfid fio 2 0 and 1 7§grs .

Two coins from the same dies,the i nscriptions on the one piece

supplementing those on the other. O n the reverse of both there are i ndi

cations that the second letter of the i nscription may be an R with the

back part insuffic iently struck up ; there is apparently also an 0 before

the second of the last two letters , so that possibly— fol lowing the anal ogy

of the Corbridge sterl ing of He nry r— the whole inscription on the reverse

may have been AREBALD, or AREBALD,ON E.

The close resemblance of these two sterl ings, Fig. 2 5 , to the David I .

Figs. 24C, 240 .

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLA ND.

penn ies of the same type in the Bute find, Figs . 24C, 24D, leaves no doubt that

both belong to the same period . I t i s strange , therefore , that none of the

coins, Fig. 2 5 , should have been met with in the Bute hoard, whi le of the

corresponding David I . pennies there were probably at lea st a doz en , of

which some nine or ten are in the S SA . col lect ion . As the other Scottish

and Engl ish sterl ings in that hoard were represented by only a very few

examples,i t may be assumed that the tressure flenrie penn ies of Dav id I .

were the latest of h is issues at the time the Bute board was deposi ted . The

tressure fleurie type of reverse , i ntroduced , as we have seen , on Engl ish ster

l ings early i n the reign of Stephen , held its ground for a cons iderable number

of years . I t embraces nearly al l the known m ints of Stephen, as shown by

the val uable l ist, publ ished in Kenyon’s edit ion of Hawkins ’s Sil ver Coins of

Eng la nd. I t occurs also on the very rare coins attributed to the Empress

Mati lda, which , l ike the s imilar pieces of David I. , Figs . 24C, 2 4D,found

in Bute, and of Earl Henry, Fig. 2 5 , as here first publ ished, are of rather

l ighter weight than the proper standard . The David I . sterl ings of th is

type i n the Bute hoard give an average weight of scarcely 18 grains,ra ng

ing indiv idually from 1 7 to 2 1 grains ; the coins assigned to the Empress

Mati lda give a sti l l lower average weight. Notwithstanding their l ight

weight, the qual i ty of these pieces appears to be very good. As tested by

Dr. Stevenson Macadam, a fragmentary Spec imen of one of the David I .

pennies of the tressure fleurie type i n the Bute hoard gave the fol lowing

resultsCoin— total weight

,1 10 9 grains, consisti ng of

Si lver, 9 59 grs . p.c.

Copper , 77 5

Gold, 0 6 2

1 grs . p.c .

Unfortunately, I am unable to afford any information as to what were

the circumstances under wh ich the two penn ies of Earl Henry , Fig. 2 5 ,

corresponding to the Bute coins of same type of Dav id I. , were found .

They must, however, be extremely rare, for they are the only specimens as

yet on record.


Mr. Long staffe is of Opinion that the sterl ings, Ruding , Sup. I I . i i . 8 and

10 ,the former of which is fig ured here 2 5A, may have been struck by

Henry, Earl of Northum be rla nd, or by Henry F itz -Empress . He remarks

that “ the moneyer ’s local i ty on the Second of these i s not Clear, but Rud.

Sup. I I . i i . 8 strongly resembles the Corbridge coin . I t reads i t h EN

RICVS— rF PIRIC ON TIER. He adds,i f th is “ example is Prince Henry ’s ,

i t was perhaps struck at Herte lpol , at wh ich there seems to have been some

demesne, al though Brus had the fee. Or a Brus may have struck i t, plac ing

the earl’

s name upon it, as other barons placed Stephen’

s on thei r co ins .

The name, so l ikely i n the honour of a Pieres de Brus , rather countenances

the h int. ” I t may here be remarked that, as the tressure fle urie type of

reverse does not occur on any of the undoubted coins of Henry I . of

England, i t i s not l ikely that ei ther of these two sterl i ngs was struck in

h is reign . I t is Stephen ’s type . The sterl ing of Henry, Ruding , Sup. I I .

i i . 8, i s i n the Bri t ish Museum . The i nscription on the reverse seems to

be tF PIGERIC,for WIGERIC,

not PIRIC ON DER.

Malcolm

ACCEDED IN 1 1 5 3 , WHEN SCARCELY 1 2 YEARS OLD ;

DIED 9TH DECEMBER 1 16 5 .

Fig. 2 2 .

O bverse ful l- faced bust crowned the crown Simi lar to that on the first

coinage of Henry I I . a sceptre at each s ide of the bust- the sceptre to the

K ing’s right surmounted by a cross potent, as on the sterl ings of the first

coinage of Henry I I . , that to the K ing’s left surmounted by a fle ur- de - l i s

.

Reverse : cross fleurie with i n inner c ircle ; a pe l let i n the first and th ird

qua rters , and a rosette of seven annulets i n the second and fourth quarters .

I. 0. $2 13 1 .(cow -Rm BL flh v c o (on “M 8 0“ 2 3 grs. Roxburgh.

This i s the piece attributed by L indsay to Malcolm I I I . But the

correspondence of the crown and sceptre to the K ing’s r ight,with the

G


crown and sceptre on the sterl ings of the first coinage of Henry I I . , and the

similar i ty of the type of reverse to that on the sterl i ng of David I. , Fig. 2 1B

—figured Lindsay, 2d Sup. P]. I . 1 , and Bute find, Fig. C— as also the re

semblance of the lettering to that on Hugo of Roxburgh’

s coins of Dav id I. ,

sufficiently show that th is sterl ing i s to be attributed , not to Malcolm I I I . , as

erroneously supposed by Lindsay, but toMalcolm IV. The coi n of Dav id I .

figured by Lindsay,2d Sup. P]. I . 1 , and represented here F ig. 2 1B ,

belong

ing to the Rev . Mr. Pol le xfe n, differs i n the type of reverse from th is sterl i ng

ofMalcolm only by having a rosette in one quarter and a star i n the Oppositequarter

,i nstead of a rOSe tte i n each of two Opposite quarters . I n comparing

the reverse of that p iece with the reverse of the sterl ing of Mal colm herefigured— represented also Lindsay, Pl . I . Fig. 5— Mr. Pollexfe n , i n h is paper

on the Bute find , remarks I t wi l l be seen that they bear a close resem

blance to each other, and the presence of the rose of pel lets i n both (rose

of annulets rather)“ i nduces me to th ink that they must have been struck

nearly about the same time . The style of work also leads to the conclus ion

that the type was probably adopted at a late period i n Dav id’s reign,and I

am therefore incl i ned to attribute the coin figured by Mr. Lindsay to Ma l

colm IV.

” The absence of al l coins of the four k ings who i ntervened

between Malcolm I I I . and David I. , as further remarked by Mr. Pol le xfen,

Strongly tends to the same conclus ion.

To these observations I may add that the head on the front- faced

Malcolm sterl ing, Fig. 2 2 , wants the moustache usually met with

on the coin portrai ts of th i s period, an important c i rcumstance, for th i s

i s exactly the manner i n wh ich Malcolm IV. i s represented i n the fine

v ignette on the G reat Charter of Kelso, figured on the t i tle -page of

the Na t iona l Ma nuscripts of Scotla nd— while the compan ion portrai t

of Dav id I . Shows both a moustache and a beard. For what purpose

the bust on th is p iece is represented as holding two sceptres I am

unable to say , unless, perhaps, the coi n may have been issued whi le

Malcolm I V . was sti l l act ively prosecuting h is cla ims to the great terri tories

i n the north of England , which the pol icy of h is g randfa ther,‘David I. , for a

t ime seemed to have attached to the Scott ish throne . I n th is case, as these


claims were surrendered by Malcolm in the fourth year of h is re ign , we

might regard th is coin as having been struck between 1 1 5 3 and I 1 58. The

two sceptres are held i n a most awkward manner, one over each Shoulder,

as i f the K ing in holding them had his arms crossed beh ind h is back .

I n attributing th is sterl i ng to Malcolm I I I . rather than to MalcolmIV . ,

Lindsay laid much stress on the two sceptres at each s ide of the

K ing’s head,which he looked upon as “ in imi tat ion of the contemporary

coins of the Conqueror,

” referring spec ial ly to the penny of W i l l iam I. ,

Hawkins, 2 3 7. But the d ifference i n the execut ion of the coins al l through

i s very great . The letteri ng i s d iss imi lar. The sceptre-heads on the

sterl ings of W i l l iam I. , Hks . 2 3 7, are respectively a plain cross and a cross

of four pearls the sceptre -heads on the sterl i ng ofMalcolm are respect ivelya cross potent and a fleur - de—l i s . The crown on the W i l l iam I . penn ies

is ornamented with three pearls ; on the penny of Malcolm the crown is

ornamented with three fleurs - de - l i s . I am not sure that the crown fle urie

appears on Engl ish coins at al l t i l l the time of Stephen. The sterl ings,

with crown fle urie on Obverse and tressure fle urie on reverse,given by

Ruding and Hawkins to Henry I. , as previously mentioned seem rather to

belong to Henry, Earl of Northumb e rla nd, or to Henry Fi tz -Empress .

This remarkable coi n, Fig. 2 2 , was first publ ished by Lindsay i n h i s

Viezoof t/ce Coinag e of Scot la nd I t was at that t ime in the col lee

t ion of the Rev.

_

Mr. Martin , and sti l l remains unique. Another front- face

penny of Malcolm , Fig. 2 2A, has recently turned up , with the same type of F ig . 22A.

obverse, a sceptre at each side of bust, but of a d ifferent type of reverse

a loz enge fleurie superposed upon a cross fleurie . This piece on obverse

reads legibly rF MALCOLM-REX :

; and on reverse t VGO : ON:ROCA

BVRG . These are the only two known examples that can confidently be

regarded as sterl ings ofMalcolm IV. , and they are the only front-face coins

in the Scottish coinage ti l l we come to the mintages of Robert I I I .The

sterl ing, Fig. 2 2 , wa s purchased a t'

Lord Hastings ’ sale, 1880 .

Several other sterl ings of the period have from time to t ime beenascribed to Malcolm IV. The two latest attributions are those made by

Lindsay i n h is 2d Sup. figured Pl . I. ,Nos . 2 and The two


pieces there figured were kindly sent to me for inspection by the ir re

spe ct ive owners , Mr. Kermack Ford and the Rev. Mr. Pol lexfen , and are

here represented i n F igs . SE, SC.

I They present on the obverse the royal bust

turned to the spectator’s left i nstead of to the spectator ’s right . O n the

reverse the type i s the same as on the sterl ings of David I. , Class I.— a

cross fleurie with a pellet i n each quarter. As rendered on Lindsay’s plate

these coi ns certainly exh ibi t very l i ttle resemblance to each other. My surprise was therefore the more considerable to find, on comparing the two

together,that the obverses of both were struck from prec isely the same die.

A most extraordinary"

c ircumstance connected with these pieces i s,that

,

while the bust i n all i ts adjuncts i s remarkably wel l executed,the i nscriptions

around i t are simply confused scrawls without the sl ightest pretence to legi

bil ity . I am the more part icular in stating th is, because on Lindsay’s repre

se nta t ion ofMr. Pollexfen’

s coin, No . the letters MAIC are fai ntly tracedabove the head ; the M and C being, i ndeed ,

d isti nctly enough represented,

as if these letters were actual ly to be found upon the coi n i tsel f. That the

real character of th is i nscription may be made evident, I have been at some

pains to take a l i teral transcript ion of it— supplementing from the one piece

what was defective of the legend on the other ; the resul t i s as fol lows

MFTIIU/YYIW LW “ 174 O u t of th is i t would requ ire someth ing

transcending even second s ight to trace the sl ightest resemblance to the

name ofMalcolm . The inscription on the reverse ofMr. Pol lexfe n’

s spec i

men is identical in character with that on the obverse ; but that on the

reverse of Mr. Kermack Ford ’s sterl i ng seems to belong to a differen t

coinage , with the more legibly rendered lettering ; for, al though very l i ttl e

of the legend on the reverse is v is ible,we can make out dist inctly the

letters VN DV . The crown on these two sterl ings is very neatly formed,

but wi th the arch above of the sharply-defined cocked -hat shape of the

crown on the earl ier W i l l iam the Lion coinages, rendering i t probable that

these two pieces belong to very late issues of the cross flenrie and pellet

type of reverse . The crown on these coi ns further displays the pecul iar ity

of having a large pellet i n the centre of the arch , a special i ty wh ich I

1 Now in the F ergusl ie col le ction.

F ig . Z OA.


as appears from the front- face sterl ing i n the F e rgusl ie col lection , does not

m il itate against th is suggestion . Some of these anomal ous coins, Class

I I . , are so very rude that i t i s eviden t they must have been executed

by mere copyists, who im itated whatever coins were then current.

Another class of sterl ings, possibly minted under Malcolm IV. , are

those curious and rare p ieces of the cross flen rie and pellet type , having the

pellets i n two quarters of the cross attached by a stal k to the i nner Ci rcle .

U nfortunately none of the known spec imens of these coins,wh ich are

extremely rare,show more than a few letters of the i nscriptions on either

s ide ; but, i n so far as any of them do Show letter ing,the i nscr iption on the

Obverse seems to present traces of the name ofMALCOLM. A sterl ing with

th is type of reverse (Lindsay, Ist Sup. Pl . I . now i n the collection of the

Rev. Mr. Pol lexfe n, for the two last letters of the inscription on the obverse

has OM, the only two letters vis ible on that side . Another sterl ing with the

same type of reverse, i n the Bri t i sh Museum ,Fig. 20A, at the end of the

legend on the obverse shows the letters OLM,the only letters v is ible on the

obverse of that p iece. I n Snel l i ng’s representation of coins found in the I sle

ofMan another sterl i ng wi th th is type of reverse i s figured No . 3 of the

plate . Snel l ing states that the head on that piece was worn away . He

has restored the head, but i ncorrectly, as he makes i t to appear as regarding

the left, when i t i s quite evident, from the posit ion of the in i tial cross and

the three letters wh ich fol low it, that the head must have faced to the right.

This cross, as employed on the obverses of coi ns wi th the cross fleurie and

pellet reverse, i s always placed beh ind the head, except when the inscription

is retrograde, i n wh ich case i t i s placed i n fron t. O n th is coin , as the inscript ion is not retrograde , we may be certain that the proper pos it ion of the head

was facing the right . As rendered by Snel l i ng, the three letters immediately

following the in i t ial cross— al l that i s v is ible of the inscription on the obverse

are MMI. The second letter, however, as shown by the bar across the top ,

ought rather to be rega rded as a broad A, as wil l be admitted by any one

who compares that letter as exh ibi ted on Snel l i ng’s plate wi th the broad A

as represented on Pol lexfe n’

s sterl ing, figured No. C of the Bute plate .

And this makes i t very probabl e that the th i rd letter, regarded by Snel l ing


as an I,was rather an L with the lower part effaced . I f so, we have for the

first three letters on th is p iece MAL. And with OM and OLM respect ively

at the end of the inscriptions on the obverses of the two other sterl ings with

the same type of reverse , i t seems extremely probable that i f another spec imen

should turn up with a complete legend on the obverse, or even showing

the middle part only, we should have some such reading as MALCOLM.

W i l l iam the Mon.

SUCCEEDED HIS BROTHER, MALCOLM IV. , 9TH DECEMBER 1 16 5 , IN HIS

2 5TH Y EAR ; DIED 4TE DECEMBER 1 2 14 .

I n connection with the sterl i ng of Dav id I . (Fig. reference has

been made to a very early penny of W i l l iam the Lion (Lindsay, Pl . I I

3 3 ; figured here 2 5B), hav ing for type of reverse a cross Sl ightly potent

wi th a fleur-de- l i s i n each quarter,and inscr ibed on the reverse—F OLPOLD

ON ROC. The style of crown on th is piece is of the more rel ieved and

early form , as on the David I . penn ies of Berw i ck and Roxburgh . So

far as I am aware, th i s styl e of crown occurs on no other sterl ing of

W i l l iam the Lion .

Another sterl ing of the same moneyer and mint, i n the SSA. col lee

t ion , Fig. 2 5C, presents the same type of reverse as the above, except that

the ends of the cross resemble crutch -heads,and that the crown i s of the

small, cocked-hat Shape, as on the Dav id I . mule, Fig . 2 1 .

A th ird specimen , i n the collect ion of the Rev. Mr. Pol lexfen,Fig. 2 5D

(figured, Lindsay, 2d Sup. Pl . I . has the fleurs-de- l i s on the reverse , sever

al ly attached by two stalks to the inner c ircle,as on the reverse of the

sterl i ng of Stephen , Hawkins 2 76 . This piece has al ready been adverted

to, page 34.

Each of these coins, viewed as a vari ety , appears to be un ique . The

lettering on al l three is of the Roman Character,as on the sterl ings of

Dav id I . and Malcolm IV. These pieces must certainly be regarded as

the earl iest issues ofW i l l iam the Lion .

W il l iam the Lion( 1 165

Coinag es prior tothe crescen t andpe l le t type.

F ig . 2 5B.

F ig . 25c.

F ig . 25D.


I ntermediate between these pieces and the sterl ings with crescents and

pel lets on the reverse (i ncorrectly described by Lindsay as the first coinage of

W i l l iam) may be placed the following unique coi n i n the F ergusl ie col lect ion ,represent ing what may be cal led the second coi nage ofW i l l iam the L ion

F ig. 2 6 .

Type of obverse : crowned bust wi th sceptre to left ; the crown as on

the crescen t and pellet coinages, but showing two Sharp arches instead of

one a crescent behi nd the neck. Type of reverse a cross sl ightly potent ,

with a cross of five pel lets in each quarter, respect ively attached to the four

sides of a loz enge .

1 Roman lettering on both s ides .

2 3 g rs.

The inscription on the obverse seems to be LE REI WILLAME. O n

reverse the letter a fter N resembles a P , but may poss ibly be a B , the whole

legend reading probably WILLAME ON PE or ON BE the latter rendering

rece ives the more countenance , as W il lam e’

s name appears as moneyer

on the crescent and pel let sterl ings of Berwick but not on those of Perth .

The crescent beh i nd the neck , the narrow wh iskers extending from below the

crown to the ch in, and the c ircul ar rendering of the armour round the gorge ,

connect the bust as represented on th is p iece with that shown on the ob

verses of the crescent and pellet sterl i ngs ; only that on these last pieces

the armour round the gorge is so incorporated with the face as to assume

rather the appearance of a huge padlock closely fastened to the j aws .

STERLINos— CRESCENT AND PELLET TY PE.

Unt i l the discovery of the Dyke hoard in 1 780 ,described by

Cardonne l in h is preface to the Num isma ta Scot ia ,the sterl ings of W i l l iam

the Lion of the crescent and pel let type were almost unknown . Snell ing,

1 This co in, succe ss ive ly in the Lindsay pommée s on reverse are term ed “ flowers,” but

a nd W inga te col le ct ions, is figured, Lindsay, un le ss to a highly horti cul tura l m ind, the t e

Ist Sup. P l. 1. 1 1, and W inga te , P l . I. 10 . sembla nce is not very obvious.

By Lindsay and W inga te the sa l t ire crosse s


i n h is View of t/cc Silver Coin a nd Coinag e of Scotl a nd, published in 1 774,

after h is death,makes no reference to these pieces, al though , strange to say

i n h is View of tin: Coins struck in tbc Is le of Ma n , publ ished in I769, a ster

l ing of W i l l iam of the crescent and pellet type is figured No. 2 of the plate

accompanying that paper, but regarded by Snell i ng as having been struck

by some of the Norwegian kings of Man, as having be en“ found in that

island ” and “ the reverse quite s ingular. ” The inscriptions on that piece,

as shown by the plate, appear to have been almost enti rely obl i terated,

and the head must have been very i ndisti nct, as i t i s made to look as i f

nearly ful l face .

By the l iberal ity of Brodie of Brod ie ninety-eight specimens of the

crescent and pel let sterl ings from the Dyke find were presented to the

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 5 th Apri l 1 785 . As publ ished by

Ca rdonne l i n 1 786 , i n h is Num isma ta Scot ia , these presented no less than

fifteen different variet ies, with such readings as ADAM ON GDGINGBV,

I‘

IVH ON EIDHNHBV,F OLPOLT DH PHRT

,RAVL DH ROGHSBV,

WILLAM BEIRQWIG, ADAM BEIREIWKI— i nscriptions so plainly referring

to Scottish mints that no further doubt could be entertai ned respecting the

attribution of the coins .

Previous to th is , however, even after sundry specimens of these

sterl i ngs , apparently from the Dyke find,had found thei r way into the

hands of collectors, and by some of these had been presented to the Soc ie ty,the i r Scottish origi n seems scarcely to have been suspected. Among the

donat ions to the Society, under 1 782 , Februa ry 19, occurs an entry of a

presentat ion, by Mr. George Paton, of “ an old s i lver coin,disti nguished by

a rude head on one Side, and a cross on the other, with four crescents i n the

angles. No legends on e ither Side are mentioned, but some such inscript ion on the obverse as La Rai l WILLAM must have been legible enough

,

as the piece was supposed to have been an Anglo-Gall ic coin of W i l l iam

the Conqueror,but not described i n Dr. Duca re l

’

s“ ingenious work.

”

Ag ai n, i n an entry under 1 782 , November 14, i t i s stated that another

Specimen was presented to the Society by Mr. W i l l iam Dunbar , W .S de

scribed as from the Dyke find, and as reading Le: REII WILLAM on the

H


obverse,and RAVL ON RO on the reverse . Notwithstanding the minute and

accurate descr iption that was given of th is coin , no suspic ion seems to havebeen entertained of i ts having been struck under W i l l iam the L ion and at

Roxburgh . Sti l l later, i n an entry under 1 783 , j une 1 2 , another old s i lver

penny,

” described as Similar to th is last, i s recorded as having been pre

sented,with other coins

,to the Society by the Re v . Dr. j amieson , then the

Re v. Mr. j ohn j amieson of Forfar. But , while these other coins are each

severally ascribed to the respective sovereigns by whom they were supposed

to have been issued,no attempt is made to attribute th is p iece to any

part icular nat ion,king, or mint. And yet, at th is very time, j amieson

h imsel f and Cardonne l were prominent members of the Scotti sh Society

of Antiquaries , and the most noted Scottish numismati sts of their day .

The crescent and pellet sterl ings of W i l l iam the L ion present several

variet ies of reverse, but i t i s by thei r obverses, according as the sceptre

head is a cross potent or a cross of four pel lets or pearls,that they are

principally to be dist ingu ished . Those with the cross potent on the sceptre

head may be said to correspond with the sterl i ngs of the first coi nage of

Henry I I . , on which the sceptre - head i s a cross potent— a coinage sup

posed to have terminated i n 1 180 . Those with a cross of four pearls on the

sceptre-head correspond rather wi th the sterl i ngs of the second coinage of

Henry I I .— a coinage continued , s till with the name of Henry,under

Richard I . and j ohn— ou which the sceptre-head is a cross of four pearls .

The style of cross on the reverse of the second coi nage of Henry I I . i s the

short double or voided cross wh i le the cross on the reverse of the crescent

and pellet sterl ings of W i l l iam the Lion is i nvariably the short s ingle cross,

as on the sterl ings of the first coinage of Henry I I . W i l l iam the Lion

does not appear to have changed the type of h is reverse from the short

s ingle to the Short double or voided cross ti l l I At least,i n an entry

under that year i n the C/zron ica de Ma i lros, i t i s stated that“ W il le lmus

Re x Scot torum innovavit m one tam suam ”- an i nnovation that we can

1 Wha tever doubt m ay be en terta ined of the the “ Short Cross Que stion ”

(Num . C/zron.

,2d

double cross type not having be en in troduced on Serie s, vol . v. p . 2 5 5) a ppe ars conclus ive ly tothe W i l l iam the Lion co inag e t i l l 1 19 5 , the evi show tha t the short double cross wa s introduceddence adduced in the able paper by Evans on on the co inag e s of Henry II. in 1 180 .


scarcely regard as any other than that from the short s ingle to the W il liam the Lion

Short double cross. And,i ndeed

,the very fact that these two varieties of

sceptre-head should both have been employed on the crescent and pel let, or pe l le t coina ge .

s ingle cross coinages ofW i l l iam the Lion— notwithstanding that the second

and by far the most copiously represented variety of sceptre -head , the cross

of four pel lets,does not make i ts appearance on Engl ish contemporary

sterl ings ti l l the introduction of the short double cross, or second coinage

of Henry I I .— i s of i tsel f the best proof that the innovation in the Scottish

money,from the Short s ingle to the Short double cross , coul d not have

taken place t i l l some considerable t ime after the corresponding change i n

the Co i nage of England .

The Pert h sterl i ngs, of the crescent and pel let type of reverse , so far as

they have come under my observation , i nvariably have the cross potent for

the sceptre-head on the Obverse . O n the other hand, I have never met with

any pennies of the crescent and pellet type of reverse of the Edinburgh

mint with the sceptre - head,other than the cross of four pellets or pearl s.

W i th few exceptions, th is also i s the style of the sceptre -head on the Berwick

and the Roxburgh sterl ings and on those pennies with the RAVL DERLIG

i nscript ions .

W i thout the names of the m ints , and with the cross potent sceptre ~ he ad

on the obverse , there are certain rare pieces on which the several letters

of the moneyer ’s name , disposed between double points, occupy the Whole

legendary c i rcle on the reverse. So far as I have had an opportun ity of

observing, the names of the moneyers on these CO ins W i thout the names of

the mints are AILBODE, FOLPOLT and WILLAME — names,none of which Ai lbode , F ol i>ol t.

appear on the short double cross sterl ings of W i l l iam the Lion and of thesewmame '

only the two last are represented on the sterl ings with the names of the

mints. F o lpol t was the Perth moneyer of the crescent and pel le t coinage .

W i l lame was one of two moneyers of the same coinage , whose names occur on

the Berwick sterl ings, the name of the other Berwick moneyer being Adam.

This latter moneyer seems to have struck only coins with the cross of four

pellets sceptre -head. W i l l iam struck Berwick money with both varieties of

the sceptre-head . But , while the name of W i l lame is not again met w ith

Capture andransom ofW ill iam .


after the great change from the short s ingle to the short double cross,i t

i s noteworthy that Adam ’s name— chiefly i n connection with the names of

other moneyers , but sometimes alone—a ppears also on the short double

cross money of W i l l iam the Lion. This Adam was poss ibly the same

Adam who struck sterl ings at Edinburgh of the crescent and pel let type .

Hue struck money at Edinburgh both of the Single cross and the double

cross coinages . Raul is the only moneyer of Roxburgh connected with

the crescent and pel let coinage . His coins of th is series Show both the

cross potent and the cross of four pellets var ieties of sceptre-head ; and, of

a l l the moneyers of W i l l iam the L ion who struck s ingle cross sterl ings with

the cross potent sceptre-head , th is Ra ul , unless he had a successor at Rox

burgh of the same name, seems to have been the only one who struck

money of the short double cross issues. The double cross sterl ings of Raul

present such a remarkable variety of bust that i t i s very probable that

Raul , or a successor of the name , may have been moneyer at Roxburgh

for a considerable t ime after the adopt ion of the short double cross type.

Let us now Se e What l ight h istory throws upon the Scottish coinage

of the period . On the 1 3 th j uly 1 1 74 W i l l iam the Lion wa s taken

pri soner before Alnwick . By the treaty of Fala i se , i n December of the same

year,he was ransomed— the price exacted for h is l iberation being the

solemn acknowledgment by W i l l iam h imsel f, and by the Scotti sh nobil ity

and clergy, of the complete feudal superior i ty of the Engl ish crown ; and,

that th is m ight be the better enforced, the castles of Berwick, Edinburgh ,

Roxburgh , j edburgh , and St irl ing, were to be given up to Henry I I . and

garrisoned by Engl ish troops . Although these five castles were named-

ln

the Convent ion , the demand for the castles of j edburgh and Stirl i ng was not

i nsisted upon. Edinburgh Castle remained in Engl i sh hands t i l l September

1 186 , when i t was given back to W i l l iam by Henry I I as the marriage

dower of Ermengarde de Bel lemont— the bride selected for the Scottish ki ng

by his pol i t i c feudal supe rior,‘

to prevent a marriage of more importance to

Scotland . Henry I I . of England died in j uly 1 189. O n the 5 th December

fol lowing, Richard I. , by charter, annul led al l the concessions extorted from

W i l l iam on h is capture, and restored to h im the castles of Berwick and

Perth.

F olpol t.

W ill ame .


gold Bez ants (the Byz antine money which c irculated al l over Europe at th is

time), or uncoined bull ion, or even gold and s i lver ornaments, which had

an understood value at the period, would have been qu ite as acceptable

as Scottish money. And,further, there is considerable reason to doubt

whether W i l l iam the Lion would have placed h is m ints in strongholds

given up to the Engl ish— the castles of Berwick, Edinburgh , and Roxburgh .

I n th is connection the fact that now for the first t ime Perth appears as

a Scottish mint has a strong s ignificance, which ought not to be overlooked.

F olpolt , the first moneyer of Perth, and the only moneyer of that mint

whose name appears on the sterl i ngs of the crescent and pel let type,of

which al l for the sceptre-head have a cross potent, was.

i n al l “probabi l i ty the

same person as the F olpold who struck sterl i ngs of W i l l iam's first coinage

at Roxburgh with the fleur-de—l i s type of reverse . When Roxburgh was

no longer in Scottish hands, i t would have been a most natural c ircumstance

for the moneyer of that mint to have removed to some other local ity,

where he could more securely exerc ise h is important cal l ing. O f the three

moneyers, whose names appear on sterl i ngs of the crescent and pellet type,

without the name of the mint, and with the cross potent sceptre - head,

F olpol t was one. Poss ibly F olpol t’

s sterl ings without the name of the mint

may have represented the earl iest of h is Perth issues.

Another name mentioned on these pieces was that of W i l lame,prob

ably the same person whose name appears on the unique sterl i ng F ig. 2 6 ,

with the sal tire crosses pommée s on the reverse, presumed here to be the

second coinage ofW i l l iam the L ion . W il lam e’

s name , i t was stated, appears

also on Berwick sterl ings of the crescent and pellet type, both with the

sceptre-head cross potent and with the sceptre-head cross pomme'e .

The only other moneyer who struck sterl i ngs of the crescent and pel let

type without the name of the mint , and with the sceptre-head cross potent,

so far as I have had occasion to observe,was A ilbode . This moneyer ’s

name does not seem to occur “ on any sterl i ngs of W i l l iam the L ion with

the name of the mint.

Assuming that W i l l iam the Lion had no mint at Berwick, Edinburgh ,

and Roxburgh, during the t ime that the fortresses of these places were in


the hands of the Engl ish— that of Edinburgh from 1 1 74 to 1 186 , and those W i lli am the Lion( 1 165

Crescent and

the sterl ings of the crescent and pellet type, on wh ich the names of these pel lct coinag e

of Berwick and Roxburgh from 1 1 74 to 1 189— the quest ion arises, W ere

mints appear,in process of issue before 1 1 74, or were they not, i n the one

case ti ll after 1 186 , and in the others ti ll after 1 1 89I n the case of Edinburgh , as none of the sterl ings of th is m int of the

crescent and pellet type have the cross potent sceptre-head,i t may reason

ably be concluded that the crescent and pellet coinage was not commenced

there ti l l after the restoration of the castle to the Scotch i n 1 186 . Had

any sterl ings of the crescen t and pel let series been minted at Ed inburgh

previous to the surrender of the castl e to Henry I I . i n 1 1 74 , these would

unquestionably have had the cross potent sceptre - head, as i t was not t i l l

1 180 that the cross of four pellets sceptre-head superseded the sceptre- head

cross potent on the Engl ish sterl ings, consequent on the change of type

on the reverse of Engl ish sterl ings from the short s ingle to the short

double cross .

Up to th is t ime there i s every reason to bel ieve that i n the style of the

sceptre-head the Scottish sterl ings took after the Engl ish in regard,firstly

,

to the sceptre-head fleurie on the sterl i ngs of David I. , of Earl H enry, and of

Malcolm IV and on the earl ier issues ofW i l l iam the Lion, as imitated from

the sceptre-head fle urie on the coins of Stephen and secondly, i n regard to

the sceptre - head cross potent and the sceptre - head cross of four pellets,

taken respect ively from the sceptre -head cross potent on the sterl ings of the

first coinage of Henry II. and the sceptre -head cross of four pel lets on the

sterl i ngs of the second coinage of Henry I I .

W i l lame of Berwick and Raul of Roxburgh, as stated, struck crescent

and “ pellet sterl i ngs both with the sceptre-head cross potent and with the

sceptre -head cross of four pellets. But i t cannot be supposed that between

the sceptre-head cross potent and the sceptre-head cross of four pel lets issues

of these moneyers an interval of fifteen years could have taken place— as

must have been the case had their sterl ings of these types w ith the cross

potent sceptre - head been struck before the surrender of the castles of

Berwick and Roxburgh to the Engl ish in 1 1 74, and their crescent and


pellet sterl ings with the cross of four pel lets sceptre-head not been struck

ti l l after the restoration of these two castles to Scotland i n 1 189, Con

sequently, as the sceptre-head cross potent cannot be regarded as hav ing

been employed on Scottish sterl ings i n or previous to 1 1 74, or s ix years

earl ier than i ts i ntroduction on the Engl ish coi nage,the whole of the

crescent and pellet sterl ings of W i l lame of Berwick and Raul of Roxburgh

must be regarded as having been issued subsequently to the restoration

to Scotland of the castles of Berwick and Roxburgh in 1 189

When the crescent and pel let sterl ings with the cross potent sceptre

head were first commenced to be struck, i t i s natural to suppose that the

sceptre-head cross potent was sti l l the style of the sceptre-head that was

being placed upon the Engl ish coi nage . This ind icates thei r first i ssue to

have been prior to 1 180 , al though probably commenc ing not ea rl ier than 1 1 74,for the only crescent and pellet sterl i ngs that we can regard as of earl ier

issue than those of Edinburgh , Berwick , and Roxburgh , are the sterl ings

of Ailbode , F olpolt , and W i l lame, without the names of the m ints , and the

Perth sterl ings of F olpol t , al l of wh ich for the sceptre - head have the cross

potent. These, as taking the place of the mintages of Edinburgh , Berwick,

and Roxburgh , when the castl es of Edinburgh , Berwick , and Roxburgh

were occupied by the Engl ish , cannot be cons idered as having been coined

before 1 1 74. Assuming then that these probably cont inued in issue up to

1 189, and that the W i l lame of the crescent and pel let sterl ings, without the

name of the mint , was the same W i l lame whose name appears on certain of

the crescent and pel let Berwick m intages , i t would naturally happen that

th is W i l lame,when the Berwick mint resumed operat ions in 1 189, would

take with h im h is old d ies— with wh ich he had been strik ing h is coins wi th

out the name of the mint— and that such sterl i ngs of Berwick as had their

obverses struck from these would have the cross potent sceptre-head. This

serves to explai n how some sterl i ngs of Berwick byW i l lame should have the

cross potent sceptre-head, while i t does not appear on the crescent and

pellet sterl ings of Edinburgh by Adam and Hue,neither of whom appear

as moneyers on the sterl i ngs of th is type without the name of the mint.

And further, i f the surmise be correct that the F olpold of the Rox


burgh sterl ings of the W i l l iam the Lion early coinages with the fieur-de- l is

type of reverse is the F olpol t of the crescent and pel le t sterl i ngs without the

name of the mint,and subsequently of the Perth crescent and pellet mintages

— none of wh ich for sceptre -head have the cross of four pel lets or pearls ,

the later and much the more common variety of sceptre ~ he ad on the crescent

and pellet sterl ings— and it being very probable that a suspe nsion of the

Perth mint may have taken place concurrent wi th the issue of the crescent

and pel let sterl i ngs with the sceptre-head cross of four pellets , possibly on the

death or resignation of F olpo lt , i t would naturally happen that the Perth

dies of FoIpoIt would be transferred to Roxburgh when that m int was

resumed in 1 189 ,which would account for the cross potent sceptre - head

being represented on Roxburgh sterl ings of the crescent and pelle t type .

Raul , the moneyer of the Roxburgh crescent and pellet sterl i ngs,was

probably the same person whose name , in connection W i th the name of

De rl ig ,appears upon certain p ieces , ch iefly bearing no indications of the name

of the mint,but of which one variety has RAVL DEIRLIG RO . Very few of

these have the cross potent sceptre - head, of which the only example that I

have seen is the sterl ing NO . 1 7, Fig. 34 . The Raul De rl ig sterl ings are

ev idently of later issue than the other crescent and pel let sterl ings without

the name of the mint by A ilbode , F olpol t , and W i l lame , of which all have

the cross potent sceptre-head . St irl ing, there is reason to bel ieve, was

also represented on the crescent and pellet coi nage of W i l l iam the Lion.

Se e remarks in connection with the penny, Fig. 40A, at page 6 2 .

There is necessari ly much that i s hypothetical i n the foregoing observa

t ions. I t may have happened , though I th ink i t h ighly improbable, that

the mints of Berwick, Roxburgh , and Edinburgh had been i n operation

under W i l l iam the L ion when the castles of these towns were in the hands

of the Engl ish there would thus be no reason to suppose that the crescent

and pel let coinages of Berwick and Roxburgh , with the sceptre-head cross

potent, had not been i n i ssue previous to 1 180. Possibly,also

,the cross

of four pellets sceptre-head may have been i n use at the Scottish min ts

before its introduction on the Engl i sh coinage, and the Edinburgh crescent

and pellet sterl ings may thus have been in issue previous to 1 180 .


CRESCENT AND PELLET CO I NAGE.

O bverse : crowned head to left , with sceptre ; straight profi le , with

moustache and long narrow whiskers ; armour round the neck ; the crown

ornamented wi th three fleurs - de - l i s of three leaves each , a smal l sharp arch

i n the centre ; usually two crescents beh i nd the head , the first enc los ing a

pellet. Reverse : a plai n cross potent, a crescent i n each angle, enclosinga pellet commonly attached to the inner c ircle by one or by two stalks ; a

small pellet frequently in each angle of the crbss beh ind the crescents .

W ithout m in t. WITHOUT MINT.

Sceptre-head cross potent— Fig. 2 9.

( Erma REII WILKM: B .vi i —g—grs.

Two spec imens, each supplement ing the i nscript ions on the other.

The pel lets on the reverse are attached by two stalks to the inner c i rcle

no pel lets in the angles of the cross. Square Roman Mon the obverse.

On al l the crescen t and pellet coinages, the letters a and GI have the

backs wel l rounded,and usually have closed fronts .

Examples of the above sterl i ng are al so in the S SA. and Cochran

F ig5 ~ 29A, 293 . Patrick collections . Two other sterl ings of th is class,Figs . 2 9A, 2913, with

the names of W ILLKMG and of FOLPOLT arranged on the reverse i n the

same manner as above,without the name of the mint, are represented

respect ively i n the collections of the Scotti sh Soc iety of Antiquaries and of

Mr. Cochran-Patrick— a cross potent sceptre-head in each case.

Perth. PERTH.

Sceptre-head cross potent — Fig. 30 .

2 . O. E4 LG RHI WILLACD B . 5 4 F OLPOLT DH. PHR 2 4 grs.

3 . As the last,two pe l le ts ( z) afte r PER, 2 3 g rs .

These two pieces have a pel let beh ind the crescents i n each angle of

the cross on the reverse .


Fig . 3 1 .

4. o. a La R(e uw1)LL7xoo B .»1«F OLP (OLT) Da ram : 2 3 grs.

5 . o. R611 WILLKO ) : B . at F OLPOLT Da PaRT z-z 2 4g grs .

The cross pomméel mint mark on the obverse of No. 5 , the figured

coin,i s extremely remarkable , and appears to be unpubl ished .

So far as has come under my notice, the pellets with in the cresc ents

on the reverses of the Perth sterl i ngs are i nvariably attached to the i nner

c ircle by two stalks . This pecul iari ty i s d isplayed also on the sterl ings of

Ailbode without mint, but not on those of Folpolt andW i l lame without mint

I have not observed th is on any sterl ings of the Berwick , Ed inburgh , and

Roxburgh mints of the crescent and pellet coinage ofW i l l iam the Lion .

BERWICK . Berw ick.

Sceptre-head cross potent— Fig . 3 2 .

6 . O. E4 :W ( : I L z l i M (I :)R X : R. E4WILLKO) 2 3 grs .

The inscription on the obverse of th is p iece is unfortunately very

defec tive , but I have been able to complete i t from a corresponding

spec imen , Fig. 3 2A, i n the S SA. collection . Square M on the obverse,F ig . 32A.

round 00 on the reverse. The pellets with in the crescents are attached

to the inner c ircle by a Si ngle stalk, as also on the following ; pel lets in the

angles of the cross behi nd the crescents.

Sceptre-head cross of four pel lets— Fig. 3 5 .

7 . o.»1< La (Ra )1 W 1L7xooet : R. E4 BaRawm : 2 3g g rs .

8. o. r La Ra I R.v1< WILAOD DEI BaRawaa ) 2 23 grs.

9 . Leg ends as No. 8 but with the sta lks to the pe l le ts ve ry short, 1 7 grs.

A sterl i ng of th is moneyer in the SSA. col lect ion has the Roman

M on the reverse .

1 The cross pomrnée is so ca l led from the pomme r (apple -sha ped knobs) a t the ends.

Roxburgh.

Raul Derlig .


Sceptre-head cross of four pellets— Fig. 36 .

10 . O . 14 LEI R(—I(I wDLAOO B . 14 ADAOO (B)etRaw1<1 193, grs .

The same type of reverse as NO . 2 .

ROXBURGH.

Sceptre-head cross potent— Fig. 3 3 .

II. 0.PB R€ (I WILfliM. R.

PB R(AVL O )N R0

The pel lets with i n the crescents are without stalks a smal l

each angle of the cross square M on the obverse.

1 2 . O. 14 La R611 w1L R 114 RAVL De: Roa (a )Bv 2 13 grs.

Very short stal ks to the pel lets .

Sceptre-head cross of four pel lets— Fig. 3 7 .

1 3 . 0.>14 Let Ra t WILLnooa R.

+14 RAVL (ON) Rouns

14 . 0.>11 La Ra i WILLAOO B . 14 ARAVL : ON R0

The reverses of Nos . 1 3 , 14, are the same as No. 1 1 .

1 5 . O.114 La R611 w R.

114 -IBVR g rs .

The same type of reverse as Berwick N o. 6 .

16 . O. ( 114me REHWILA B .>14 RAVL a. 4. Roa a

_

2 3% grs.

The same type of reverse as Berwick N o . 9 .

W i th RAVL ON ROCI there are sterl i ngs i n the S SA. collect ion , both

with sceptre-head cross potent and with sceptre -head cross of four pe l lets .

RAUL DERLIG.

Sceptre-head cross potent— Fig. 34.

1 7 . o. ( 14 Let) Ra 1 WIL LA 1. B .114 R-AML (Da )R-LIG N 2 1% grs .

The same type of reverse as Roxburgh NO . 1 1 . The sceptre-head cross

potent on the sterl ings of Raul Derl ig i s of exceptional ly rare occurrence.


STIRLING.

Sceptre-head cross of four pel lets— Fig. 40A.

2 3a . 0. E4 LG RHI WIL(AO ) ) B .FF WAL(TEIR O)N GTHR 2 2 grs .

I n the Guthrie Lornie collection. The same style of reverse as the

Berwick sterl ing No . 6 . This coi n seems to be the identical piece figured

i n Ca rdonne l , Pl . I . 1 2 , described as reading WKL GCGTEIR. Appar

ently i t had come under the Observation of the Rev . Dr. J ohn J amieson, for,

i n challenging Cardonne l’

s rendering of the inscription on the reverse,he

writes There must,I suspect, be an error here ; for, from the ident ity O f

imperfection in the legend of one i n the possession of an antiquarian friend

i n th is c ity,which migh t be the very coin from which Ca rdonne l engraved

,

i t appears,i n consequence of the strictest examination , that the last four

letters are not EITEIR but STEIR.

” Had Dr. J amieson been at the pains to

compare the last letter but three on the reverse with the letter a: as i t

appears on the other parts of the i nscriptions, he would have seen that

i t was undoubtedly an G , as correctly rendered by Ca rdonne l . I t is the

more noteworthy,however

,that Dr. J amieson should have regarded th is

character as an S,as

,from the greater resemblance of the GI to the 5 than

to any of the other letters found on the crescent and pellet sterl ings,

there i s great reason to bel ieve that the letter (I was employed for the

letter S on th is piece . Where the moneyer was short of letters, frequent

examples occur on the Scotti sh coinage of one letter be ing used for

another, and it may be remarked that the letter S does not appear at

all on the crescent and pelle t sterl i ngs,whether with or without the name

of the mint, so that probably no punches for that letter had been made .

The character before GTGR, which by Ca rdonne l i s treated as an (I,and

of which J amieson was uncertain, as now better brought out by a s imple

process, i s undoubtedly an N .

The circumstance that W alter ’s name does not occur on any of the

sterl ings of the Perth,Berwick

, Roxburgh , or Edinburgh mints of the

crescent and pellet issues, renders i t the less l ikely that th is piece could


have been connected with any of these, and strengthens the probabi l i ty that

i t belonged to St irl i ng. Mr. Cochran-Patrick states that i t i s a tradit ion

that Alexander I . was the first who establ ished a mint at St irl ing, and

struck sterl ings there w ith si lver found in the O chils at Alva . The refer

ence to the source whence the s i lver for the coins minted at Sti rl ing was

obtained is interesting, and shows that‘

a mint was probably placed there at

an early period ; but the trad it ion , as connected with Alexander I. , had i ts

ri se no doubt from certain of the coins of Alexander I I I . , struck at Sti rl ing

and other places,having formerly been attributed to Alexander I .

SHORT DO UBLE CROSS CO I NAGE.

The important change of type from the short s ingle to the short double

or voided cross— with stars, i nstead of crescents and pel lets, i n the quarters

appears, as already mentioned, to have taken place i n 1 195 . A consider

able change occurred al so i n the style of the crown . I nstead Of the crown

Of three fleurs - de - l is,as on the Engl ish short double cross coinage

,we now

find a crown composed of a row O f pearls surmounted by a cross of pearls,

the arrangement of the pellets, or pearls, not being always so regu lar as on

the corresponding crown on Engl ish coins . On that very extensive series

of the short double cross sterl ings ofW i l l iam without the names of the mints

considerable irregularity prevail s in the rendering of the crown . I t is seldom

surmounted with a cross,but is usually represented by two or by three

rows of pellets sometimes these rows of pellets extend down the cheeks to

the ch i n .

CO I NS W I TH NAMES O F MI NTS.

O nly three names of mints occur on the short double cross coinage of

W i l l iam the Lion— Perth , Edinburgh ,and Roxburgh . O f Perth , there are

coins ch iefly by Wal ter ; but i n two instances wi th the name of Henri le

Rus, Figs . 56E, 56C. O f Edinburgh

,there are coms of Hue only. O f

Roxburgh , there are coins with the names of Raul , Peris Adam ,Adam

,and

Aimer Adam .

Pe rth.


There are no sterl ings of Roxburgh by Hue , as represented by Snell ing.

Those publ ished of th is moneyer are palpable m is-attributions . PI. I . 8

Of Snell ing is a coin of Raul , and PI. I . 1 2 is a sterl i ng of the Hue Walter

series.I mention these instances because Lindsay not only refers to them

as authentic examples,but professes to give others of Hue purporti ng to be

i n the Bri tish Museum— five ON RO,

h ON ROCIEI, and even

W L ON ROCIGt— al l equal ly erroneous readings .

All the sterl ings Of the short double cross coinages with the names of

the mints have stars of six poi nts on the reverse .

PERTH.

Coins of good module . Those with the regu larly formed crown and

of the better execution, are here placed first i n order, as be ing probably the

earl iest i n respect of i ssue . The head is usual ly with wh iskers and moustache .

Fig . 4OB .

Head to left , with sceptre ; s ix pel lets in the crown , a cross of four

pellets above.

l a . 0.PF WILHLODVS RX R. WATHR O l/I P E1T 2 2 g rs .

This piece i s i n the SSA. col lection .

Fig. 40C.

As above but with five pellets in the crown .

15. O. E1WILGLODVS RX R.P14 WTAR-ON PHRT 2 31

36 grs .

I n the Hunterian col lect ion , as is also the fol lowing piece .

Fig . 42 13.

As above ; but w ith the wh iskers and moustache rendered by a plai n

l ine ; five pellets i n the crown ; three pellets on a stalk above the crown ,

forming with the centre pellet of the crown a neat cross pommee .

16 . O.tI4 WILGLOJVS B. i t WALTGR OVI PR 2 1

176 grs.


Fig. 43 .

Head to left,with sceptre ; five pellets i n the crown , a cross of four

pellets above,with a pel let at each s ide a pellet in each fork of the cross

on the reverse .

1 . O. T WILGILOJVS RX R. T WALTEIR OVI PRT 1 8 g rs .

Fig. 44A.

As above ; no pellets i n the forks of the cross on the reverse .

1d. 0. T WILEILMVS RX H. T WATGIR O l/I PEIRT 2 1 g rs .

From the Kermack Ford col lect ion .

Fig. 45 12.

Head to left, with sceptre , the neck wel l shown ; five pellets in the

crown,a plai n band below and a cross of four pel lets above three pel lets

before the face ; a star of six poi nts for the sceptre-head a crescent ineach

O f the forks of the cross on the reverse.

l e . 0. T WJ LGL MV RGCX B . T WKTGER OM PGIR 2 1} grs .

This remarkable p iece is i n the S SA. col lection .

O n none of the Perth sterl ings with Wal ter ’s name as moneyer,of the

short double cross series, have I observed the LG REII form of i nscription

on the obverse .

So far as has come under my observation, the two following pieces by

Henri le Rus are the sole except ions in respect of the Perth mint of any

other moneyer's name but that ofWalter on the reverses of the short double

cross sterl ings. The sterl ing F ig. 56 13 is the curious piece , figured Lindsay,Pl. I I . 40 , and W ingate, Pl . I I I . 2 , now in the collection of Mr. Cochran

Patrick . The other sterl ing, Fig . 56C, was i n the Hendry collection .

1 The

barbarous rendering of the inscriptions on the obverses i s quite in keeping

with the rude unfin ished style of the coi ns themselves,occurring only

on the more degraded class of the double cross sterl i ngs ofW i l l iam the Lion

1 Now in the F ergus l ie colle ct ion.

K


Wil liam the Lion without the names of the m ints. Stars of s ix points on the reverses, as on( 1 165

Short doublecross coinag e.

Perth.

Edinburgh.

the other sterl i ngs with the names of the m ints .

Fig . 563 .

Rude head to left, with sceptre ; a row of pel lets before the profile ;from the same obverse die as the Henri le Rus sterl i ng without the name of

the mint, No. 33 , Fig. 5 7, page 88.

If 0. T LG: REII WILT R. T T'

IGIVIRI LEI RVS DH PT 2 2 grs .

Fig . 56C.

The same style of head as the preceding, but differently executed ;

several crescents, promiscuously arranged, i n front of the mouth and ch in ;

from the same reverse die as the preceding.

1g . 0.>14 Let m: (WILmMa : R. ( 414 h a uRn Let RVS Der PT 2 2} grs .

The sterl ings of H enri le Rus withou t the nam e of the m int are

described after those Of Hue Walter.

EDINBURGH.

Coins of good module.

F ig. 4OD.

Head to left, with sceptre ; five pellets i n the crown , a cross of four

pellets above ; a pellet i n each fork of the cross on the reverse .

1b. 0.414 w1La Lmvs RX 13. 414five: OM aDaMBVR 2 2 grs.

I n the S SA. col lection .

Fig. 4 1 .

2 . O. T WILGILODVS RX B . T h VGI : O l/I EIDl/IGBVR 2 2 grs.

The reverse as above . Several sl ight variet ies of head on the double

cross sterl ings of Edinburgh by Hue exist,but al l are very sim ilar to the

above described . The inscript ions on the reverses present also some sl ight

variet ies of reading. I have not met with any short double cross sterl i ngs

of Edinburgh by Hue with the LG RHI i nscription on the obverse .


The sterl ing, Lindsay's Des. Ca t . No. 74, and W ingate , Pl. III. 1 ,

i ncorrectly attributed to Edinburgh , belongs to the WKLTHR GhV pieces,

and will be found described in connection with the nve’

. WKLTGR series,

Clas s V I . No. 30 ,Fig. 6 5 . So far as yet appears, hVG i s the only moneyer

’s

name found on the short double cross sterl ings of Edinburgh'

ofW i l l iam .

ROXBURGH. Roxburgh.

That the sterl ings by Raul are the earl iest of the short double cross

Roxburgh issues of W i l l iam the Lion there can be l i ttle doubt. I n thei r

modules and in the s iz es of the i nner c ircles they exceed the sterl i ngs of the

other moneyers of Roxburgh . I t is wel l known that the later short double

cross coins with the name of Henry of the Engl ish series were of smaller

modules, and had the i nner c ircles smaller than the earl ier var iet ies as first

struck under Henry I I . 1 That the Scotti sh coinage fol lowed the coinage Of

England in these respects admits of easy proof, for we find on the short

double cross sterl ings of W i ll iam the Lion,by the moneyers Adam

,Aimer

Adam , and Peri s Adam , the modules and the inner circles of the same

reduced Siz es as on those of Alexander I I . by Pieres and others.

Fig. 4 IA.

Head to left, with sceptre ; five pel le ts i n the crown,a cross of four

pel lets above ; a pelle t i n each fork of the cross on the reverse .

2 a . 0. T WILEILODVS RX B . T RAVL OVI R006 2 3 grs.

I n the Pol lexfe n col lection .

Fig. 4 2 .

Head to right, without sceptre ; five pellets in the crown,four pellets

above, form ing a cross in connection with the centre pellet of the crown ;a pellet i n each fork of the cross on the reverse .

“

3 . O.114 La Ra 1 WILLAO ) B1. 114 RAVL OVI Roua BV grs.

Lindsay describes the sterl i ngs ofW i l l iam the Lion with the head to the

right as a dist inct coinage— ev idently under the impression that these were1 Num ismatic Chronicl e, 2d S. vol . v . P l . XI. N05 . 4 and 9.


of later issue than the sterl ings w ith the head to the left. I t does not appear,

however,that there was any fixed rule in the disposition of the head at th is

t ime . The moneyers of Roxburgh , both under W i l l iam the Lion and under

Alexander give the head sometimes to the right sometimes to the left.

Fig. 42A.

Head to right,with sceptre ; five pel lets i n the crown

,four pellets

above,forming a cross i n connection with the centre pel le t of the crown .

3a . 0. T LG REII WILL at 411 B . T RAVL OM: ROCIHBV 19§g rs.

I n the Pol lexfen col lection .

Fig . 42C.

From the same obverse die as the Perth sterl i ng by W al ter, No . 1 5 ,

Fig . 42 3 ,page 64.

3 5. o.114 WILGLO

’

DVS R 114 RAVL z ou ROda 2 3 g rs.

I n the S SA . col lection .

Fig. 44.

Head to left,with sceptre the crown formed of five pellets, surmounted

with a cross of four pel lets a pellet i n fron t Of the head ; the neck sunk in

a col lar.

4 . O . T WILGLUJVS RX B . T RAVL OM ROCIGZ

Fig . 443 .

Head sim ilar to the preced ing,but with a pel let at each

cross above the crown .

4a . 0. T WILEILMVS RX B . T RAVL z OMROCI

I n the Pol lexfe n collection .

Fig . 45 .

Head to left, with sceptre ; rude workmansh ip ; the whisker and the

round of the cheek expressed by a single l i ne ; no indication of bust ; five

pellets in the crown ; three pel lets above the crown , forming a cross wi th

the centre pel let ° three pel lets only in the sceptre-head which is confined

within the inner Ci rcle .

5 . O . T LG REII W ILAO) B . T RAVL OMROGGBV 1 75; grs .


Fig. 6 6 3 .

Head to left,with sceptre two rows of pellets on the crown— s ix i n

the upper,seven i n the lower row ; large flaky 1 wh iskers .

56 . O. T WILLGILOOVS RHX B . PGRIS ° ADRUDD3 ROCII

[20 grs.

I n the SSA. col lection . The Obverse of th is piece, although sl ightly

al tered i n i ts appearance from double strik ing, i s evidently from the same die

as the obverse of the Hue W alter sterl ing (WKVTEIR Gh V) , Class V I .,No . 29, Fig. 64, and properly belongs to that series. The reverse is from

the same die as the following sterl ing of Roxburgh, Fig. 66C.

Fig. 66C.

Head to left, wi th sceptre, three pel lets i n front ; five pel lets in the

crown,a cross of pel lets above ; the curl s formed by annulets as on the

short double cross sterl ing att ributed to Henry I I I . , Num isma tic Ch ronicle ,

2d S. vol . v. Pl . X I . Fig. 9.

sf . 0. t WILLGLODVS RHX CI0 R. PHRIS ADAO) DHROCII

[2 1 g rs .

I n the Pol le xfe n collection . The legend on the obverse i s retrograde ;

the (1 after RGZX represents (IOTORVO ) .

Fig. 6 7.

From the same obverse die as the last .

6 . O. z WILLHLODVS RHX (I o o E. PETRIS ADAM

0. From the same die . R. PHRIS ADAOD ON R 0

N0 . 6a is i n the Pollexfencol lection .

1 Flaky Loose ly hang ing toge ther ; lying pre sse s the manner in which the whiskers are

in layers or stra ta , broken into laminae represented on the coin.

Walker’s Eng l zirlz Dictionary. This e xa ctly ex


Fig. 6 7A.

Head to right,with sceptre

,the sceptre with in the inner ci rcle ; a

pellet beh ind the head ; five pellets i n the crown , with three pel lets above,

forming a cross with the second pellet of the crown .

66. O. WILGILMVS RGX B. PGRIS ADAO ) ON R0 2 5} g rs.

I n the Kermack Ford col lection.

1 O ther specimens are figured

Snell ing, Pl . I . 1 5 ; Lindsay, ISt Sup. Pl. I . 1 3 ; Cochran-Patrick, Pl. I . 6 .

This is the most neatly executed coin of Peris Adam .

The fol lowing piece , i n the S SA. col lection , i s of good workmansh ip,

and is executed probably by the same hand as the preceding ; i t has the name

of Adam only on the reverse.

Fig. 6 73 .

Head to right,with sceptre ; seven pellets i n the crown ; the pelle ts above

arranged so as to resemble fleurs-de- l i s— two on a stalk i n front, three on a

stalk i n the centre and one beh ind two pel lets between the head and the

sceptre.

65 . O .114 (W1L)aLMVS Re x 3 .

114 ADAO) 0(N R)0Ra 1 83; grs.

Erroneously rendered i n Lindsay’s Des. Ca t . Ist Sup. No. 1 7, as

reading on the reverse ADAM VRG .

What is ch iefly remarkable on the crown in th is last p iece is, that i t is the

earl iest instance i n the Scottish coinage of the bifoi l crown— or the crown

with two leaves only on the s ide fleurs - de - l i s, as opposed to the trefoi l

crown— or the crown with three leaves on the side fleurs - de - l is,wh ich is

the crown represented on the crescent and pel let and the preceding coinages

of W i l l iam the L ion, and on the sterl ings of Dav id I. , Earl Henry, and

Malcolm IV.

The bifoi l form is unquest ionably the proper method of represent ing

the crown . As actually worn on the head, only two leaves of the fleurs

de- l is at the s ides of the crown are presented to the spectator.

I t is the more creditable to the Scottish moneyers that they should thus

early have corrected the mistake i nto which they had be en betrayed in copy

1 Now in the F ergus l ie coll e ct ion.


ing the crown as on the coins of Stephen, when Dav id I . commenced h is

coinage,as the trefoi l form of the crown was continued on the Engl ish

sterl i ngs down to the star on breast coins of Edward I. , A.D. 1 300. O n al l

the subsequent Engl ish issues, and on al l the coinages of G reat Britain , the

bifoi l form of crown has been used.

A sterl ing with ADAM2 OD RO (I€£ on the reverse, in the Hunterian

and Cochran-Patrick col lections, has its obverse from the same die as the

following piece i n the Pol lexfe n collection, with AIMGIR ADAM on the

reverse,Fig . 6 70.

Fig . 6 70.

Head to right,with sceptre ; the sceptre confined with in the i nner

c ircle ; seven pelle ts in the crown ; three pellets above, form ing a cross i n

connection with the centre pellet of the crown .

6d. 0. T WILGILMVS R6[(IX x R. T AIMEIR ADAM OH RO : 2 15 grs.

This coin is represented i n Snel l ing, Pl . 1. 1 6 .

Fig. 68.

Head to left,with sceptre four pel lets i n the sceptre-head.

7. O.114 REI)I WILAOD 3 .

114 mooaR ADAM ON ROh 2 03 grs .

The names AIMEIR ADAM have not h itherto been publ ished in con

ne ct ion with W i l l iam the Lion . Nevertheless, th is sterl i ng was successively

i n the cab inets of Messrs . Lindsay and W ingate, and is figured Lindsay,

Pl . I I . 4 2 , and W ingate , Pl . I I I . 4 . I n Lindsay’s Des. Ca t . No. 97, the

legend on the reverse is given as DGR ADAM ON ROR— the las t

half of the round 0) i n Aimer hav ing been mistaken for a D. W i ngate

gives only the last two letters of Aimer’

s name. I t i s proper, however, to

state that a sl ight encrustment that had gathered over the first three letters

has been partial ly removed by me, rendering the inscription more legible .

A sterl ing i n the S SA. collection, Fig. 68A, with the reverse from the

same die as F ig. 68, and the Obverse from the same die as F ig. 69, shows

th is round 0) very fully. The head has been described by Lindsay and

W ingate as bare .

’ I cannot rega rd the head as being really so,for there


seems to be a row of pel lets on the top, Of which the first two are dist inctly

v is ible. Below the sceptre, but with i n the legendary c ircle , there is a round

Object, treated by Lindsay as an L. This , however, i s not a letter, but is

the king's hand represented as grasping the sceptre ; better shown on the

sterl i ng of Alexander I I . , by Pieres of Roxburgh , described at page 1 14 ,

Fig. 7 1 of the Fergusl ie collection .

Fig. 68A.

Head to right,with sceptre ten pel lets in the crown , three pellets

above,forming a cross pommee in connection with the centre pelle t of the

crown.The reverse is from the same die as F ig. 68.

7a . 0. T WILLEILMVS RHCX R. T AIODHR -ADAM ON R071 2 1% grs.

F igs . 69, 69A.

The obverses are from the same die as F ig. 68A.

8. O. T WILLEILMVS RHCX B . T PGREIS ADA ON ROREIH 2 1 g rs.

82 . 0. From the same die . R. PGREIS ADAO) ON ROG: 2 2 g rs.

Fig. 69A,No. 82 , i s i n the collection of the Re v . Mr. Polle xfe n . The

style O f head on these pieces bears a remarkable resemblance to that on

the sterl ing of Alexander I I . by P ieres of Roxburgh , Fig . 70 .

The several variet ies of head on the sterl ings of Peris Adam are d is

t ing uished by long flaky whiskers as on the Engl ish short double cross

sterl ings,attributed to Henry I I I . , Na m . Cfim n . 2d S. vol . v . Pl . X I . Fig . 4.

I n the reduced modules of the coins and of the inner circles,these pieces

,and

those w ith the names of Adam and Aimer Adam , correspond with the later

Henry short double cross sterl ings, in the same way as the short double

cross sterl ings of Roxburgh by Raul , i n thei r larger modules, correspond

with the earl ier issues of the Henry short double cross sterl i ngs . The

lettering on the sterl ings of Adam , Aimer Adam ,and Peris Adam

,i s i n

general of a smaller character than on the sterl ings of Raul .

None of the short double cross sterl i ngs of Ed inburgh or of Perth,

so far as I have observed, correspond with the Roxburgh money of

Adam , Aimer Adam, or Peris Adam .

Class I.


STERL I NGS W I THOUT NAME O F MI N T.

HVE WALTER.

The short double cross sterl ings of W i l l iam the Lion with fiveWALTGR on the reverses form an extensive series . Some are of good

execution ; others, and these the most numerously represented, are of

wretched workmansh ip , and frequently with blundered inscript ions .

These coms seemnatural ly to arrange themselves into clas ses, each

class having i ts own characterist ics . They are here arranged into six classes .

I n some of these the sterl ings are of a uniform character. I n others the

several examples present a considerably divers ified appearance .

Great diversity exists in some of the clas ses in respect of the number

of the points on the stars in the quarters O f the cross . I n th is respect

some of the sterl ings of the classes display almost as great a variety as

the RHX SCIOTORVM sterl ings of Alexander I I I .

The following pieces,described by me under Class I. ,

appear to have

been among the earl ier issues of the Hue Walter ser ies . The first coin in

the l ist i s of very good workmansh ip ; comparing favourably with the better

executed pieces with the names of the mints .

CLASS I.

Usually with a pel let on the ch in some pieces have a good style of

head, with well-marked whiskers, and with the back hair put i n by two or

three rows of crescents, as on the sterl ings of Roxburgh by Raul , and on

the sterl ings of Edinburgh and Perth . O n what may be regarded as the

later issues of this class, the style of head and the lettering becomes more

barbarous ; and the inscript ions, particularly on the obverses, partake of a

more or less blundered character. The crown is usually composed of two

rows of pellets, with a single pellet above , form ing a cross in connection with

the lower pel lets. The head seems always to regard the left.


FOUR STARS O F e PO 1NTs.

Fig. 46 .

Good style of head, with sceptre .

O . T WILL6 LMVS R B . T I‘

lV6 WALT6 R :

The five following coins are i n the Pol lexfe n collect ion .

Fig . 46A.

Good portrait, i n the same style as the preceding.

0. T L6 R6 I WILAO) B. T I‘

IV6 WALT6 R

0. From the same die . B . T h V6 WALT6 R

0. F rom the same die . R. T l‘

IV6 WALT6 h

Fig. 46 3 .

A large round head ; ruder workmansh ip.

O. T L6 h 6 I WIL6 LO3 R. T h V6 WALT6 R

Fig. 46C.

A similar head , but differently treated.

92 . O .114five w B .

114 hV6 WALT6 h 1 O

The O on the reverse of th is p iece is d iv ided by a l ine i n

as if to represent an O ) .

Fig. 47.

A smaller head rude workmansh ip,but of good module .

10 . O. T L€ RA W ILLAM6 B . T I'

lV6 WALT6 R 3 0

Two STARS OF SEVEN AND Two OF 5 1x POINTS.

Fig . 46D.

The same head as on F ig. 46C.

102 . O. T L6 R6 I W ILAO 6 : B . T h V6 WALT6 I‘

I O

I n the Pol le xfe n col lection .

2 1% grs.

2 1 grs.

2 3 grs.

2 1 grs.

Class II.


THREE STARS OF 8 111 AND ONE O F FIVE POINTS.

Fig. 48.

Rude Workmansh ip ; smal ler module than the preceding.

1 1 . Of T L6 R6 I WILA R. T I’

lV6 WALT : O 2 2 g rs.

FOUR STARS OF FIVE POINTS.

Fig. 48A.

Similar head to Fig. 48A.

1 12 . o.114 La R6 1 WILAM 3 .

114 hva WA z LR 0

I n the Pol le xfe n collection . The O on the reverse i s d iv ided by a l ine

through the centre as i f to represent an O ) .

Besides the above varieties of reverse I have also seen sterl ings of

th is class with three stars‘

of seven and one of six points . The better

executed pieces of th is class,l ike the sterl ings with the names of the m ints

,

usually have four stars of s ix points on the reverse .

CLASS II.

The sterl ings in th is class are of very different workmansh ip from those

in Class I . The crown is sometimes represented by three pellets un i ted by

two curved l ines, which may be said to form part of the head ; sometimes by

a row of six pel lets without the connecting l ines. The chin i s usual ly large

and protuberant, as if the engraver of the obverse die had had in V iew the

pecul iar profile d isplayed by the head on the crescent and pellet sterl ings,

and had mistaken the armour encircl ing the jaw on these pieces for a part

of the face . The straight l ines of the whiskers,which are pointed with

pellets, present much the appearance of a standing sh irt-collar. The

hair is usually put i n by three or four rows of vertically d isposed crescents,

as on the Hue Walter Sterl ing,Class I . N0 . but i t is sometimes repre

sented by pellets. The lettering is large— very s imi lar to that on the

crescent and pel let co inages, having usually a Roman M,and pecul iar- look

ing camel-backed R.

Class III.


FOUR STARS O F FIVE POINTS.

Fig. 49D.

The crown as the last .

1 36 . O . T L€ R€I WILAO'

) B. T h V€ WALTCR 1 9} g rs .

The following coin has the crown in the same style as on Fig. 49 ,

but the face is more aquil ine , the general execution bolder, and the hair

is expressed by pellets instead of by crescents .

THREE STARS O F SIx AND ONE OF FIVE POINTS.

Fig . 50 .

14 . O.114 Le R€I W ILAO) 3 .

114 nV€ WALT€h 2 3g, g rs .

Mr. Po lle xfe n has the half of a penny of th is varie ty , which wa s brought

to h im some years ago,when residing in the south of England

,by a

labourer,i n the state in which it was found . I t had been cut in two

between the l ines of the double cross,to pass for two half-penn ies . The

sharpness of the cut edge was worn quite round and smooth by c irculat ion

and exhibited a sl ightly oxidised appearance , exactly as on the cut edges

of four halves of Henry I I I . long cross pennies found i n the sands at

G lenluce, i n W ig tonshire , and presented to the Museum of the Scottish

Soc iety of Antiquaries by Rev . George W i lson , G lenluce .

CLASS III.

A rude head , with a straight profi le , remarkable for the triple row of

pellets extend ing from the forehead round the back t i l l almost opposite the

ch in , l ike a hood of chain mail , and probably intended to represent both the

crown and the hair . The whiskers are expressed by sharp - pointed l ines,

disposed horiz ontal ly between the ch in and the triple row of pellets . No

THE COINAGE O F SCOTLAND. 79

pel lets on the points of the whiskers,and the ch in not so full as on the

sterl ings of the preceding class . The lettering much the same as on

Class I I but with the R of a sprawling character,and the Mon the obverse

formed general ly l ike an 0,that is

,as a round without the tum -over

curve to the r ight. The head is usually to the left,but sometimes to the right.


Fig . 5 2 .

The head to left, with sceptre .

O. T L€ R€I W ILAO) R. T hVG WALTER

0. Do. R. T h VC WALT€R

O . T L€ R€I W ILAO R. T hV€ WALT€R °

,re trograde ,

Some pieces of the above variety have no inner c i rcle on the

Fig. 5 3 .

0. A s No. 1 7 . B; T h VC WALTCR ‘o

‘

, re trog rade ,

Fig. 54.

The head to right, with sceptre .

19. O. T L€ RCI WILAO , re trog rade . B . T h VC (WAL)T€R 2 2% grs.

Fig. 5 5 .

20 . 0. As No. 19 . B . T hV WALT€ R re trog rade ,

20a . 0. Do. R. T hV€ WALTGR, re trograde ,

The second of these pieces i s i n the Richardson , formerly

Kermack Ford col lection very large stars on the reverse .

ONE STAR O F FIVE AND THREE O F SIx POINTS.

Fig. 5 5 3 .


O. T LC R€I WILAO R. T h V€ WALTGR

I n the Pol lexfe n col lect ion .

Class IV.


FOUR STARS OF 5 1x POINTS.

Fig. 56 .


2 1 . O .114 L6 R€I WILAO 3 . five WALTGR 2 4 , 2 grs.

Fig. 56A.

2 12 . 0. As No. 2 1 . Be >l<WAV T€R €hV grs .

Formerly in the Hyman Montagu, now in the F ergu sl ie collection .

The reverse is from a die of the hV€ WALT€R sterl i ngs,Class V I . A

similar piece in the Pol le xfe n collection has WAV T€R 6271

The sterl ings of th is class,N OS. 1 5 , 16 , with the turn -over stroke to the

O ) on the obverse , are evidently of earl ier issue than those of the same

type on which the turn - over stroke is om itted . Whi le those on wh ich the

O) is formed l ike an O are very common , these are somewhat rare . The

sterl ings,with the head to right, Nos . 19, 20 , 2OA, are extremely rare . Those

with the head to left and with Stars of Six points on the reverse are al so of

considerable rari ty.

I n a small parcel of Hue Walter sterl ings of Class I I I . which came

under my inspection— belonging, i f I m istake not to the Ecclesfindsome had the inner circles of very small s iz e, rendering i t probable that

these were of later i ssue than the others . Very few coins in that parcel

were from the same dies.

CLASS IV.

The sterl ings i n th is class are the rudest of the Hue Walter series .

They present a mere outl ine of profile,yet contrive to combine some of the

characterist ics of the sterl ings inClass I . with those of Classes I I . and I I I

the head displaying, i n general, the ful l round ch in of the sterl ings Of the

latter classes, with the pellet, the representat ive of the ch in in the former class .

O n some pieces of this class the inner c irc les are of good s iz e,on


FOUR STARS OF SEVEN POINTS.

Fig. 5 7D.

The obverse i s from the same die as the last.

2 1e . O. T L6 R6 I WILT O B. T h V6 WALT6 R 0

Another sterl ing i n the Pollexfen col lect ion , with four stars of

on the reverse, has its obverse from the same die as these pieces.

Fig. 5 7E.

The obverse is from the same die as Fig . 5 73 .

z 1f . O. T L6 R6 I WILT B . T h V6 WALT6 RO 2 3} grs.

THREE STARS O F FIVE AND ONE OF SIX POINTS.

Fig. 57F .

Simi lar style of head, but the crown formed by two rows of pel lets

w i thout the stalks .

2 1g . 0. T L6 R6 I WILT R. T h V6 3 WALT6 O 2 11} grs.

I n the S SA. collection represented also in the Pollexfe n cabine t.


Fig . 58.

Sim ilar head ; a single fringed l ine for the whisker and the round of

cheek .

O . T hV6 WALKT R. T hV6 WA 3 LRO 2 23 grs.

O . T L1 W =x=L 6 LT B . T h V6 WATRI O 2 41} grs.

The sterl ings with Hue Walter’s name on both s ides are very rare.


Fig. 58A.

A similar head, but with both round chi n and pellet ; a narrow fringed

l ine,pointed w ith small pellets

,for the wh isker and the round of the

cheek three pel lets before the ch in ; the crown represented by two loosely

disposed rows of pellets.

2 34 . O .114 LI WI6 R GLT 3 114 rivet WATRT O 2 14 g rs.

I n the Pol le xfe n col lection .

Fig. 583 .

The Obverse as above , without the smal l pellets on the of the

whiskers .

2 36. O . T LI WI6 R 3 6 LT R. T I‘

lV6 3 WALT6 R 20 grs.

From the Kermack Ford cabinet.

FOUR STARS OF 5 1x POINTS.

Fig . 59.

The head with round ch in and pellet ; a narrow fringed l ine for the

whisker,and a plain curved l ine beh ind i t to i ndicate the round of the

cheek the crown represented by two loosely-disposed rows of pel lets .

24 . 0. T L6 R6 I WILT B . T hV6 WALT6 R O 1 92} grs .

2 4a . 0. Do. R. T h V WAL(:T)6 R O 2 1 grs.

The second of these p ieces is i n the Hunterian collect ion .

Fig. 60 .

The obverse from the same die as Fig. 58A.

2 5 . O. T LI W 16 R 3 6 LT B. T I‘

IV6 W 3 ALR 3 O 1 8% grs.

2 5a . 0. From’

the same die . B. T h V6 WALTO 2 2 grs.

No. 2 56 ,the figured Specimen , formerly in the Kermack Ford, i s now

i n the F e rgusl ie collection .


CLASS V.

Coins of good workmansh ip ; the several spec imens are remarkable

ch iefly for the extreme length of the l ines representing the mouth and for

the absence of the ch in . Two rows, or three rows, of pellets represent the

crown the hai r is i ndicated by smal l crescents, and the whiskers are usually

massed upon the cheek as on the later Roxburgh sterl ings . The smal l

module of the inner circles on these pieces suggests a late period of issue .

FOUR STARS OF SIX POINTS.

Fig. 6 2 .

Two rows of pellets for the crown,five i n the lower and four i n the

upper row. A smal l cross between the sceptre and the inner circle a smal l

cross below the mouth and a pellet i n front .

2 6 . O. T L6 R6 I WILA B . T I’

lV6 WTLA 3 O 2 2 grs.

2 7. 0. F rom the same die . E. T hv6 WALTR 2 2 215 grs .

On the second of these two pieces a deep inc is ion has been made

between the transverse l i nes of the cross on the reverse,as if done with the

intention of cutting the coi n i n two halves to pass for half-pennies .

-Se e

remarks in connection with the penny,N o. 14, Fig . 50,

Class I I . p.

‘

78.

Figs . 6 3 , 6 3A.

Three rows Of pellets for the crown no cross between the sceptre and

the inner circle, nor below the mouth . Neat stars of s ix points on the

reverse .

2 8. O.114 L(6 I WIRAT) 0 . 3 . (T) — WL TRA 2 13 g rs.

282 . O.114 L6 WIRAT( O ) 3 .

114 hV6 WA— R : 2 3g, g rs.

A pellet i s with in the letter 0 on the obverse possibly a Sign of con

traction. Fig. 6 3A, NO . 2 82 , i s i n the Pol le xfe n collection . I have not


the reverse in WALT6 R i t i s formed l ike a V, a common occurrence on

coins of th is class . The last two letters in R6 X are part ial ly obl iterated,

but to a practised eye are quite recognisable . Some of the sterl i ngs of

th is class,as brought under my not ice by col lectors, had aeWAV 3 T 6 R

6 hV ; others aeWAVT6 R'1' 6 hV. The letters 6 hV are evidently a

transposition of the name of hV6 .

Fig. 6 5 .

The head as the above.

30 . O . WIVV6 V(O) )VS BE VVAV T6 R 6 11 2 1% g rs.

The letter L on both s ides of th is coi n formed l ike a V. This is the

piece,Lindsay, Des. Ca t . No. 74 , and W ingate, Pl . 111. 1

,represented as

reading on the reverse WALT6 R 6 D, and attributed to Edinburgh . The

last letter on the reverse may readi ly be mistaken for a D, which it resembles

the rather that the back of the letter comes in contact w ith the second hal f

of what seems to be a suppressed or overstruck V, and that the top is

shorter than usual .

Figs . 6 5A, 6 6 .

Head to left, with sceptre . A smal l pellet above the two rows of

pellets on the crown,forming a cross with the pellets below. Pel lets instead

O f crescents for the back hair and beard .

3051. O . WI(LL)6 LO ) VS R. WAVT6 R 6 11V 2 2 grs .

3 1 . 0. From a simi lar die . 131. WAV(T6 )R 6 11 2 1 grs.

N0 . 30a , Fig. 6 5A, i s i n the Pol lexfe n collection . The sterl ings of this

class appear to have had curious connections with some of the other varieties

of the short double cross sterl i ngs of W i l l iam the Lion ; the Roxburgh

penny, No. 5e , Fig. 6 6 3 , page 70 , supra , i n the SSA. collect ion , hav ing i ts

obverse struck from an obverse die as F ig. 64 of th is class ; and the

h V6 WALT6 R sterl ing, No . 2 1a ,Fig. 56A, Class I I I . , hav ing i ts reverse

from a die also evidently belonging to th is class . The fol lowing sterl ing

of WALT6 R ADAO) has its obverse from the same die as Fig. 66 .


WALTER ADAM.


Fig. 66A.

3 15. o. WILL6 LODVS 3 WALT6 R ADAO) 2 33 g rs .

I n the Pol l exfe n col lection, a specimen formerly i n the Kermack Ford

col lection is now in the F e rg usl ie cabinet .

HENRI LE RVS (LE RoUx) .

All the coins of th is moneyer are rare ; but they display, notwithstanding,

considerable variety both of Obverse and reverse . I ndeed,al l the combina

t ions of points remarked by me on the sterl ings of the Hue Wal ter series

have also been noted by me on those of Henri le Rus . So far as I have

observed,the head always regards the left, with a sceptre in front.


Fig. 5 1 .

Head to left,with sceptre . The head and crown in the same style as

on the Hue Walter sterl i ngs , No 14, Fig . 50 , Clas s I I“

.

3 2 . O . ( 114 ) L6 R6 I W ILAO 3 .114 h 6 NRI L6 (RVS) 2 3 g rs.

The h on the reverse of th is piece resembles a D quite as much as

the h on the reverse of any of the Hue Walter or Wal ter Hue sterl i ngs,

Class V I .

Two STARS OF SIX AND Two OF FIVE POINTS.

Fig . 5 1A.

Head to left,with sceptre a single row of pellets i n the crown a large

pellet for the ch in .

3 2a . 0. T L6 MML6 R B. T h 6 NRI L6 RV grs.

I n the Pollexfe n collection.

HENRY LE RVS.


FOUR STARS O F FIVE POINTS.

“Fig. 5 I3 .

Rude head to left, with sceptre broad whi skers neatly formed crown,

ornamented with three triple pellets on stalks.

3 26. O.114 L6 (R)6 I WILT 3 11 h 6 N(RI L)6 RWS 2 2 g rs.

I n the Cochran- Patrick col lect ion . A Similar p iece from the Ford sale

i s now in the Fe rgusl ie col lect ion .


Fig. 5 1C.

The Obverse is from the same die as F ig. 5 1 3 .

0. As 3 2 5. 3 .114 h 6 VlRI L(6

I n the Pollexfe n collect ion .


Fig. 5 7.

The obverse is from the same die as the obverse of the Henri le Rus

de Pt sterl ing, Fig. 56 3 , page 6 6 .

3 3 . O. ( 114 L)6 R6 I WILT 3 114 hHMRI L6 (RVS) 2 3 grs.

FOUR STARS O F SIX POINTS.

Fig. 60A.

Head to left,with sceptre

, Sim ilar to that on the hV6 WALT6 R

sterl ings, Nos . 2 5 , 2 5a ; crescents instead of pel lets for the hair and crown,

Six crescents before the brow and three pel lets before the ch in .

332 . o.114 L6 R6 I WILA 3 114 h 6 NRI L6 RVS 2 2 grs.

I n the Cochran-Patrick col lection, as is also the fol lowing piece.

Berwick.


cross sterl ings of Alexander I I I . , and th is j ust when the names of the moneyers

and mints had ceased to be placed upon the coi ns . I n addit ion to the above

combinations the Si ngle cross sterl ings of Alexander 111. present the two

following combinations of points on the reverse z— Three mullets of five and

one of six points,equal to 2 1 points ; and one mullet of six and three stars

of seven points,equal to 2 7 points— both extremely rare combinations , and

of which sat isfactory examples may possibly yet be met with on the short

double cross sterl ings ofW i ll iam the Lion without the names of the mints .

I n V iew of the fact that the double cross sterl ings with the names of the

mints ofW i ll iam the Lion , and , i t may be added, also of Alexanders I I . and

I I I . ,seem invariably to have for the type of the reverse four stars of six

points,any divergences from th is type being ev idently purely accidental,

these several combinations of poi nts on the sterl i ngs without the names of

the mint can scarcely be regarded as having been employed for any other

purpose than to indicate at what particular mints the sterl ings thus several ly

distinguished were issued . This wi ll approve i tsel f the more to us when

we take into cons ideration that the sterl ings without the names of the

mints,more part icularly those of Hue Walter, very much outnumber the

sterl ings with the names of the mints , even when taken al together.

I Shall not attempt to connect any i ndividual mint with any particular

combinat ion of points as displayed on the reverses of these pieces . Berwick,

however, which was one of the m ints of the W i l l iam the Lion Short s ingle

cross coinages , but of wh ich the name does not occur on the short cross

sterl ings, we may confidently assume , must have been one of the mints

thus represented. The mint of Berwick was in act ive operat ion under

David I . I t i s represented on the Short double cross sterl i ngs of Alexander

I I . , and most copiously on the long double cross sterl ings of Alexander III.

There is no reason , therefore, to suppose that it had ceased operat ions

during the W i l l iam the Lion short double cross period .

I f the statement i n the Book of B an -A ccord be correct, that a mint was

establ ished at Aberdeen by W i l l iam the L ion,th i s anc ient and renowned

c ity may also put i n a claim to have been represented on the sterl ings of

W i l l iam the Lion without the names of the mint.


I n connect ion with the short double cross sterl i ngs of W i l l iam the W i l l iam the Lion

Lion of the Edinburgh and Perth m ints , i t has been here remarked that

none of the sterl ings of these mints seem to have been of corresponding cross comas co

i ssue with the sterl ings of the later moneyers of Roxburgh . Not

improbably, therefore , the later i ssues of the Edinburgh and Perth mints

may have formed port ions of the Hue Wal ter and Henri l e Rus coinages

and th is is the more l ikely , as two sterl i ngs of Henri l e Rus actual ly have

the name of Perth on the reverse .

The Hue Wal ter sterl ings , Class V I . ,from the ir interchange of obverses

wi th the later Roxburgh sterl i ngs, Fig. 6 7, must necessari ly be regarded

as also of correspondingly late i ssue with these pieces .

W i ngate has assigned three Hue W alter pennies to Roxburgh , figured

by h im Pl . I I I . 7, and Sup. Pl . 1. 5 , 6 , described as reading respect ively

T'

IV6 WTLA 3 R0 ; T'

lV6 WA 3 LRO T’

lV 3 WALT6 R R0 . The two R’

s

on the last p iece , as figured i n W ingate ’s plate,are suspic iously close

together, suggesting that the legend may have been partly double struck .

I t has further to be observed that the i nscriptions an these sterl ings are al l

of a somewhat blundered character. As shown by other specimens where

the legend i s given at greater length,the letter 0 i s not connected with

WALT6 R, but i s rather to be regarded as the first letter of ON, or, probably,

seeing that i t has sometimes the appearance of a round 03 , may represent

m and amus, or m one ta m

’

z

'

. I n any case there is no reason , on the strength

of such readings as the above,to assign al l the Hue Walter sterl i ngs to

Roxburgh .

I t i s usual to regard the names Hue Wal ter as applying only to one

i ndividual , but there appears to be more than a mere coinc idence i n these

names being found together on so many of the sterl ings without names of

mints, and in connection wi th Hue and W al ter having been respectively

moneyers at Edinburgh and Perth of this same short double cross series .

The suggestion has been made that Hue Wal ter may probably represent

Hue, son ofWalter. This V iew seems to receive some countenance from

the c ircumstance that on some Roxburgh double cross sterl i ngs of W i l l iam

the Lion the names occur of Adam , Aimer Adam, Peris Adam , which, on


th is principle,would read respect ively as Adam , as Aimer son of Adam,

and as Peris son of Adam but what are we to make of the names Andrev

Ricar Adam as represented on the short double cross sterl i ng of Alexander

Fig. 7 2A,

i n the collect ion of Mr. Cochran - Patrick ? I t would have

been pure affectation for a moneyer to have styled himself Andrew son

of Richard , son of Adam .

Andrew and Adam are names met with s ingly on Roxburgh long double

cross sterl ings of Alexander. I n the same way Walter and Robert, names

that occur conjointly on short double cross Berwick sterl i ngs of Alexander,

are met with s ingly on Berwick long double cross sterl i ngs . Two othe r

names, W i l l iam and John

,which frequently appear s ingly on Berwick long

double cross sterl i ngs, occur conj ointly on an Alexander short double cross

sterl ing in the SSA. col lection , Fig. 75 3 , reading on the reverse WILAM

Ioh AN-ON,without the name of the m int, but struck probably at Berwick,

as we do not meet wi th these moneyers ’ names i n connection with Roxburgh .

This looks as i f, during the short double cross period of the Scottish

coinage,there had been combinat ions of moneyers, who eventually, on the

taking place of the long double cross issues , had carried on their Operations

at the different mints separately.

a l et annet 111.

SUCCEEDED HIS FATHER, WILLIAM THE LION, 4TH DECEMBER 1 2 14 ,

WHEN IN HIS I7TH YEAR ; DIED, 8TH j ULv 1 249.

The sterl ings bearing the name of Alexander on the obverse are divided

i nto three classes those with a short double cross on the reverse,

(2 ) those with a long double cross, and (3) those with a long Si ngle cross.

The more modern appearance of these last leaves no doubt that they are

the latest of the series. W i thout a Single except ion, Scottish numismatists

have agreed in ascribing the long s ingle cross variety to Alexander I I I.

I t has been very different with respect to the appropriation of the

double cross sterl ings . Anderson , i n h is Num zsma tum Scol z'

m Tfiesa umes


detected its true character and yet,at the Pembroke sal e i n 1848, th is very

piece— tentat ively ascribed in the catalogue to David I.—was sold along

with a W i l l iam the Lion short double cross sterl i ng by Hue of Edinburgh ,

for 1;6 1 2 6— a very h igh price at that t ime for Scottish s i lver coins .

I n h is View of ike Si lver Coin of Scot la nd Snell ing (Pl . 1. 1 , 2 )has copied Anderson ’s sterl ings with the head to the right, NOS. 2 and 3 ,

ascribed to Alexa nder I. ,and acquiesces i n that attr ibution— with the saving

clause that, i f Alexander I I . struck any Short cross coins, the first of these

pieces might probably belong to that pr ince. W i th respect to Anderson'

s

N o. I of Alexander I . (copied from the Pembroke plates)— a Berwick

sterl i ng,with the crowned head to the r ight and the long double cross,

Snell ing’s opinion was that i t belonged to Alexander I I .

I n commenting, however, on the great improvement in the workmansh ip

on the long s ingle cross coinages attributed to Alexander I I I . , wh ich im

provement,he conjectured , might have fol lowed the great improvement i n

the Engl ish monies under Edward I . i n Snell i ng is prompted to ask ,“ I f this be the case

,what coi ns have w e of h im (Alexander I I I . ) before

th is period ? " The quest ion, he remarks, “ can be no otherwise got clear

Of than by supposing that many of those given by us to his father were

struck by th is king before th i s era ; and , at th is t ime, i t i s not possible1to dist inguish one from the other. ’ W e shal l have occasion subsequently

to see how wel l these surmises of Snel l ing have been justified by facts i n

relation to th is subject that have come to l ight since Snel l i ng’s work on

Scottish silver coins was publ ished .

The three long double cross sterl i ngs with the crowned head to the left,

figured in Anderson’

s Num z

’

sm a tum Scol z’

m Tfiesa a rus , Pl . 1. 1 , 2 , 3 , under

Alexander are reproduced wi th the same attribut ions by Ca rdonne l 1 786)i n h is Num isma ta Scot ia}, Pl . 1. 19, 20 ,

2 1 . I t i s strange that Ca rdonne l

1 In Sne ll ing’s View of i lte Si lver Coin of b e kept in View tha t Sne l l ing died be fore

Scotl a nd,the da te a ppe a rs a s 1 2 7o— a n obvious the print ing w a s com ple ted of his va luable

m isprint, a s any one who re fe rs to Sne l l ing’s work on the Scottish s i lver coinag e , which

Si lver Coins of Eng l a nd ( 1 76 2 ) m ay se e tha t wanted,there fore , the be ne fi t of h is persona l

Sne l ling wa s perfe ctly awa re tha t Edward I. supervis ion. See the “ Advert isem ent to the

did not beg in his re ign t i l l 1 2 7 2 . It is to Rea der. ”


should have ignored al l mention of the double cross sterl ings with the head Alexanders 11.

to the right , ass igned by Anderson to Alexander I. , al though N OS. 2 and 3 of 151

111

12aAnderson of th is variety were i n the col lection of the Faculty of Advocates controversy.

at the time that Ca rdonne l ’

s work was issued , and ought to have been eas i ly

accessible for the purposes of such a publ ication . What makes th is omission

the more remarkable i s, that i n a letter addressed to the Earl of Buchan ,

Pres ident of the Antiquarian Society of Edinburgh , dated 5 th J uly 1 784,

Cardonne l states,“ I beg leave to enclose a proof of my first plate, which ,

though qui te unfin ished, wil l Show the plan— the first row is to contai n

two of Alexander 1. and one of Dav id I.

” 1 There can be no doubt that

the “ two of Alexander 1. which Cardonne l thus intended to have publ ished,

but which do not appear i n his work,were respect ively the short and the

long double cross Alexander sterl ings, with the heads to the right, Anderson’s

N OS. 2 and 3 ; and that the“ one of Dav id I. ,

which he also intended to have

publ ished but d id not publ ish , was the Pembroke Hue Waltersterl ing of

W i l l iam the Lion , with the head to the right— figured as a Dav id I . penny in

the Pembroke plates, and copied as such by Anderson , W i se, and Snell ing.

Although Ca rdonne l may be excused for having lost faith in the attributions

assigned to these pieces, that was no reason why he should so completely

have ignored the existence of the coins themselves . I n copying Anderson ’s

three long double cross Alexander sterl ings, with the crowned head to the

left , ascribed to Alexander I I ., Cardonne l repeats the misrendering of the

moneyer ’s name , IONAS for TOMAS, on N o. 1 and with respect to

No. 2 ,he represents the M on the reverse as O f the round old Engl ish

form , which , though so frequently seen , with some sl igh t variations, on

the sterl ings of W i l l iam the Lion, i s never found on the penn ies of the

Alexanders .

Thus far there has not been much of certainty,whatever there may

have been of method, i n these attributions . W i th Anderson,i n h is arrange

ment of the Alexander double cross sterl ings, i t seems ch iefly to have

been an affair of heads . Those pieces with the head to the right,whether

1 Num ism a tic C/zrom'

cl e,Ist Serie s , vol . iv. p. 1 79 .

2 This,too

,notw i thsta nding tha t

Ruddima n,in a note to Anderson ’

s de script ion, had indi ca ted the proper reading .


with the short or the long double cross, hav ing been assigned by h im to

Alexander 1.and those with the -head to the left— which , as figured i n h is

plate,are al l of the long double cross variety— to Alexander I I . Snell ing,

while hesi tating to depart from this arrangement, remarks, in connection

with Alexander 11 that he was i ncl i ned to bel ieve that th is k ing, at the

commencement of h is reign, did coin money with the short double cross

on the reverse,l ike h is father W i l l i am ; and that probably the short double

cross Alexander sterl ing with the head to the right, Fig. 1 of Snel l i ng’s own

plate,belonged to Al exander 11. rather than to Alexander 1. Snel l i ng

describes this piece as having the head to the left ; but i t i s to be remembered

that what is now described as wi th the head to the right,Snel l i ng— in common

with a l l the earl ier wri ters on Scottish numismatics, i nclusive also of Lindsay

— regarded as being to the left and, vice versa , what is now described as with

the head to the left, was described by Snell i ng and those others as to the right.

Cardonne l does not ment ion what led h im to delete from Plate 1. of

h is Num i’

sma ta Scotia , previous to publ icat ion, the s terl ings “ two of

Alexander 1. and one of Dav id I. ,as copied from Anderson and Snell i ng

’

s

plates. But from What i s further stated i n h is letter to Lord Buchan ,

above referred to, we learn that when Cardonne l proposed inserting these

pieces he had not yet received from the Laird of Brodie the sterl ings of

W i l l iam the Lion from the Dyke find ; these , undoubtedly, considerably

modified h is views respecting the appropriations of the earl ier Scottish

sterl ings . Notwithstanding Cardonne l’

s s i lence on the matter, or . ra ther

on account of i t, the Alexander sterl i ngs with the head to the r ight, both of

the short and the long double cross varieties, continued sti l l to be regarded

as belonging to Alexander I. , and are described as such in coi n sale

catalogues , even after the publ ication of Lindsay’s work on Scott ish coins

where the error was corrected, and a new but sti l l errone ous a t tri

bution of coins made to Alexander 1.

The first who attempted to bring historic evidence to bear upon the

attribution of the Alexander sterl ings appears to have been the Re v. Dr.

John Jamieson, i n a paper publ ished i n the Tra nsact ions of tfie Roy a l Societyof L itera ture, vol . i i . (A.D. I8 At the end of that paper he quotes from


for the short double cross . Matthew Paris, under 1 248, i n Speaking of the

great recoinage which had taken place , says, Cujus inquam m one tae forma

a ve teri dive rs icaba tur i n tantum , quod crux a’ujfil ica ta l im 6am l itera tum

pertra nsiéa t . I n re l iqu is autem, pondere , capital i impressione, cum l iterato

t i tulo,permanente ut prius .

”

Bower, i n referring to the corresponding change

on Scottish coins in 1 2 50 ,has not defined the form of the cross i n the same

expl ic i t terms,but i n h is case i t was scarcely necessary . And when th is writer

said that the cross,which formerly did not extend beyond the inner c ircle,

was now carried to the edge of the coin , he must have thought that he had

made h is meaning suffic iently plai n for the comprehension of all ordinary

understandings ; and no one den ies that the long double cross was the im

mediate successor of the Short double cross on Scottish as on Engl ish sterl ings.

The greater portion of Dr. Jam i eson ’s paper on the coins of Alex

anders I I . and I I I . consists of a refutation , or what he looked upon as

such , of Snell ing’s suggest ion that the great improvement i n workman

sh ip, as displayed on the long single cross money of Alexander I I I . , had

come from England,and had followed that made i n the monies of Edward

I . i n 1 2 79. I f i n th is surmise Snel l ing was correct, the conclusion could

not be resisted that all or nearly all of the double cross money was to be

regarded as having been struck under Alexander 111. Dr. J amieson,after

representing that this hypothesi s rested on the error in chronology sup

posed to have been committed by Snel l i ng,where 1 2 70 i nstead of 1 2 79

appears as the year on which the notable improvement on Engl ish money

took place under Edward I. , ventures on the assertion that “ there is not

a shadow of evidence that the mint -masters Of Alexander I I I . im itated

those of England.

” “ Had they done so,he remarks

,

“ they would most

probably have adhered to the plan of giving at least the names 0 1 the

mints, as on the coi ns of Edward I . and also,that instead of the stars

and mul lets in the four angles of the cross,i t was to have been expected

“ that the pellets invariably found on Edward’s sterl ings would have been

adopted ; and that , i nstead of the profile head , with the sceptre i n front, a

full face , as on the Engl i sh sterl i ngs, would have been presented.

W i th al l respect for Dr. J amieson,whose name will ever be regarded


wi th h onour i n Scotland, I cannot but employ towards these state

ments his own words,as appl ied by him to Snel l ing

’

s conjecture and

subsequent induction , “ that the whole of th is reason ing is obviously very

fl imsy ,” and

,i ndeed, qu i te away from the point. Dr. J amieson could not

but have been aware that Snel l ing must have been ful ly cogn isant of al l

these points of difference between the s ingle cross sterl i ngs of Alexa nder I I I .

and the sterl ings of Edward I . What led Snel l ing to regard these two monies

as resembl ing one another was the “ great improvement i n regard to the

workmansh ip ” on both the head,the cross, the letters, which were “ al l

better done, and the dispos ition of the whole more regular and uniform

than before. The more particular cons iderat ion of the singularly c lose

correspondence between the Engl ish and Scottish long Single cross sterl i ngs ,

as struck respectively under Edward I . and Alexander I I I . , will be entered

into when we examine i n deta i l the long s ingle cross money of Alexander

I I I . We shal l then find that wh i le the s imi larity i n the style of work

between the long double cross sterl ings of Henry I I I . and the long double

cross sterl ings of Alexander is sufficiently striking, the concord in th is case

extends to more minute detai ls,and is of a far more varied and consecutive

character, leading almost to the i nference that some of the workmen whom

Edward I . had brought from over the sea for the execution of the new

Engl ish money had found thei r way to the Scottish mints,and had been

employed upon th is new money of Alexander I I I . This i s certainly a

very natural explanat ion of a concord more c lose and more consecutive

than has ever been witnessed between Engl ish and Scottish money at any

period before or s ince, and abundantly j ustifies Snel l ing in h is conjecture

that the introduct ion into the Scott ish coinage of the long s ingle cross ster

l ings, with thei r improved workmansh ip , had followed their i ntroduct ion into

the Engl ish coinage .

The Re v . Dr. Daniel H . Haigh , one of the most eminent of Bri t ish

numismatists,i n a paper on early Scotti sh coins i n the Num i sm a t ic

Caron icl e , Is t Series , vol . iv remarks that he regards “a l l the pennies with

the long cross,whether double or s ingle , as belonging to Alexander I I I

.

And he founds th is Opin ion upon the very statement referred to by Jamie


son i n the A nna ls of Scot la na’, under Alexander I I I . , i n 1 2 50 (quoting from

Sir J ames Balfour’s vers ion) , that

“ This z e ire , K . Alexander renewed the

stampe of h is coyne,making the crosse to tuoche the w termost poyute of

the circke l l , Wich i n h is predice ssors ra ing e s i t d id not.

Lindsay’s atte ntion had been given to th is subject many years

before the publ ication, i n 1845 , of h is View of tbe Coinag e of Scotl a nd. I n

particular,i t was discussed by h im in a series of letters wi th the Re v.

J . W . Martin of Ke ston .

l Taking the statement under 1 2 50 i n Fordoun,

Bal four, and Hai les , i n what may be cal led an esoteric sense,Martin had

maintained, with Jamieson , that the long cross i ntroduced i n 1 2 50 on Scot

t ish coi ns was the long s ingle , not the long double cross. Lindsay, adhe r

i ng to the plain mean ing of the words, remarks i n his Scott is/t Coinag e , under

Alexander I I . The ev idence of h istory cannot be got over : i t appears

from the Scotti sh writers that i n 1 2 50 i t was ordered that the cross shoul d

pass through the legendary c ircle, which wa s not the case before in the

Scott ish series." Lindsay’

s profess ional trai n ing and experience as a

Barrister-a t -Law may be accepted as rendering h im al l the more fi t for

pronounc ing an Opin ion upon a question of ev idence . So l i ttle favour

did the long Si ngle cross theory find with Lindsay that he does not even

ment ion that there had been any correspondence between the Rev . Mr.

Martin and h imself on the subject .Cochran-Patrick

,i n h i s Records of t/ze Coinag e of Scotla na

’

, 1876 , im

pugus Lindsay’

s conclus ion , for wh ich , he says, “ the only authority i s the

Abbot Bower, who , alluding to the great coinage at the commencement of

the reign of Alexander I I I . , fal l s i nto the m istake (P) of suppos ing that i t

was the first i n wh ich the long cross was used . This Wal ter Bower,who

was elected Abbot of St . Colm in 14 18, at the age of thirty - three,was the

continuator of F ordoun’

s A nna ls , of which he wrote by far the larger

portion, for F ordoun died before he had carried h is h istory beyond the

reign of David 1. Besides hav ing command of al l the materials collected

by F ordoun, Bower must have had access to other sources of information,as, i n transcrib ing the part wri tten by Fordoun,

he has i nserted large inter

1 P roceedi ng s of tlze Soci ety of Antiguaries of Scotl a nd, vol . xi i. p . 2 83 .


the short double cross on Engl ish sterl ings, t il l the introduction of the long

single cross coinage in 1 2 79 under Edward 1.

According to Cochran - Patrick’

s arrangement we should have the

following results,i t being understood that any coins struck i n England

previous to 1 2 79 by Edward I . were coi ned under h is father’s name and

with h is father'

s type z— (I) That from the introduction of the short

double cross on Scottish money under W i l l iam the Lion in 1 195 down

to 1 247, when the change of type from the short double cross to the

long double cross was made on Engl ish coins, and, as asserted by

Cochram Pa trick, also on Scottish coins, the Scottish short double cross

sterl ings would have been of contemporary issue wi th the Engl ish

short double cross sterl i ngs ; (2 ) That the long double cross Alexander

sterl ings, from 1 247 to 1 2 50 , would have been of contempora ry issue

with the long double cross Henry sterl ings ; and (3 ) That the long

s ing le cross sterl i ngs of Alexander 111 from 1 2 50 to 1 2 79 , would

have been of corresponding issue with the long dou6le cross sterl i ngs of

Henry I I I .

Let us see what the evidence of finds of coins, to wh ich Mr. Cochran

Patrick appeals, has to say to th is , premising that such coins as may have

been found together are , for the greater part, to be regarded as hav ing

been i n course of issue together.

Thus , to take the Bute find (7th June referred to i n th is work

i n connect ion with the coins Of David I. : th i s hoard, besides a number

of sterl ings of David I . of the Scottish and of the Engl ish types, contained

four sterl ings of Stephen of England,but none of Henry I.

—the sterl ing

in that find previously ascribed to Henry I . bei ng now recognised as

belonging to Henry, Earl of Northum be rland, son of Dav id I.

1

Then , as regards the Dyke find referred to here i n connection

with the short s ingle cross, or crescent and pellet sterl ings of W i l l iam the

Lion , Cardonne l states that th is find contained,besides a large number of

these short s ingle cross sterl ings,a very considerable number of the (short

1 P roceeding s qf t/ze Society of An tiqua ries of Scotl a nd, vol . v. p . 3 7 2 ; Num ism a tic Citron

icl e, 2d Serie s, vol . v. p . 57 .


s ingle cross) coinage of Henry I I . of England, who was contemporary with Alexanders 11.d III.

W i l l l am of Scotland .

1 1

511

ouble crossW i th respect to the short double cross sterl ings of W i l l iam the Llon ,

controversy.

the Eccles find ( 1 1 th August along with nearly 6000 Short double

cross Henry sterl ings, and 10 5 I rish coi ns of J ohn, of the triangle type , struck

after he had become king of England , contained 196 penn ies of W i l l iam .

I t is not stated of what type the W i l l iam sterl ings in that find consisted ,

and,unfortunately, the names of the m ints are given separately from those

of the moneyers ; st i l l we can easi ly sati sfy ourselves that these pieces

must have been chiefiy, i f not exclusively, of the Short double cross type .

Berwick , for i nstance , a mint of the short Si ngle cross, or crescent and

pel let coinage , but not of the short double cross coinage ofW i l l iam the Lion

with the names of the m ints , i s not mentioned. Nor do we find the name

of F olpolt , the only Perth moneyer of the crescent and pellet type ; nor of

Adam , one of the Edinburgh moneyers of that coinage , and whose name

does not occur on the short double cross coins ; nor of Ailbode , nor of

Hue and

Raul ’s names are met with ; but these, as also al l the other names stated

W i l lame , nor of Raul De rl ig , al l short s ingle cross moneyers .

Wal ter, Hue W alter, Henri le Rus , and Peris Adam— are names found

on the short double cross sterl ings .2

I n the County Clare,a few years previous to 1839, writes Mr. Lindsay

,

a large parcel of Scotch coins wa s found, compris ing from 10 to 1 5 penn ies

of W i l l iam the Lion— evidently, from Mr. Lindsay ’s description , of the

short double cross type,as they were mostly of the Hue Walter variety

and from 40 to 50 long double cross sterl ings of Alexander, of which 10

had the head to the right, the remainder the head to the left. No Engl i sh

coins are mentioned as having been found along with these ; but, from the1 Cardonne l

’s Num ism a ta Scotia ,

pre fa ce,p .

3 . There ca n b e no doubt tha t i t is to the

Henry 11. short s ing le cross s terl ing s (Sne l l l ng ,I. 3 2 , Hks . , 2 85) tha t Cardonne l re fe rs , whe n hesta te s tha t a “ ve ry cons iderable num ber of the

coina ge of H enry II. of Eng land,”the contem

porary of W i ll iam the Lion, we re found a longw i th the W i l l iam short s ing le cross sterl ing s of

the cre scen t and pe l le t type in the Dyke hoa rd.

When Ca rdonne l wrote,the H e nry short double

cross sterl ing s were al l a ttri buted to Henry III.

The re m ay , howeve r, have be e n som e of the sepie ce s in the Dykefind

,a l though no m e nt ion is

m ade of them by Ca rdonne l,who only saw a

sm a l l port ion of the co ins .

2 Num isma tic Citronz'

cl e, 2d 5 . vol . v. p . 2 19.


local ity where the find took place, Engl ish money, there can be l i ttle

doubt,would be wel l represented . What is here most important to be

observed in a hoard contai ning W i l l iam short double cross and Alexander

long double cross sterl ings, i s the ent ire absence of Short double cross

Alexander sterl ings,showing that th is coinage could not have been of great

extent or of long duration .

ll

At Bantry, in the autumn of 1834, along with a large number of long

double cross sterl ings of H enry I I I . , several Scottish coins were found.

Sa inthil l procured as many of the penn ies of th is hoard as he could , and

bel ieved that the most of them came into h is hands. O f these there were

607 long double cross Engl ish sterl ings of H enry I I I .— embracing al l the

varieties ; 83 I rish penn ies of Henry I I I 1 double cross penny ofW i l l iam

the L ion,as figured in Snell ing, No. 16 — with the head to the right

,

apparently by Peris Adam of Roxburgh 10 sterl ings of Alexander -“ al l

with the long double cross, of which 2 had thefil le ted head to the right ,and the remainder the crowned head to the left . Sa inthill states that he

subsequently obtained another Spec imen with the head to the right,appar

ently of the crowned head variety, as being of the Edinburgh mint, of

which no coins with thefil le ted head have h i therto been publ i shed .

2

On Tower H il l, London, i n March 1869, i n s inking a shaft for the

new subway under the Thames, there were found 2 long double cross

penn ies of Alexander 111. with the crowned head to the left,2 1 3 long

double cross pennies of Henry I I I and 72 halves and 19 quarters of

pennies ; these last, states Mr. Evans , being “ l i terally half and quarter

pennies, formed by cutting up the larger coins .

” 3

W e shal l now see that such Engl ish coins as have been found along

with the long single cross sterl ings of Alexander 111. are almost exclu

s ive ly Single cross sterl ings of the Edwards .

At Newport, in the I sle ofW ight, August 1849, 3 1 long Single cross

sterl ings of Alexander I I I . and 6 pennies of Bal iol were found , i n connect ion

with 1 Henry I I I . sterl ing— h VG6 ON WIN6 h 6 ,ev idently of the long

1 Lindsay ’s View of til e Coinag e of Scotl a nd , p . 2 7 1 .

2 Sa inthil l ’s Ol l a P oam’

aa, vol . i . p . 1 2 4.

3 Num . Citron . 2d Serie s, vol . ix. p. 2 47 .


To summarise : the sterl ings of Dav id I . are found with those of

Stephen the short s ingle cross or crescent and pellet sterl ings of W i l l iam

the Lion,with the short s ingle cross sterl ings of Henry I I . ; the short

double cross sterl i ngs of W i l l iam the Lion , with the short double cross

sterl ings bearing the name of Henry— struck respectively, as we Shal l see ,

under Henry I I . , Richard I. , J ohn , and Henry I I I . the long double cross

sterl ings of Alexander III. with the long double cross sterl ings of H enry

I I I . the long s ingle cross sterl ings of Alexander I I I . with the long single

cross sterl ings of Edward I .

But what are we to say of the complete absence of the short cross

Alexander sterl ings from these finds ? I n the County Clare find, more

particularly,where short double cross sterl i ngs of W i l l iam the L ion and

long double cross Alexander sterl ings were m ixed together, i t m ight

reasonably have been expected that a fair proportion of short double cross

Alexander sterl ings should also have been met with . From 1 2 14, when

Alexander I I . succeeded his father, to 1 247, when , according to J amieson

and the others, the long double cross was introduced on Scottish coins,

Occupies a space of th i rty- three years, during which , by general admission ,

the only money that could have been coined under Alexander I I . w as

the short double cross sterl ings . I f, therefore , al l the money struck under

Alexander I I . from the commencement of h is re ign was issued in h is oWn

name, there ought to have been cons iderably more of the short double cross

Alexander sterl i ngs than of the short double c ross sterl ings of W i l l iam

in the County Clare find,as be ing struck considerably nearer the t ime of

its deposit. Why , then , were none of these found The only answer that

can be given, as already suggested in connection w ith thei r absence from

this hoard,i s, that the short cross Alexander sterl ings must have been a

comparatively l im ited coinage , extend ing over a brief portion of the reign

of Alexander I I . ; and that , c onsequently, such money, i f any , that may

have been issued during the prev ious and much the larger portion of h is

reign, must have been simply a continuat ion of h is father’s coinage , and

struck with h is father ’s name .

O ne important fact, bearing upon the term ination of the period of issue


of these pl e ce s, i s contributed by an Alexander sterl ing of the long double

cross variety i n the F erg usl ie collection, struck at Berwick— ROE6 R ON

B6 , Fig. 77. The obverse of th is coin i s from the same die as the obverse

of a short double cross sterl ing of Berwick i n the SSA. collection,Fig .

76 3 , showing conclusively that, whenever it may have been commenced, the

Alexander short double cross sterl i ngs had been in course of issue up to

or about the time that the long double cross sterl i ngs were introduced .

There i s no reason to suppose that any long interval could have

elapsed between the strik ing of the later Short double cross sterl ings with

the name ofW il l iam and the issue of those bearing the name of Alexa nder.

I ndeed , the later Roxburgh sterl ings with the name of W i l l iam,by Adam ,

Aimer Adam , and Peri s Adam , bear a much greater resemblance , i n thei r

reduced modules , smal l lettering, and smal l inner c ircles, to the Roxburgh

short double cross sterl ings of simi lar modules with the name of Alexander,

by Pieres, Alain Andrew , Andrew Ricard Adam, than they do to the

Roxburgh short double cross sterl i ngs of the larger modul es, larger lettering,

and larger inner c ircles , with the name of W i l l iam ,by Raul .

This shows that the Scottish short double cross coinage , l ike that of

England, was a conti nuous coinage , commencing with the coi ns of larger

modules and larger lettering,and terminating with those of smaller modules

and smaller lettering. I n the case of the Engl ish Short double cross

sterl ings , one name only, that of Henry, occurs al l through on the obverse

in the case of the Scott ish short double cross sterl ings , first the name of

W i l l iam,and subsequently that of Alexander

,appears on the Obverse .

I n the Eccles find,as we have seen

,there were nearly 200 Scott ish

sterl ings with the name ofW i l l iam on the obverse , apparently all of the short

double cross type . Exclusive of such coins as, from their imperfect con

dition , could not be properly classified , that hoard contained 5450 short

double cross Henry sterl i ngs . These pieces, as shown by Mr. Evans in h is

analysis of the Eccles find,

l found ing ch iefly upon Mr. Long sta ffe’

s arrange

ment,

” al though bearing the name of Henry only, and with no change of type,

1 “ The Short-Cross Que st ion ,” Num . C/zron . 2d S. vol . v. pp. 2 5 5, 2 9 5.

2 “ Northern Evidence on the Short-Cross Ques t ion,” Num . Citron. 2d S. vol. i i i. pp. 16 2 -188.


were struck under four several reigns— under Henry I I . , from about 1 180

to 1 189 ;under Richard I from 1 189 to 1 199 ; under J ohn, from 1 199 to

1 2 16 ; and under Henry I I I . , from 1 2 1 6 to 1 247.

O f the 5450 classified Henry short double cross sterl i ngs i n the Eccles

find only about 100 could be assigned respect ively to the Henry I I . and

Richard I.periods— these were “ large , wel l spread coins .

” About 2 5 20

corresponded to the J ohn period— “ smal ler coins, of neat workmansh ip.

About 2 730 were of the Henry I I I . period , struck ch iefly after 1 2 2 2 , described

by Evans as “ smal ler coins St i l l ; workmansh ip neat , bust placed low down

in inner c ircle,so as hardly to Show any neck — a description answering

remarkably to that portion of the short double cross sterl i ngs with the name

of W i l l iam on the obverse struck at Roxburgh by Peris Adam , Adam , and

Aimer Adam .

The great proportion of the Engl ish money,as contained i n th is

find,related , i t w il l be observed

,to the reigns of J ohn and Henry

I I I . ; showing, as remarked by Evans, “ how completely the latter i ssues

had , at the t ime when the hoard was deposited”

(supposed by Evans to

have been about supplanted the coins struck under Henry I I . and

Richard I .

The Eccles , or Manchester di strict, was a local i ty where Scottish sterl ings were l ikely easi ly to penetrate . Had the Scott ish Short double c ross

sterl ings , with the name of Alexander, been i n issue from 1 2 14 to 1 240 they

ought to have outnumbered the short double cross sterl ings with the name

of W i l l iam , i n a sim i lar proportion to What the later variet ies of the Henry

short double cross sterl ings i n the Eccles find outnumbered the earl ier

Henry short double cross varieties .

How is i t, then , that i n all the Eccles find we do not meet wi th one

short cross Scottish sterl i ng with the name of Alexander, while those with

the name of W i l l iam are so numerously represented ? I s it not evident

that, just as Richard I. , J ohn , and Henry I I I . , had continued striking their

money after the latest money of Henry 11.— the first two w i thout change

of name , and al l three without change of type— so the moneyers of Alexander

who was but a lad when he came to the throne,had continued strik ing


stood. I n neither of thes e respects, however, has i t ever been alleged that

Alexander I I . al tered h is money .

Those who hold that the “m u ta t io monete of 1 247, i n Scotland ,

was the substi tution of the long double for the short double cross are con

fronted by the clear evidence of finds, and by the passage in the Scot i

c/cron icon,under 1 2 50 , already referred to H oc anno moneta Scotica na

renova tur : ita ut, or as rendered by Balfour, under 1 2 50 This z e ire ,

K . Alexander renewed the stam pe of h is coyne , making the cross to tuoche the

wte rmost poyute of the circke l l, w ide in leispredicessors ra ing es it cl ia’not

words plainly stating that not unt i l 1 2 50 , and under Alexander 111 was

the long cross substi tuted for the short cross on Scottish coins . Con

sequently, the“muta t io monete of 1 2 47 must have referred to some other

change in the money than the prolongation of the cross to the outer c i rcle.

But the only other change i n Scott ish money that could have occurred

under Alexander I I . , i n 1 247 or during h is re ign , was the plac ing of h is own

name , i nstead of that of h is father, upon h is coins . A “m uta t io monete ”

noteworthy enough , after the many years during which the money of

Alexander I I . had been struck wi th h is father ’s name,to have obtained

some brief contemporary record .

When Henry I I I . , i n 1 247, made h is“m uta t io monete by extending

the cross on the reverse to the extreme edge of the coin, be further, to

distingu ish h is new money from that of h is predecessors, placed the Roman

numerals III. , or T6 R6 I, after h is name and ti tle. For Alexander I I. ,

the substitution of h is own name,for that of h is father, suffic iently

distinguished h is new money from that by which i t had been preceded .

Possibly a change in the style of the cross on the reverse , when the

change of the name was made,may also have been contemplated, but had

not immediately been carried out .

I t i s of no use quoting the earl ier writers on Scottish numismatics,

as Cochran - Patrick has done,as authori t ies on the proper attribution

of the coins of the Alexanders. W i th l i ttle opportun ity for personal

observation of the coins they described,they borrowed from one another

the same few pieces, on which they made thei r l i ttle Show of learning


pieces which are figured and described by them over and over again , and

in some important instances , by no means correc tly . So far as appears

from their wri tings they were l iterally groping i n the da rk,and they do

not seem to have been acquainted even with the sca nty references i n the

early Scott is/z C/zron icl es to the changes i n the coinage.

At a later period , when the Dyke find had made col lectors of Scottish

coi ns tolerably famil iar with the crescent and pellet or Short s ingle cross

sterl i ngs of W i l l iam the Lion, and when the brief references in the early

Scott is/z Gnronz'

clcs to the changes in the coinage began to be quoted,i t

came to be hi nted , rather than d isti nctly asserted, that the extension of

the cross to the edge of the coin, mentioned in the C/zron icles under 1 2 50 ,

was s imply an extension of the old short s ingle cross,as shown on the

crescent and pellet coinages .

“ I n confirmation of th is v iew , observes Cochran - Patrick,by whom

,

after having been buried for some th irty years,i t has been resusci tated

,

“ i t may be noted that the author (rather the continuator)“ of the

Scot ic/cron icon uses the word crux to express the long s ingle cross on

the reverse of the coinage of 1 2 50 , whi lst Matthew of Paris,describing

the change from the short to the long double cross type,uses the words

crux dupl zca ta .

" 1

I t i s i ndeed fortunate,al though only natural , that Matthew of Paris

a contemporary writer,who d ied i n 1 2 59

— ln chron icl ing the change from

the short to the long cross on the Engl ish coi nage, should have been so

precise i n h is phraseology as to have employed the term crux a’upl iea ta .

The double cross was the only style of cross on the reverse of Engl ish

money in h is day, and i t was i n ordinary course that he Should use the

expression crux dupl ica ta . But the Abbot Bower, the cont inuator of the

Scot icfironicon ,writi ng i n the reign of J ames I when the crux dupl ica ta

had long passed away from the Scottish coinage, suffic iently defined h is

mean ing when he stated s imply that the cross wh ich formerly extended onlyto the inner c ircle was now extended to the extreme edge of the coin . I t

is very doubtful i ndeed if the short s ingle cross sterl i ngs of W i ll iam the

1 P roceeding s of the Society of An tz’

gua n’

es of Scot l and, vol . xi i . p . 2 84.


Lion were known to Bower any more than they were to N icolson , Ander

son, W i se , and Snell ing.

This i s by the way ; for, after all , such play upon words has very

l ittle to do with the matter.

Less fortunate than English numismatists,who possess m iIch, com

para t ive ly, of contemporary record to gu ide them in the study of the early

coinage of the i r country, we in Scotland have had l i ttle to ass ist us bu t

such i nformation as can be drawn from the coins themselves, and from

such scanty notices of finds of early Scotti sh and Engl ish coins as have

been publ i shed .

The conclus ions, from what has been here stated in connection with the

coinage of the Alexanders I I . and I I I . period , appear to me to be ( I), That

Alexander I I . , l ike h is Engl ish contemporaries,struck h is money with

h is father’

s name and type up to 1 247 ; (2 ) That , withou t change of type ,but with change of name only from W i l l iam to Alexander

,th i s money was

continued up to 1 2 50 ; 3 ) That , from 1 2 50 t il l about 1 2 79, the long double

cross coins of Alexander were struck (4) That the long single cross money

of Alexander was i ntroduced about 1 2 79, or Shortly after the corresponding

change on the Engl i sh coinage .

1

tha t of Ale xa nder III. beg an.

i f the type had be en prom ptly im i ta ted in Scotland, Ale xa nder II. would have had but l i ttle

1 The fol low ing pert inen t rem a rks on the Even, there fore ,Alexander double cross que st ion are m ade

by John Eva ns,Esq , LL.D. , the

Pre s ide nt of the Num ism a t i c Socie ty, in his

ann iversary addre ss,June 1 6 , 188 1 Whe ther

the se pe nn ie s w i th the long double cross are to

b e a ssigned to the se cond or third Ale xa nde r ofScotland is a subje ct which ha s be en m uch

Looking a t i t from the Eng l ish po int of view, whichreg ards Scotland a s indebted to Eng land for

some of its e arly type s, and not Eng land a s

borrowing de vice s from Scotla nd,i t wou ld se em

under discuss ion by Scott ish a nt iquarie s.

a s if few, if any, of the ir coins were struck underAlexander II.introduced in Eng land in 1 2 47 or 1 2 48, a nd

The long cross type was first

continued in use unt il a bout 1 2 79. Th e re ignof Ale xa nder II. cl osed on July 8

,1 2 49, when

m ore than a ye ar in which to strike such co ins,while Ale xander III. would have had thirty. The

Chron icle of Me lrose re cords an a l tera t ion of the

co ina g e in 1 2 47 , while the con t inua torof F ordoun

re cords one in 1 2 50 . It appe ars to m e tha tboth the se re cords m ay re fer to one and the

sam e innova tion of type , the introduct ion of the

long double cross. This is,however, hardly the

pla ce for discuss ing the subje ct in any de ta i l .

F or the pa ss ing re ference to the Alexander

double cross que st ion by Mr. Evans, in his

pre s ide ntia l addre ss, we are indebted to the

pa per by Sherifi' Ma ckenz ie (Nam . C/zron . 3d

Serie s,vol . i . pp . 1 58 on an Al exa nder

penny, wi th the crowned he ad to le ft on the oh


Fig. 70A.

Crowned head -to left, with sceptre ; the crown and the Wh iskers as

preceding ; ruder workmansh ip .

O. (AL)6 XSAND6 R R6 X

The legend is retrograde on the obverse.

3 114 PI6 R(6 S) OMR06 2 0 grs .

In the S SA. col lection .

Fig. 7 1 .

Crowned head to left , with sceptre ; n ine pel lets i n the fi l let or belt of

the crown a cross of four pel lets above ful l whiskers the sceptre enti rely

with in the legendary c ircle ; the round object before R6 X i s not a letter,

but represents the royal hand hold ing the sceptre ; compare wi th the

W i l l iam the Lion sterl ing, Fig. 68.

2 . O. AL6 XSAND6 R R6 X B . T P16 R6 S ON RO6

Armour upon the shoulders.

I8 g rs .

The pel lets on the fil let or bel t of the crown and on the cross above

do not come out so clearly on th is p iece as on some other specimens,owing

to the Obverse be ing Sl ightly oxid ised.

and in the a ttribut ing of the first two classe s andof part of the th ird cla ss to Ale xa nder III.Sheriff Ma ckenz ie ’

s ing en ious spe cula t ions are,

however,to b e reg arded a s put forward ra ther

as a the ore tica l'

a tt em pt to re concile difficul tie sthan a s profe ss ing to posse ss scientific va lue .

In my own obse rva t ions I have be en chieflysol i ci tous to bring tog e ther such fa cts a s be arupon the subje ct, wi th the view of a ss ist ing others

Al l

are agre ed tha t the long double cross wa s not

to form a n Opin ion upon i t for them se lve s .

introduced into the Scottish co inag e e arl ier tha n1 2 47 or la te r tha n 1 2 50 . The rem arkable proofafi'orded by the two Alexander Berw ick penn ie s

,

F ig s . 7 6 3 a nd 7 7 , struck from one common oh

verse die,but the one wi th the short a nd the

other w i th the long double cross on the revers e,

concl us ive ly shows tha t the Ale xander short doublecross m oney had be en in proce ss of issue up to

the introduct ion of the Ale xander long doubleOn the other hand, the Ale xander

short double cross co inag e could sca rce ly haveWhile

,there fore

,i t is

qu i te posslb l e , a s sugg e sted by Mr. Evans, tha t

cross coinage .

be en of long dura t ion .

the re cords of 1 2 47 and 1 2 50 m ay both havere la ted to one and the sam e innova t ion of type

(the introduct ion of the long double cross coinag e ),i t se em s more in consonance w i th the fa cts toregard the re cord of 1 247 a s re fe rring to the

superseding of the W i ll iam by the Alexandershort double cross m oney

,a nd the re cord of 1 2 50

a s re fe rring to the superseding of the Al e xandershort double cross by the Alexande r long doublecross m oney.


Fig. 72 .

Crowned head to left, with sceptre ; the same style of crown as on

Figs. 70 , 70A ; the same ful l whiskers, but the face larger.

3 . O. (AL)6 XSAM(D6 R R6 CX) 3 .114 P16 R6 S 0 (N R06 ) 2 13 grs .

The Inscr iptions,as above given

,have been supplemented from those

of two other specimens,respect ively i n the col lections of the Re v. Mr.

Pol lexfe n and the Brit ish Museum . The B.M. specimen is autotyped , Pl .

I . 7, of Cochran - Patrick’s Records of Me Coinag e of Scotl a na’. A Similar

piece is fig ured , Lindsay, Pl . 111. 50 ,No. 109 of the Descript ive Ca ta logu e ,

but represented by mistake as read ing on the reverse P16 R6 S ON RX .

Fig . 7 2A.

Crowned head to right, with sceptre ; eight pellets i n the crown ; three

pellets above i n fleur-de ~ l i s form on the centre, and one at each end .

3a . 0. T AL6 XSAND6 R R6 X Be T ANDRV RIGAR ° ADAM OMR0

[2 4 g rs .

I n the Cochran - Patrick , and , from the same dies , i n theHM. col lection .

’

Fig. 73 .

Crowned head to right , with sceptre , as Fig . 72A,but with a l i s to the

front of the crown and not on the centre .

4. O. A(L6 XSA)ND6 R R6 X 3 114 ALAIN AN(DR6 )V ON R0 2 31 e

I have met with no other specimen of th is p iece.

Fig. 74 .

Crowned head to right, with sceptre seven pel lets in the fi l let or bel t of

the crown,none above ful l whiskers drapery encircl ing the neck.

5 . o. R6 X 3 .114 ALAIN ANDR6 V ON R 203, grs .

The R at the end of the legend on the reverse is i n monogram with

the N i n ON. I have seen only one other spec imen of th is p iece .

1 The B .M. spe cim en is figured, L.,PI. Il l . 49, a nd in Cochra n-Pa tri ck’

s Records of t/i e Coin.

ag e of Scot la nd, P l . 1. 8.

Berw ick.


Fig. 75 .

Head to left,uncrowned no sceptre large wh i skers .

6 . O. T AL6 XSAND6 R6 X B . T ALAIN 3 ANDRV ON R0 2 13 grs .

The R i n R0,as on the last p iece, i s i n monogram with the N . Two

other specimens— of which one has ONK on reverse— are i n the S SA .

col lection al l three are from the same obverse die. The lettering on the

obverse of these coins i s Of a sharper and more angular character than on

the reverses .

All the Roxburgh Short double cross Alexander sterl ings that I have

seen have an S i n AL6 XSAND6 R ; th is is a pecul iari ty , confined appar

ently to the Roxburgh sterl ings .

BERWICK.

Figs . 76 , 76A.

Head to right,with sceptre ; a close cap or crown , with scroll ornaments ;

large wh iskers cover ing the whole cheek . Smal l lettering ; smal l i nner

c ircles as on the later Roxburgh sterl i ngs with the name of W i l l iam on the

obverse,but probably struck under Alexander I I . Roman M as on al l the

Alexander penn ies,whether of the short or of the long cross type .

7 . O . A(L6 )XND6 R R6 X 3 . WAL6 RO (3 ON) B6 (R)

72 . O. (AL6 X)AND6 R R6 X 3 W (AL R)OB ON B6 R 1 73 g rs .

The coi n No. 7, Fig . 76 , i s from the Martin and the Marqu is ofHastings cabinets. I t is figured in Lindsay, Pl . I I I . 48, but without any

letters given of the name of the mint, of which only the lower portions of

B6 are recogn isable on the coin . Fortunately the other specimen, N0 . 7a ,

F ig . 76A, i n the S SA. col lection , shows the letters ON B6 R very dist inctly,

so that no doubt can exist respecting the correct attribution of these pieces .

The short double cross Alexander sterl ing described below, Fig. 76 3 ,

figured in Anderson , Pl . CLVI I . 2 ,and copied by W i se and Snell ing

,

formerly in the Advocates ’ and now in the S SA . collection , also belongs

AlexanderIII.


Fig. 75A.

70. O. RLGXRNDa R Ra x

B .+1< WLLGI(MVS ?) h iXWLS, RawLs , or KRWLS

The two letters before 1171,RE

, or KR on the reverse seem rather to be

VS than ON the letter L in h KWLS, RKWLS, or KF WLS, i s stamped over

an 71 .I n connection with th is piece I have again very careful ly examined

2 grs.

the inscript ion on the reverse of the Dav id I . sterl ing i n the S.S.A. col le c

t ion,Fig

. 6 13 , on which the first two letters of the name of the mint are 117i ;

but I do not th ink tha t the th ird letter of the name of the mint on that coi n

can be a W . I can make noth ing of h KWLS, or of RKWLS but KKWLS

might poss ibly represent Kelso, a very l ikely place for a mint .

W i th a beardless head , partlyfil le ted, with sceptre, to right, a shortdouble cross Alexander sterl i ng, apparently w ithout the name of the mint ,

i n the S.S.A . col lection , Fig . 75 13 , i s inscribed on the reverse WILEM

IOhKN ON. The L in WIL on th is piece has the foot stroke at such an

acute angle as to be with difficul ty recognised as an L,but i t i s the same L

as in KLGIXKNDGR on the obverse Another short double cross Alexander

sterl i ng,in the Kermack Ford collect ion , Fig. 7 of very neat execut ion

—with beardless head, crown of pearls , and sceptre to right— shows

on the reverse IOh KN ON, but unfortunately the remainder of the inscript ion is completely obl i terated . I t i s more l ikely that these two pieces

belong to Berwick than to Roxburgh, as we have long double cross coins

of Berwick with WILAM and IOh ZXN respectively as moneyers.

fll zranner 111111.

SUCCEEDED HIS FATHER, ALEXANDER STH J ULY 1 249, IN THE 8TH

YEAR O F HIS AGE ; KILLED,I6THMARCH 1 2 85

- 6 .

LONG DOUBLE CRoss SERIES— STARS OF SIX POINTS.

My reasons for placing all the long double cross pieces under Alexander I I I . have been al ready stated . I t i s a singular ci rcumstance

,not

1 This un ique pie ce is now in the F ergusl ie ca bine t .


hitherto noticed, I bel ieve, that on none of the sterl i ngs with the long double

cross has the face whiskers .

I n the only instance known to me of a long double cross sterl ing hav ing

its obverse struck from the same die as a short double cross sterl i ng (as

al ready referred to i n connect ion with the Berwick sterl ing of Alexander

F ig. the head is without whiskers, suggesting that the short double

cross Alexander sterl ings, with the wh iskerless head , may probably have

been issued under Alexander I I I . I t i s not mentioned in the Scotz'

c/Erom’

con

at what t ime i n 1 2 50 the cross on the Scottish money was extended to the

edge of the coin . The year then extende d to the 24th March of what wewould now cal l 1 2 5 1 , al lowing ample t ime for short cross sterl i ngs to have

been struck under Alexander I I I . prev ious to the introduction of the long

double cross money.

O n the other hand, on that portion of the Henry short cross coinage

assigned to Henry I I I . (Evans , Class the head is always bearded,

just as on the coi ns ascribed to J ohn,h is father (Evans, Classes I I I . and

notwithstand ing that Henry I I I . on h is accession in 1 2 16 was only

i n h is tenth year.

The Scotch , however, may have been more particular than the Engl ish

i n some matters of detai l . They certai nly were so, as we have already

seen,i n the manner of representing the crownfieurie , hav ing adopted the

bi foi l form of d isplay ing the fleurs-de- l i s at the s ides of the crown as early as

on the short double cross sterl ings with the name of W i ll iam . Poss ibly,

therefore,on the coming to the Scottish throne of a young king in h is e ighth

year,i t may well have been thought that the heavy whiskers, which formed

so striking a feature on the portrai t of the father’

s coins, were out of place

on those of the son . I f ever there was a re a l portrai t on early Scottish

coins,i t was surely that O f the heavy-whiskered, most mascul ine head on

the Roxburgh short double cross sterl ings of Alexander I I . The Berwick

short double cross sterl ings,which show a more conventional style Of head,

appear to have been of later issue than those of Roxburgh .

The long double cross sterl ings of Alexander I I I . are distributed by

Lindsay into three coinages,accord ing to the style Of head ; ( 1) Those


with bare,or ratherfil le ted, head to right, regarded by Lindsay as the first

coinage ; (2 ) Those with crowned head to right, regarded as the second

coinage ; and (3 ) Those with crowned head to left, regarded as the th ird

coinage .

This arrangement has general ly been accepted by col lectors . I t i s

s imple enough,affording an easy system of classificat ion. I t i s not so very

certain,however

,that the long double cross sterl ings of Alexander I I I .

were actually struck in th is way, so far as the three several variet ies of head

can be considered as constituting dist i nctly consecutive coinages .

Certai n of the long double cross sterl i ngs with the crowned head to left,

more particularly those of Berw i ck with the lettering the same as on the

short double cross coinages, must, i t i s ev ident, have been of very early

issue . I ndeed,were there no sterl ings with the head to right of the long

double cross series, the sterl i ngs with the crowned head to left of the several

mints would amply suffice to fi l l up the whole gap between the short double

cross and the long s ingle cross coinages . All the varieties of letteri ng, as

represented on the sterl i ngs wi th thefille ted head to r ight , and with the

crowned head to right, are met with on those with the crowned head to left.

I n the fol lowing arrangement of the long double cross coinages O f

Alexander I I I . , my object has been to show the correspondence of the

several variet ies wi th each other i n regard to lettering and other respects .

Taking the letter X as the crucial or key letter,with wh ich the other

letters, notably the 7K, more or less correspond, i t wi l l be found that certai n of

the long double cross sterl ings with thefil le ted head to right, and also certai nof those with the crowned head to left

,present a plain s tyle of X, with a plai n

A with equal s ides as on the Alexander short double cross sterl ings .

Subsequently to the issue of these pieces wi th the plain X and the plai n

A with equal s ides , i t would appear that certai n sterl ings were struck with

the crowned head to right, having a plain X and a plain A ,with the left s ide

obl ique and frequently coming to a rather sharp point at the top . This

seems to have been a general coinage,as one particular style of head and

lettering is common to several mints ; but i t may not have been of long

continuance , for individua l specimens are very rare.

Alexander III.( 1249-1285

Long doubleCross coinag e .

Berm ck .

lTHE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND.

and in the arrangement of the hai r, but not requiring particular ment ion

unless In spec ial instances .

Four stars of six points are i n each quarter of the cross on the reverse.

BERWICK .

I . PLAIN X AND A.

Fig. 77.

Head to right,with sceptre a close cap or crown , with scrol l ornaments

the obverse is from the same die as the short cross Alexander sterl ing, Fig.

76 13.

I. O. KLGXANDGR R6 X B . ROEHR ON EH 2 2 grs .

The lettering on the reverse of th i s com 15 larger than on the Obverse ,

and the stems are sl ightly more pointed. The proper reverse for th is obverse

i s that of Fig. 76 13, with the smal l straight lettering exactly as on the obverse .

The cross pommee of the sceptre - head , wh ich as usual is entirely with in the

legendary c ircle , i s here placed sl ightly awry, a c ircumstance to be par

t icula rly not iced i n connect ion with the two fol lowing sterl i ngs , also with the

head to right.

A pecul iar i nterest attaches to th is p iece : the cap, or crown , with its

curious row of scrol l ornaments along the top, better exh ib ited on Fig. 7613 ,

corresponds with that on the head of the princ ipal figure on a large sculp

tured stone in the museum of the Soc iety of Antiquaries of Scotland .

This stone— apparently the upper portion of a rounded arch— was

found many years ago in the bed of the W ater of Ma y, immediately under

the Holy H ill of Forteviot,on which h il l

,with i n a hundred years ago,

existed remains of an anc ient palace,popularly supposed to have been

erected by Malcolm Canmore,or by some of his more immediate succes

sors . I n a paper entitled O bservat ions on Forteviot,the Si te of the

Ancient Capi tal of Scotland, Dr. W . F . Skene , referring to th is stone,

remarks that “ i t has every appearance of having formed a part of the

ancient palace , probably the top of the gateway . The sculpture i s very

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND. 1 2 3

rudely executed i n bas-rel ief,and has apparently been done in the eleventh

or twelfth century .

” 1 About the middle of the th irteenth century would

probably have be en nearer the period ; the correspondence of the head

dress with that on th i s coin point ing to the conclus ion that the royal per

sonag e represented on the stone was Al exander I I . or I I I .

Figs . 78, 79.

Filleted head to right, with sceptre ; the fil let or crown rendered by

two l ines.

2 . O. KLGXKMDGR REIXX H. WAL ROB OVI BEIR

3 . O. ALGXAMDEIR REIXX B . ROB6 RT ON BEI

The obverses of these two pieces, although very s imilar i n appearance ,are not from the same die but both have evidently been Copied, with m odifications, from the obverse of the sterl ing No . I. The cross pommee sceptre

head which on NO . 1 , bes ides being placed awry or salt irewise , i s separated

from the body of the sceptre by the inner ci rcle,has been replaced on N05 .

2, 3 , by a plain cross , disposed before the inscription sal ti rewise, immediately

above the sceptre , but quite detached from it ; while what was the in i tial

cross before the legend on N o. I has been retained, but converted into a

second X in R6 X . Except on the pieces above described , and on the two

following,I am not aware of a s ingle instance where a cross occurs before

the inscript ion on the Obverse of a long double cross sterl ing. I t i s rarely

met with before the i nscription on the obverse even on the short double

cross sterl ings of Alexander I I . This renders i t all the more probable that

the Obverse of the sterl ing N o. 1 , al though not Copied servi lely,served as

a model for the obverses of the sterl ings Nos . 2 , 3 .

The double name— WAL ROB— ou the reverse or No. 2 , further con

ne cts the two long double cross sterl ings Nos. 2 , 3 , with the Berwick short

double cross sterl ings . The two pieces Nos . 1 , 2 have never before been

publ ished. They formed part of the very valuable collection ofMr. Thomas

1 Arc/za ologr'

ca Sca l t'

ra,vol . iv. p. 2 78.


G ray of G lasgow, which , as previously mentioned, wa s i ncorporated in the‘

Fe rgusl ie collection . The sterl ing N o . 3 was purchased at the W i ngate

sale,and is figured i n W ingate, Is t Sup. Pl . I . 8. Each of these three

pieces appears to be unique. Lindsay was unacquai nted with any of them,

or with any similar coi ns connected with Berwick . The sterl i ngs Nos . 2 , 3are the only Alexander penn ies wi th thefil le ted head , so far as has comeunder my notice , where the fi l let i s expressed by two l ines .

Figs . 80 , 8 1 .

Crowned head to left, with sceptre low flat crown .

4. O. x KLGXKNDGR i REIX B . IOI‘

IAN ON EHR 1912 grs .

5 . o. x KLGIXKNDGER Re x E. 10m m OMM R 2 2% grs .

O n these two pieces the sal tire cross above the sceptre-handle , although

stil l quite detached from the sceptre, may be regarded as servi ng the two

fold purpose of an i ni t ial cross before the inscription and of a sceptre-head .

No. 4 exh ibits a cross of five pellets at the end of the i nscription on the

Obverse, apparently as a substitute for the second X in REIX,as exh ibited

on Nos . 2 , 3 . The fact of the saltire cross occurr ing above the sceptre on

the sterl ings with thefil le ted head to right, N05 . 2 , 3 , and on the sterl ings

with the crowned head to left, Nos . 4 , 5 , closely connects these two varieties

of head . I t would seem as i f, while Wal ter Robert, and Robert s ingly,

were striking money with thefil le ted head to right, J ohn was striking coinswi th the crowned head to left. Possibly J ohn ’s name may yet be met with

on some of the Berwick long double cross sterl i ngs with thefille ted head toright, just as Walter

’s name is found singly on some of the long double cross

sterl ings with the crowned head to left.

Figs . 82 , 83 .

The same type as the above .

6 . O. ALGXHNDGR RX B . IOh AN ON BGR

7 . 0. ALGXHNDGR R6 X Br. IOI’

IHN ON B6 R


The fol lowing two pieces, wh ile closely al l ied to the above , and ev i

dent ly of corresponding issue— having the same letteri ng, the same low flat

crown and long flowing locks— di splay a much more youthful style of head .

The moneyer’s name on both is the same as on the two sterl ings,Nos . 8, 9.

Fig. 86 .

IO . 0. ALGXAND(€R R)€X B . WAL(TEIR) ON BEIR 2 4 grs.

The inscriptions on th is p iece, wh ich are somewhat defect ive,have

been here supplemented from similar specimens in other collections.

Fig. 87.

II. 0. ALGXANDGR (RGX) B . WALT6 R ON BER 2 2 g rs.

The inscript ion on the reverse of th is coi n i s retrograde—a very rare

occurrence on the long double cross sterl ings, and wh ich I have not Ob

served except on a few sterl ings of Berwick by th is same moneyer.

The fol lowing coi ns, also by Wal ter, correspond i n their general

characterist ics with the two sterl i ngs last described, but the crown, wh ile

i n the same flat style, i s d i fferently ornamented .

Figs . 88, 88A.

1 2 . O. KLGXKNDGIR RGIX B . WKLTEIR ON B6 R g rs.

1 2 4 . 0. Do. R. Do. 2 1 grs.

On No. 1 2 the whole of the inscription on the obverse and the name

of the mint on the reverse are retrograde ; on No . 1 2 2 ( i n the B.M. col

lection) the inscriptions are entirely retrograde .

Fig. 89.

1 3 . o. ALa a DaR Re x B . WNLTGR) BGRWIh 2 3 grs.

13a . 0. Do. : the same head. B. WILL ON BGR 2 1} grs .

The second of these pieces,wh ich is in the Polle xfe n collect ion , has

its reverse from the same die as the reverse of the sterl ing with the crowned

head to right, No. 184 ,Fig. 95A.


Some of the letters i n the inscription on the reverse of No. 13 are off Alexa nder III.

the coin , but, as shown by other specimens with which I have compared Long doublethis piece, the correct reading is as given above. The stars on the reverses cross coina g e

on both Nos. 1 3 and I34 have a pel let on the centre.

13m m “

From the same obverse die as the Berwick sterl ing, Fig. 89, a Perth

sterl i ng i n the Hunter ian col lect ion,Fig. 89A,

has on the reverse (REDNKLD

DH PEIR ; affording the only i nstance that has come under my observat ion

of the same obverse die being employed upon long double cross sterl ings of

d ifferent m ints, other than on the coins in that remarkable group, to be

afterward described , which , with one common nam e of moneyer, are a t tri

buted severally to G lasgow, Forres, Dunbar, and Montrose . No other

Perth sterl ing that I have seen has th is head .

The fol lowing very pecul iar sterl i ng of Berwick, i n the Hunterian

col lect ion, of wh ich I have seen no other spec imen , has the fi l let or bel t

of the crown formed by a row of s ix pellets, with three pellets above i n

fl eur-de- l i s form on the centre, and a pel let at each end. The head has long

flowing locks .

Fig. 8913 .

1 35. O. ALGXANDGR RGX R. WALTGR BGRWII'I Z lfigrs.

The style of head on the fol lowing curious group of sterl i ngs, as on the

preceding,i s pecul iar to Berwick . The curls are put i n enti rely by rows of

pellets . The stars on the reverses are very neatly formed ; although on

No. 16 , apparently through inadvertence, the stars in the first and second

quarters have seven i nstead of s ix poi nts as usual ly met with .

Fig. 90 .

I4. 0. ALGXKNDHR RGIX B . IOh AN ON B6 R 2 2g grs.

Fig. 9 1 .

1 5 . O. ALHXANDGIR R6 X B. IOh KN ON BEIR 2 0 grs .

Figs . 92 , 92A.

1 6 . 0. ALGXANDGR RGIX B . IOh AR ON BEIR

16 61. O . Do . B . IOh AN ON B6 R


An ornamental K appears on the Obverse of No. 14 ; a sharp-pointed

A,with unequal s ides, on the obverse of No . I5 and a plain 7K

,with equal

s ides,on the obverses of N05 . I6 and 16A. The sterl ing N0 . 16 i s remark

able as showing the round 11 i n 10mm , the only i nstance , so far as has

come under my notice , of the round D. on sterl i ngs of Alexander I I I . , and

probably the earl iest example of th is II on Scottish coins .

1 There is a

pellet on the centre of the square N i n ON on NO . 16 , and on the centre

of the N i n KLGXKNDGIR on the obverse of No . 14. The sceptre - head

on the three coins Nos. I4 , I5 , I6 , ow ing to the manner i n wh ich the

pellets are disposed , has the appearance of being fleurie ; on No. 164 ( i n

the Pol le xfe n collection) the sceptre -head i s a cross pommee .

The name of J ohn does not seem to occur on any of the long double

cross sterl ings of Berwick on which the head is common to the sterl ings of

other mints . These pieces are apparently of later i ssue than those on which

the style of head is confined to Berwick. The manner of rendering the

moneyer ’s name— IOh AN— i s also pecul iar to Berwick . The only instance

i n wh ich I have met with i t i n th is form on a coin other than of Berwick,

i s on the Perth sterl i ng,with crowned head to right

,No . 34 , Fig. 97

figured Lindsay, Pl . I I I . 5 7, and W ingate , Pl . I V . I3 , previously i n the

Lindsay and W i ngate cabinets ? Very possibly the j ohn who minted at

Berwick may have removed to Perth .

The fol lowing piece , with crowned head to right , has not the z igz ag style

of profi le commonly met with on the sterl ings of that type,and wa s probably

a very early issue . The hair is arranged i n long flowing locks i nstead of i n

crisp curl s and the letter A has the s ides equal , instead of being of the sharp

obl ique character usual to the sterl ings with crowned head to r ight . The

sceptre - head is of the same pecul iar form as on the sterl i ng N0 . 9a , Fig.

84A, with the crowned head to left.

1 Since the above wa s in type Iha ve re ce ived 2 At Genera l Moore ’s sa le (Sotheby

’s, Apri l

from Profe ssorYoung a tinfoil im pre ss ion of a Be r 1879) an A le xa nder III. sterl ing wi th the

w ick sterl ing in the Hun teria n colle ct ion, w i th a crown ed he ad to le ft,wa s incorre ctly de scribed

s im i lar style of he ad on the obverse to F ig . 89, in the sa le ca ta logue a s re ading IODAN ON

re ading on the reverse IODAN OR BEIR. PER inste ad of IOh AN ON BQ R.


t inctly an O . A coin of Roxburgh , exactly similar with ANDRQ V ON R0,

i s i n Mr. Cochran - Patrick’

s cab inet, and is publ ished as unique, Num .

C/zron . N.S. vol . x i . p . 2 8 As on no other sterl i ng attributed to Berwick

does Andrew’

s name appear, th is name must be removed from the l ist of

Berwick moneyers .

I I I . FLORID X , AND FLORID 71.

Figs . 10 7, 107A.

Crowned head to left, with sceptre ; the features rendered i n a rather

pronounced style, i n keepi ng with the pronounced style of the letteri ng.

19. O. ALGXANDEIR R6 X B . ROER ON BHWII’I 2 3 grs .

194 . 0. From the sam e die . B . ROBEIRT ON B61 22 2} g rs.

The first letter of the moneyer'

s name on No . 19 i s i n monogram with

the adj oin ing l imb of the cross, and the last letter is i n monogram with the

B. No. 194 i s i n the Pol le xfe n collection . Some of the Berwick coins

with the head as on these pieces have the sceptre - handle ornamented with

sal tires.

I V . ROUNDED X , BROAD O BLIQUE A.

Fig. I1413.

Crowned head to left, with sceptre .

o. ALXRNDHR Re x R. (RO )B€IRT ON B 2 2} grs.

I n the Pol le xfe n col lection apparently a restruck piece.

V. CURULE CHAIR - SHAPED X , MEDIUM O BLIQUE 7X.

Figs . 139, I39A.

Crowned head to left w ith , sceptre .

20 . O. ALGXANDEIR RGX R. WILL’

ON EHR

204 . Do . : from entire ly diffe rent dies— in the RM. co l le ction ,

1 Figured I’

Vum . Citron . N.S. vol . 10 1. P l . XI. 1 .

2 An e xam ple of th is pie ce,from the Kerm a ck Ford cabine t, is now in the F ergusl ie colle ct ion.


Fig. 140. Alexa nder III.( 1249- 1285

2 1 . O. ALHXZINDGR REIX R. WAL ON BGRWIh 1 7} g rs . Long doublecross co inag e .

Berwick.

Figs . I4OA, 1403 .

2 14 . O. ALHXANDEIR RGIX R. ROB6 R ON BEIR 2 0 g rs .

2 15. 0. Do. B. ROBEIR’

T ON EHR 2 5 g rs .

The first of these two pieces i s i n the B.M. , the second is i n the

Pol le xfe n col lection ; the latter shows a plai n X in KLEIX,but has a

curule chair-shaped X in R6 X.

The great importance of Berwick under Alexander I I I . may be esti

mated suffic iently from the number of its moneyers and the variety of i ts

m intages . I n add i t ion to the names of the moneyers ment ioned as above

i n connection with Berwick, a sterl ing, with crowned head to left, gives the

name of NIa h EIL ON B, figured W i ngate, Pl . V. 8, now in the collection of

Mr. Cochran-Patrick .

From the considerable number of early mintages pecul iar to itsel f,i t

i s probable that Berwick may have suppl ied to a large extent the monetary

requirements of the whole kingdom previous to the i ntroduction of the

more general coi nages on which the names of so many mints appear.

ROXBURGH.Roxburgh.

Among the mints of the long double cross series, that of Roxburgh

may be regarded as hold ing an early place . No sterl ings with thefil le tedhead to right appear to be known of th is min t, although possibly coins of

this variety may have been struck .

Reference has been made under Berwick to certain sterl ings w ith the

crowned head to left,with mullets i nstead of stars i n the quarters of the

cross on the reverse— Nos . 94 , 96, Figs . 84A, 843 . The following two

coins of Roxburgh are of th is type of reverse, a type wh ich seems to have

been confined to the sterl i ngs of the Berwick and Roxburgh mints .

THE COINAGE '

O F SCOTLAND.

I . PLAIN X AND PLAIN A.

Fig. 84C.

2 1 5 . O. ALEIXAVIDEIR REIX B . ADEI OVI ROG 2 1} grs.

I n the Pol lexfe n col lection represented also i n the S.S.A. col lection .

Fig. 84D.

ALGXANDt—IR Re x 3 . ADAM ON R0 2 0 g rs .

I n the RM. col lection the lettering on the above p ieces i s i n the same

style as on the Alexander short double cross sterl i ngs . There can be l it tle

doubt that these coi ns were among the very earl iest long double cross

i ssues of Roxburgh , struck most probably by the same ADEI or ADAM

whose name appears on the corresponding Berwick sterl ing,Fig. 843 .

The sterl ings of the Roxburgh long double cross series,as represented

i n the Fe rg usl ie collection , commence with the piece wi th the crowned head

to right, Fig. 96 , erroneously ascribed by Lindsay (L . Des . C4 1. No.

and by W i ngate (W . 5 475. Pl . I . 10) to Berwick .

I I . PLAIN X , SHARP O BLIQUE A.

F ig. 96 .

2 2 . o. z ALGXANDEIR Re x 3 . ANDRGIV ON (R)O z 1g, g rs.

This coi n has the same z igz ag style of profile as on the Berwick ster

l ing, Fig. 95 , No . 18. Bes ides the s imi lar penny of Roxburgh in the

col lection ofMr. Cochran - Patrick , previously mentioned in connection -with

the Berwick sterl ing N0 I8é, another sterl ing in the same col lection , also

w i th crowned head to right,

" has on the reverse AD I AMIO x:

$0

(ADAM ON RO ) , figured Num . C/zrozz . N . S. ,vol . x i i . Pl . X I . 2 . Rox

burgh is the only mint to which th is coin and the sterl ing NO . 2 2 can be

attributed .

Marchmont


Fig. 1 2 5 .


O. ALGIXANDGR RGIX B. ANDRHV ON R

0. From the sam e die . 3 . ANDREIV ON R

No. 28 has i ts reverse from the same die as No . 2 5 ;

same die as No. 2 6 .

Fig. 1 2 6 .

Crowned head to left, with sceptre ; from the same obverse die as

Fig. 1 2 5 .

30 . O . ALEIXANDEIR Re x 3 . ADA(M ON) ROh GISB 2 1} grs.

3 1 . 0. F rom the same die . B . Do. : diffe rent ly arrang ed. 2 2} grs.

Considering the important posi t ion that Roxburgh occupied under Alex

ander among the short double cross sterl ings, and the manner i n wh ich

th is mint i s represented on the coi ns of the preceding reigns,i t m ight have

been expected that i t would have held a better posi tion than i t does, i n

respect of the number and the variety of i ts coi nages, on the long double

cross series . O nly two names of moneyers are met with on the long double

cross sterl i ngs of Roxburgh, as against seven at least on those~

of Berwick .

I t appears h ighly probable, however, that the fol lowing coins, on wh ich

apparently the first letters of the name of the mint are invariably i n monogram,

may relate to Roxburgh . I have carefully examined al l the spec imens known

to me , and, according to my rendering, the first two letters of the name

of the min t as represented on these pieces are MA, g iv ing ,In connection

with the R, the th i rd letter— MAR and, on some examples, with the addition

of an GI— MAREI, possibly for Marchmont. The moneyer’

s name on al l

these coins is SIMON. Certain passages i n F ordoun show that both before

and after the reign of Alexander I I I . Marchmont was another name forRoxburgh . O f th is I was not aware when , for want Of a more l ikely a t tribu

t ion , I formerly expressed the Opin ion that Markinch , wh ich i s of considerable antiquity although of no great note, might possibly have been the place

THE COINAGE O F SCOTLAND. 1 3 5

of mintage of these pieces. Marchmont, however, i s a much more probableattribution .

O n the first of the fol lowing two sterl i ngs,as shown by the i l lustration

i n the plate , Fig. 105 , the letter A on the reverse is connec ted with the

adjoining l imb of the cross, forming therewith a monogram exactly as given

independently on the second coi n,Fig. 106 , — K

‘

, which can scarcely be

rendered otherwise than as MA. Compare with the monogrammatic M i n

Thomas, on the St . Andrews sterl ings , N O . 69, Figs . 1 33 , 13 3A.

I I I . FLORID X AND FLORID A.

Fig. 105 .

Fil leted head to right,with sceptre the fil let expressed by a single l i ne .

3 2 . O . ALGIXANDEIR R6 X B . SIMON ON MAR 19} grs .

The sharp obl ique A occurs on the reverse of th is coi n, as also on the

reverse of F ig . 106 .

Fig . 106 .

Crowned head to left,with sceptre apparently a row of smal l saltires

on the sceptre -handle , better shown on some other pieces with th is head .

3 3 . O. ALHXANDaR Re x 3 . SIMON ON MAR 2 0} g rs .

O n the fol lowing two sterl ings, Figs . 96A, I2 6A, the first letter of the

name of the mint is i n the th ird quarter of the cross,apparently in mono

gram with the adjoin ing l imb , forming therewith what seems to be an M;

but by some,who have not seen the sterl ings Figs. 105 , 106 , th is letter i s

regarded as s imply an 71 . There is l ittle reason to doubt that the coins

Figs. 105 , 106 , 96A, I2 6A, al l belong to the same mint, so that, i f the first

letter of the name of the mint i s an M i n the one instance i t must be so in

the others bes ides,the back part of the first letter of the name of the mint

,

as dist i nctly shown on Fig . 1 2 6A, i s too angular to be regarded as the back

of an 71 on Fig. 96A,owing to some of the letters being partly off the coin

,

the character of th is letter does not come out dist inctly .


I I . PLAIN X, SHARP O BLIQUE A.

Fig. 96A.

Crowned head to right, with sceptre.

O . ALGXANDGIR Razx 3 . SIMON ON MARe: 193 grs.

I n the Pol le xfe n collection .

V. CURULE CHAIR-SHAPED X, MEDIUM O BLIQUE A.

Fig. I2 6A.

Crowned head to left, with sceptre.

3 34. O. ALHXANDHR REIX 3 . SIMON ON MARe: 193 grs.

I n the Cochran - Patrick collection ; and also i n the S.S.A. col lection ,

from the same dies.

I fMarchmont be accepted as a probable attribution for the coins abovedescribed

, we shal l then have Roxburgh represented on the coinages with

thefil le ted head to right, and th is in connection with a new name of moneyer,as also with some addit ions to the mintages of the other varieties of head .

Those who adopt the reading h AREt as the name of the m int, have

attributed the coins, Figs . 96A, I2 6A, to Ayr, wh ich wa s const ituted a royal

burgh under W i l l iam the Lion , and wh ich , i n O ld official records, I am in

formed,has sometimes the aspi rate prefixed to its name.

PERTH.

All three styles of head are represented on the Perth mintages .


Fig. 89A.


O. ALGXANDGR RHX R. (RADNALD DH PEIR

I n the Hunterian col lect ion from the same obverse d ie as the

Aberdeen.



Figs . 104 , IO4A .

Filleted head to right,with sceptre the fi l let expressed by a s ingle l i ne .

3 7. O. ALGXAMDQ R REIX Bu ION CIORIN ON P g rs.

3 7d . 0. KLXKMDGR R6 X Bu DO . 2 1 grs.

The second of these pieces i s from the Kermack Ford collection , and

has a plain X in connection with the florid A, a very unusual c ircumstance .

Fig. 1 II.


38. O . ALEIXANDEIR Re x 3 . ION (IORIN ON P 19 grs .

Figs . 1 1 2 , II2A.

39. O. ALEIXANDEIR REIX R. ION (IORIN ON P 2 2} g rs .

394 . 0. Do. : from a different die . R. ION CIRIN (ON PEI)R g rs .

The second of these p ieces i s In the RM. collection ; the X i n REIX

on the first p iece partakes very much of the rounded character.

IV. ROUNDED X , BROAD O BLIQUE A.

Fig. 1 1 3 .


O . ALHXANDa R RGIX 3 . ION (IORIN ON P 2 1% g rs .

Fig. 1 14.

4 1 . O . ALHXANDHR R€£X 3 . ION (IORIN ON P 2 23 grs .

ABERDEEN .

All three styles of head occur on the long double cross mintages

of Aberdeen .



Fig. 92 3 .

F il le ted head to right , with sceptre ; a s ingle l i ne i n the fi l let .

4 14 . O . ALGZXANDHR R6 X B. ION ON ABEI 2 4} g rs.

I n the Guthrie Lornie col lection .

This is a unique and hi therto unpubl ished sterl ing ; i t has the same

style of head and letter ing as on the Gl asgow sterl i ngs of the same coinage

by Wal ter, Figs . 920, 9 2D, 9 2 3 .


Figs . 93. 93A.

Fil le ted head to r ight,with sceptre the fi l let expressed by a Single

l i ne .

4 2 . O . ALEIXANDGR RGX B . ANDREIV BS ON AB 2 2 g rs .

424 . From the same die s. 2 1 grs.

The coi n F ig. 93A i s i n the S.S.A. collection, and isfigured here fori l lustration

,as showing the type of obverse better than the specimen Fig .

93 , i n the Fe rg us l ie collection . Each supplements what is defective of the

i nscript ion on the reverse of the other. The letter D i n the first quarter on

the reverses encroaches upon the open space between the two l i nes of the

cross,and th is occurs also with the B i n BS i n the next segment.

The letters HIV are i n monogram, better shown on the spec imen Fig. 93 .

The R i n ANDRGIV resembles a B, but there can be l ittle doubt that i t is an

R,formed as the letter R not unfrequently i s on long double cross sterl ings.

The l imb of the cross adjo in ing the S i s perhaps to be regarded as

represent ing an I,i n wh ich case the read ing would be ANDREIV BIS ON AB .

Why the word BIS,i f used in the numeral sense, should be here employed

is not very evident,for Andrew

’

s name has not h itherto been known as a

moneyer of Aberdeen . Another specimen of this sterl ing i s in the collection

Alexa nder III.(1249-1285

Long doublecross coinag e .

Aberdeen.


of Mr. Cochran - Patrick . The coin in the F erg usl ie cab inet, although the

poorest of the three examples , i s the only one that gives the name of the m int .

The S.S.A. Spec imen was purchased along with three sterl i ngs of Aberdeen ,

with the crowned head to left, bel ieved to have been found with i t .

Fig . 100 .

Crowned head to right, with sceptre.

43 . O. ALHXANDGR R6 X Ba. RAINALD ON ABGZ

F ig . 10 1 .

44. O. ALGXANDGZR REIX 3 . RAINALD ON AEG


Fig. 109.


45 . O. ALEIXANDGR REIX B . ALISAND’ON AB

A sharp obl ique A occurs on the reverse of th is and of

p iece.

The same obverse die as the above — Fig. 1 10 .

46 . O. ALHXANDGR R6 X B . ALISAND ON A

IV. ROUNDED X,BROAD O BLIQUE A.

Fig. I 1 5A.


464 . O. ALEIXANDEIR Ra x 3 . ALISAND’ON A3

In the Pol le xfe n col lect ion th is p iece has the narrow obl ique

reverse .

2 2} grs .

2 3 g rs .

2 2 grs .


attent ion to the manner i n which the top l ine of, the A, as shown on Fig.

105 , i s extended to the cross, forming with i t a monogram of precisely the

same character as that on the sterl i ng of the same mint, by the same

moneyer,Fig. 106 . The th ird letter of the name of the mint on both

coins is undoubtedly an R,and is rendered as such on Lindsay’s own i l lus

tra t ion of the former piece , L . Pl . I I I . 5 1 but unfortunately the extension

of the l i ne above the A to the cross as shown on that coin has been wholly

ignored,having apparently been regarded as s imply a flaw . The same coi n

i s figured also i n W ingate , Pl . IV . 8, where the letter R i s made to resemble

a B,according to W i ngate

’

s practice of accommodating the inscript ions on

the coins del ineated by h im to h is own ideas of what they were meant to

be,or ought to have been .

The next piece attributed by Lindsay to Aberdeen, L . Des. Ca t . NO .

1 1 1 , i s represented as reading on the reverse WALTEIR ON A,but by a

reference to h is own il lustration of the com , L . Pl . I I I . 5 2 , i t w il l be seen

that L indsay himsel f was by no means certai n that the final letter of the

inscript ion on the reverse was an A. H is i l lustration has be en taken from

a sterl ing in the Bri t ish Museum , here figured 92C, showing the reading

WALTGR ON G, with the letter G of a pecul iarly doubled - up character,

not unl ike an A or an (I,but precisely as on the sterl ing from the same

obverse d ie,Fig. 9 2D,

i n the collection of the Re v . Mr. Pol lexfe n, reading

on the reverse WALTEIR ON GL.

Nei ther of the two rema i n i ng coms, w itlr thefil le ted head to right ,ascribed by Lindsay to Aberdeen

,L . Des . C4 t . Nos . I1 2 , 1 13

— represented .

respectively as reading ROBGIRT ON ABGI ‘

a nd ROBEIR’

I‘

ON AB— are

known to be contained i n any col lect ion , publ i c or private . Nor are any

long double cross sterl i ngs with the crowned head to left,bearing the

Inscriptions WALT6 R ON ABH and WILAM ON AB, as described i n L .

Des . C4 1. Nos . 1 2 6 ,1 2 7, to be found i n any collections of Scottish Coins .

The references given by Lindsay for h is N05 . 1 1 2,1 2 6 , and 1 2 7, are to the

“ late Dean of St . Patrick’ s collect ion , and for h is No. 1 1 3 to a sterl ing i n

his own cabinet . This last piece , i t may be mentioned, does not appear

i n the sale catalogue of the Lindsay collection . The Dean of St . Patrick ’s


coins were sold at Sotheby’s, i n J une and July 1842 ; unfortunately no

names of mints were stated in connect ion with any of the Scottish coins i n

the sale catal ogue .

Robert , W alter, and W i l l iam ,the names of the moneyers on these

alleged sterl ings of Aberdeen,are al l names of moneyers connected with

the Berwick mint ; Robert’ s name being found on Berwick sterl ings with

thefil le ted head to right, and the names ofWalter and W i l l iam on Berwick

sterl i ng s with the crowned head to left. I n the absence of any known coins

of Aberdeen bearing these names,and in v iew of the c ircumstance that the

references to the coins i n the late Dean of St . Patrick’s cabinet had been

made some years previously to the publ ication of Lindsay’s View of the

Coz'

n4g e of Scot/4 nd i n 1845 , i t i s natural to suppose that some mistake may

have occurred in the rendering or in the transcription of the legends on

these pieces, and that for ROB6 RT ON ABEI, WALT6 R ON ABEI,and

WILAM ON AB, we ought to read respectively ROB6 RT ON EGI

,WALT6 R

ON BEI, and WILAM ON B.

For the present,at least, the names of Simon , Robert, Wal ter, and

W i l l i am , cannot be accepted as moneyers of Aberdeen i n connection with

the Alexander I I I . long double cross mintages .

STERLINGS ATTRIBUTED TO GLASGOW , FORRES,

DUNBAR,AND MONTROSE.


Figs . 9 2C, 92D, 9 2 3 .

F il le ted head to right, with sceptre a s ingle l i ne in the fi l let .

502 . O. ALGXANDGIR RGIX 3 . WALTerR ON G g rs .

50d. 0. From the same die . R. WALT6 R ON GL 2 2} g rs .

506 . 0. DO . B . WALT6 R ON GLA 2 0} grs.

The greater ful ness wi th wh ich the name of the mint i s given on the

th ird of these pieces leaves no doubt respecting the correct reading of the


name on the two other sterl ings . No . 504 i s i n the RM. col lect ion, Nos .

5061 and 506 are i n the Pol le xfen col lect ion ; the obverse of NO . 505 i s

unfortunately very much rubbed . The letter A on the reverses i s ch iefly

of the sharp obl ique character.

We now come to the consideration of a very remarkable group of

sterl ings,relating to at least four different m ints, a l l worked by one and the

same moneyer,and with the same obverse d ie i n some instances used for

all four m ints .


Fig. 10 2 .

Crowned head to left, with sceptre ; the same z ig z ag profi le and the

same style of lettering as are usually met with on the long double cross

sterl ings with the crowned head to right.

5 1 . O. ALGXANDGR REIX R. WALTEIR ON GLA 2 1 grs .

Fig. 103 .

5 2 . O. ALHXANDGR : R6 X (I R. WALT6 R ON F RG 2 0 grs.

The letter CI after R6 X on th is last p iece, as on the short double cross

sterl i ngs, Figs . 6 6C, 6 7, previously described at page 70 i n connection with

W i l l iam the Lion , represents SCOTORVM, and probably had the power

of sa .

I I I . ROUNDED X, BROAD O BLIQUE A.

Fig. I 18.


5 3 . O. ALHXANDHR Re x 3 . WALTa R ON GLA 19 grs .

The T i n WALTEIR on th is p iece i s of the same form as the G i n GLA.

1 The coin NO . sob is the pie ce re ferred to oppos i t ion to Mr. Poll exfen’

s a ttribution to G la sby Mr. Eva ns a s ha ving be en a ttributed by him gow. Se e Proceeding s qf t lze Numisma t ic Society ,

a t difle rent t im e s to St irl ing a nd Renfrew, in vol . i i i. Third Seri e s, pp . 24 , 2 5.

F ig . i 140.


Fig. 13 1A.

604 . O ALGXANDEIR RGIX R. WALT6 R ON DVN 19} grs.

I n the E.M. col lect ion.

Fig. 13 2 .


6 1 . O. ALEIXANDHR R6 X Br. ALHTHR ON DVN 2 0 g rs.

This coin is from the Lindsay and W i ngate col lections . I t forms N0 .

144 of Lindsay’s Des . C4 t . , where the i nscription on the reverse is rendered

ALGI Q R ON DVN, as if for ALGXANDGR ON DVN. As figured in

W i ngate, Pl . V. 1 5 , i t i s converted into ALEIXGIR ON DVN. The proper

reading,however, i s undoubtedly ALGTQR ON DVN, which i s ev idently a

mis-rendering of WALT6 R ON DVN. W i ngate , Pl . V. 1 2,figures a coi n

with ALEIXADGNR R6 X on the obverse and WILA ON DVN on the

reverse . This piece is now in Mr. Cochran - Patrick’s cab inet . I t i s the

only sterl ing with DVN— unless the above forms an exception— on which

the name of the moneyer i s other than WALTHR so far,at least

, as has

come under my not ice . The obverse is from a di fferent die to any of the

sterl i ngs with Walter’s name that I have seen , showing the rounded X and

broad obl ique A, with the narrow obl ique A on the reverse , see Fig .

'

1 14C.

I t i s an altogether exceptional occurrence to find the same Obverse

die employed upon sterl i ngs of d ifferent m ints . After much careful com

parison, I have not in any instance , other than on the sterl ings of th is re

markable group with the name of Walter for the moneyer, met with coms

of different min ts struck from the same Obverse dies, save the two pieces

of wh ich mention has previously been made— the Berwick sterl ing by

Walter, Fig . 89, and the Perth sterl ing by Rainald, Fig . 89A. I t had

appeared to me that the obverses of one or more of the coins, Figs . 106

to 1 1 1 —which , i n the style of the head, crown , and lettering, bear a very

strong resemblance to one another— might have been struck from the same

dies, but a close inspection proved that they al l d iffered from each other in

some respect . I found th is also to be the case with the sterl i ngs with the


crowned head to right of the different mi nts with the curious z igz ag profile. Alexander 111.( 1249-1285

Long doublecross co inag e .

The natural i nference therefore , i s, that the four mints, as above, respectively

rendered as GLA, FREIS, DVN, MVN, must al l have been worked by oneSt 1

'

uand the same moneyer. and probably to some extent contemporaneously.

8” ” gs a

buted to Glasgow, Forre s,Dunbar

,Mon

trose .

NO sterl ings with thefil le ted head to right, of any of the mints for wh ichWal ter was moneyer, other than that with GLA, have as yet come to l ight.

Recently, however, I had the opportunity of i nspecting a sterl ing of the

crowned head to righ t variety i n the col lection ofMr. Adam Black Richard

son,formerly in the Montagu collection , read ing on the reverse WALTEIR

ON RIN or ON RUN,

1 —the letter R i n the name of the mint being most

disti nctly rendered . The coin i s here figured 93 3 . Unless the sinker of the F ig , 933 ,

d ies had run short of letters , as sometimes happened, and employed an R for

a D or an M, we must regard th is piece as represent ing qui te a new mint ,

possibly Renfrew, which i s mentioned in Scottish records as early as the Renfrew.

re ign of David I .

I t i s the usual practice to attribute the coins i nscribed ON GLA to

G lasgow ,which is undoubtedly the most l ikely place of mintage ; but i t would

have been more satisfactory had a fourth letter of the name of the mint been

given on these pieces . As i t i s, we cannot be certain whether these sterl ings

were struck at G lasgow or G lamis , the latter place possessing a castle of

great strength and antiqu ity,i n or near wh ich Malcolm I I . i s said to have

been slain .

Forres i s regarded as the most probable attribution for the sterl ings

reading ON FRES on the reverse . This was a place of considerable note at

a very early period. Anciently the name was frequently written without the

dupl icat ion of the R— Fores,or Foras. I n the absence of any Scottish

town,whose name commences with FRES, I can only repeat my remark ,

1 By two high a uthori t ie s , Mr. Eva ns a nd

the Rev. Mr. Pol lexfen, the se cond le tter of the

nam e of the m in t on th is sterl ing is reg arded a s

an 7X; in no o ther insta nce , howe ver, on the Ale xander sterl ings , ha ve I found the le tter A a s hereform ed a nd i t is a l tog e ther e xceptiona l for th isle tter on the long double cross pie ce s to be w ithout the bar a cross the centre , occurring so far

,a s Ihave observed, on ly on one or two of the

e arl ier ste rl ing s of the Berwick m int . Poss iblywha t se em s the front of the le tter in que st ionm ay on ly be an a cc identa l e ffe ct produced in

the striking of the co in . This pie ce is referredto in the P roceeding s of til e Num ism a l z

'

e Soci ety ,

vol . i i i . Third Serie s, p. 2 4.


made on a former occasion , that I f, i n pronouncing FRES, we take a very

firm grip of the in i t ial letter F , we shal l find ourselves giv ing an excellent

pronunciation of Forres .

” 1

Little he s ita tion need be fel t i n ascribi ng the sterl ings reading ON

MVN to Montrose . This ancient town , formerly cal led Munross, received

i ts first charter as a royal burgh from David I . I t possessed a castle

of h igh antiquity,which stood on the summit of the Fort-h i l l . There is no

other Scottish town to wh ich we can with probabil i ty attribute these

pieces.

It i s d ifferen t wi th the coins i nscribed ON DVN. These by

Lindsay have been assigned to Dunbar,on no other authori ty than a blun

dered rendering of the inscription on the reverse of one of those sterl i ngs by

Simon —' here figured 96A, 1 2 6A, and described at page I36— given

,L

Des. C4 t . 143 , as S ON DNBAREI— the ON being obviously part

of the name of SIMON , the DN as obv iously m istaken for ON,and the

BAREI a misreading for MAREI, or, as some wil l have it, for h AREI. I n

keeping wi th th is rendering, Sa inthil l descr ibes a sim ilar sterl ing i n the

Bantry find as read ing SI ON DIBARGI.

2 There can be l i ttle doubt,however

,

that these two pieces are identical wi th the cow s which are here rendered

as SIMON ONMARQ , and that they have no connection with Dunbar.

Dumfries (anc iently Dunfre s), Dundee , Dunferml ine , and Dumbarton ,are al l places at wh ich the sterl ings with WALTa R ON DVN

,and WILA

'

ON DVN, might possibly have been'

minted, even al though one Simon

had been moneyer at Dunbar. Dun i s s imply a Celtic component prefix,

meaning a fortified h il l or ca stle a— Dunfre s , or Dumfries, s ignifying the

town of the Fris ians ; Dunbre a ton , or Dumbarton , the town of the Bri tons .

4

I t may have been no more than a coincidence,but i t i s certain ly

remarkable that the two syl lables composing the name Dunfre s should

both have been represented on Wal ter ’s coinages— WALT6 R'

ON DVN,

WALT6 R ON F RGCS. As Fres is real ly the d ist inctive part of the name

1 Ca ta logue of Scott ish coins from the cabi 2 0114 19049744 , vol . i . p . 1 2 5.

ne t of . Thom a s Coa ts , Esq . of F e rgusl ie , ex 3 Ma cpherson ’s Geog rap/I

-z'ea l [Hun/ra ti ons oj

hib ited a t the Me e t ing of the Brit ish Associa t ion History .

a t G la sgow,1876 .

4 Skene ’s Col l ie Soot/a nd

,vol . i i i . p . 2 5.

Forfar.


As if to do away with th is anomaly, W i ngate , on h i s plate , has converted

th is supposed E i nto a round 61 with closed front. The M i n SIMOND

looks l ike an N owing to the middle converging stroke to the right hav

ing become almost blended with the r ight l imb in striking ; but the

substi tution of an N for an M would have made no d ifference, the N

and M having been so frequently i n terchangeable, as ALEIXAMDEIR for

ALGXANDGR,and SINON for SIMON. The inscript ion on the reverse

of NO . 1 , where the word ON occurs, i s very much blurred, and the 0

might excusably have been mistaken for a V, as by Lindsay and W ingate ,

i n the rendering BOKSIN ON DVN. U nt i l I had become aware how

closely the whole treatment of the reverse of No. I corresponded with

that of No. 2 , i t was my own impress ion that th is letter was a V,

and I was d isposed to regard the two coins as read ing on the reverse

respectively SIM ON DVNF OR and SIM ON DONFOR. The read ing

SIMOND ON F OR, as now adopted , was suggested by Mr. Pol le xfen.

A moneyer of the name of Simond i s mentioned by Ruding i n connect ion

with the long double cross coinage of Henry I I I . and a short double cross

Henry penny i n my own possession has SIMOND ON RVLA . I n my

Opin ion there i s no doubt that Mr. Pol le xfen’

s version i s the correct one.

The question remains, What m int does F OR represent ? Had the

moneyer ’s name on these two pieces been Wal ter, as on those with FREIS,while the attr ibut ion to Forres of the latter would have been strengthened

we might with considerable confidence have assigned these also to Forres .

As it is, with Simond’s name for moneyer on the sterl ings with F OR

,and

with Walter’

s name as moneyer on t hose with FRES,we cannot be certai n

where ei ther was struck .

Forfar, an important town in the thi rteenth century , al ike in i tsel f and i n

i ts surroundings , both as representing a centre of considerable populat ion and

as frequently the residence of Scottish royal ty,might put in a better claim

than Forres for the sterl i ngs w i th F OR. The ancient castle of Forfar,of

wh ich no vestiges now remain,was a spec ially favoured resort of Alex

ander I I I . , as i t had been of h is grandfather and h is father and , according

1 Burne tt’s pre fa ce to Exclzequer Rol ls of Seol /amz’

, vol . i . p . l i.

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND. 1 5 I

to a myth ical report, was the scene o f a parl iament held by MalcolmCanmore, where surnames and t i tles were first conferred on the Scott ish

aristocracy .

Forteviot, also , as a royal residence , and as the ancient capi tal of the

kingdom , might perhaps put i n a claim as the place of mintage for the

sterl ings with F OR.

I t is remarkable how seldom the names of the long cross Scotti sh

m ints begin wi th the same letters. Consequently, when these mints were

i n operation, and generally wel l known , all that was required for the ide ntification O f each was to give the in i tial letter, or at most the first syllable of

the name ; and , as a rule , th is i s al l that appears on the coins. I t was

different wi th the moneyers . These, as responsib l e for the several coi nages

issued by them , seem to have been requ ired to place thei r names upon the

coins e ither at ful l length or i n some manner not to be mistaken . This,

at least, i s i nvariably done .

EDINBURGH.

I I . PLAIN X, SHARP O BLIQUE A.

Fig. 94.

Crowned head to right, with sceptre pel lets i ntermixed i n the curls .

64. O. ALEIXANDGR R6 X B . NI CIOL ON GD. 2 3 g rs.

Unfortunately the two letters giv ing the name of the mint on th is p iece

are i n greater part off the coin . From what remains of them, however,and taken i n connection

,they can scarcely be other than 6 D. The profi le

also i s i n the style pecul iar to some of the sterl ings of Edinburgh wi th

crowned head to left, as 94A, 943 .

This piece,formerly in the Martin collection, i s publ ished by Lindsay,

Des. C4 l . NO . 1 2 5 , but with simply a row of double points i n the place of

the name of the mint. I t appears also i n the same way at the end of a

l ist of names of moneyers and mints,given by h im at page 14 , where the

row of double points,from their posit ion , might lead one at a cursory

Alexa nder III.( 1249- 1285

Long doublecross co inag e .

Ste rl ings w ithF or as the

nam e of the m int.

Edinburgh.

1 5 2 THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND.

glance to think that the piece was of the same min t as the coi n ’ i n the

l ine immediately above, a sterl i ng reading ION CO ON PGR. Appar

ently Mr. Cochran - Patrick ha s understood Lindsay’s arrangement i n th is

sense,as he incorrectly gives N icol

’

s name as that of a Perth moneyer.1

O n the first two of the fol lowing pieces the head,except that i t regards

the left, i s ident ical with the head regarding the right on the sterl ing Fig. 94.

Fig. 94A.


644 . O. ALGXANDEIR REIX R. ALEIX’ON EIDEIN 2 1 grs.

This p iece has the curu le chair- shaped X i n ALEIX’ on the reverse.

Fig. 943 .

646. O. ALGXANDQR REIX R. WILAM ON GD 19} grs.

Fig. 940.

645 . o. ALHXANDHR RGIX 3 . WILAM ON em ’2 9 grs.

Fig. 10 1A.

Crowned head to right, with sceptre the usual z igz ag style of profi le.

O. ALHXANDHR RGIX 3 . ALa x’ON 31mm 2 1 g rs .

The four preced ing pieces are i n the Pol le xfe n collect ion .

V. CURULE CHAIR- SHAPED X, MEDIUM O BLIQUE A.

Fig. 1 34.


6 5. O. ALEIXANDEIR RGIX B . ALEIX’

. ON QDEIN 2 1} grs.

The head , crown , and letteri ng, i n the same style as on the Aberdeen

sterl ing, a lso by Alex . , Fig. 13 5 . The reverse is from the same die as

Fig. 94A.

1 Records of the Coinag e qf Scot/a nd, vol . i . Int. p. xx .

Alexande r III.( 1249- 1285Long doublecross co inag e.

Lanark.

F ig. 1 100.


made a royal burgh in the twelfth century ; what was called Wester

K ingorn became afterward known as Brin t—iland— Burnt island.

l

LANARK .


Filleted head to right, with

6 64 . O. ALEXANDER REX

I n the Pol le xfe n collect ion .

Patrick collection with WILAM

and W ingate,Pl . IV. 9.

I V. ROUNDED X , BROAD O BLIQUE A.

Fig. I 1 5 .


6 7 . O . ALEXANDER REX R. WI(L)AM ON LA 19} grs.

This p iece was found some years ago at Crooksbury H il l , near F am

ham in Surrey. A similar coin i s i n the collect ion of Mr. Cochran

Patr ick. A very curious sterl ing,belonging apparently to Lanark , with

crowned head to left, florid X and A,i s publ ished by Mr. Cochran-Patrick ,

Na m . Cfiron . N.S. vol . xi i . Pl . X I . 6 , figured here 1 10C, re ading j a s

Mr. Cochran-Patrick has given i t,TER WI LANGR. Mr. Pol le xfe n

suggests, “ WI LANGR TER,the TER being equivalent to Tort i

'

zes , and

properly the concluding portion of the obverse legend .

” “ What makes

this more probably correct,remarks Mr. Po l le xfe n ,

“ is,that we have a

simi lar legend in the coins of h is contemporary,Henry I I I . of England ,

where we find TERCII, tert ius .” Mr. Pol le xfe n omits, however, to take into

account that TERCII, or i ts equ ivalent I I I . ,as dist ingu ish ing th is Henry

1 Ma cpherson’s Geographica l Il l ustra tions of Scoiz

‘

islz Histoi .

Fig. 1043 .

sceptre.

B1. WILAM ON LAN 2 5 g rs.

There is a s imilar coi n i n the Cochran

ON LA,fig ured by Lindsay, Pl . I I I . 5 3 ,


as the th ird of h is name,occurs al l through after i ts adoption upon h is long

double cross sterl ings— chiefly on the obverses, i ts proper place . Even

where it does occur on the reverses i t i s never mixed up with the nam e

of a moneyer. Had such a disti nguish ing characterist ic be en placed on

Scottish coins, i t m ight naturally have been expected that the same rule

would have been observed— a t least i n connection with the m ints common

to one part icular d iv is ion of the coi nage . I n th is case the word T6 R i s

confined to the reverse of a s ingle variety of sterl ing of a single mint,

certai nly not of the first importance. Fortunately i t i s not necessary that

we should go so far afield to find a meaning for the word TER as here

exh ibi ted . The inscript ion on the reverse of th is piece is evidently of a

class of wh ich we have had Sim ilar i nstances on the long double cross

coinage of Alexander I I I . ,as WAL ROB ON BER

,ION (IO

'

ON PER ;

here we have TER WI,probably for TERRI and WILAM, or simply for

TERRI WILAM, according as these names are to be regarded as represent

ing two moneyers, or as a double name for one moneyer only.

A remarkable sterl ing,Fig. 93C, i n the Pol le xfe n col lection

,with

crowned head to right,and with the sceptre-handle ornamented with salt ires

,

i s attributed by Mr. Pol le xfe n to Berwick , but appears to me rather to

belong to Lanark , and to show the reading WILAM ON L. The coi n

seems to be of early issue,having the plain X and the sharp Obl ique A.

I n 1 348 La nark, along with Linl ithgow, was made a member of the

court of four burghs,i n l ieu of Berwick and Roxburgh, which had fallen

into the hands of the Engl ish . I ts erect ion i nto a royal burgh took place

in the reign of Alexander I .

INVERNESS.


Fig. I2 2A.


O. ANLEXANDER REX B. IEF RAI ON IN

This unique piece, now i n the Cochran-Patrick collection,

F ig . 93C.

Inverness.

1 56THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND.

by Lindsay, Des. Ca t . No. I53 , but wi th the i nscript ion on the reverse ren

dered ION IHICI F RA,and hypothetical ly attributed to Inchaffra y. I t

i s from the Kermack Ford and Addison col lections, and is descr ibed in the

sale cata logue of the latter as readi ng IGF RAI ON IF .

Fig . 1 2 2 3 .

6 76. O. ALEXANDER REX R. GEF RAI ON INVER

I n the Pol lexfen collection, from the Hay Newton sale, i n

catal ogue of wh ich it was represented as reading on the reverse

ON INVER ; fig ured i n Lindsay, 2d Sup. Pl . I . 5 .

V . CURULE CHAIR- SHAPED X , MEDIUM O BLIQUE A.

F ig. 1 2 3 .

68. O. ALEANDER REX R. GEF RAI ON INVER 2 3} grs .

A magn ificent coin, struck from the same reverse d ie as Fig. 1 2 2 3 . I t

wi l l - be seen that the first letter of th is moneyer ’s nam e i s i ndifferently

rendered e ither as G or J— G soft hav ing the same power as J .

I nverkeith ing, although not of the importance of I nverness, is quite

a probable attribution for these coins . At I nverkeithi ng Alexander I I I .

had his saltworks, where he hal ted on the n ight of h is fatal ride to K ing

horn, and Obtained the attendance of two guides. As a royal burgh I nver

ke ithing obtained its charter from before the accession ofW i l l iam the Lion .

I ts si tuation was eminently convenient for a mint .

O n the other hand, i f we except Forres , which as yet i s of hypothetical

attribution , the most northern mint of which we can be certain as hav ingbeen in Operation at th is period was Aberdeen . Later on, under J ames I. ,

when the northern portion of the kingdom was i n a more settled state, a

mint was establ i shed at I nverness,but

,so far as known, only for smal l

b il lon money . As we shal l subsequently see,the billon coins of I nverness

attributed to Robert I I I . belong to J ames I .


Fig. 1 33 3 .

694 . O. ALEXANDER REX Bf Th OMAS ON ANDER 2 1% g rs .

I n the E .M. collection. This i s - the piece described by Lindsay, Des .

Ca t . No. 1 5 5 , as reading on the reverse IASAN PERTh I t is from the same

Obverse die as Figs. 1 3 3 , 1 3 3A, but i s from a different reverse d ie. Another

specimen,al so from the same obverse d ie, but from a sti l l d i fferent reverse

die,i s i n the S.S.A. collect ion .


Fig. 1 1 5 3 .

696. O. ALEXANDER REX B . TI'

IOMAS ON ANDER 14 grs .

This singularly l ight piece is i n the Pol le xfe n col lection . The two

fol lowing penn ies, from the same obverse die as this sterl ing, Show a differ

ent rendering of the name of the mint.

Figs . 1 1 5C, 1 1 5D.

691 . O. ALEXANDER REX 3 . TOMAS ON AN 4 58 213 .

0. From the sam e die . 3 . TOMAS ON AN 19% grs .

Respectively i n the S.S.A. and E.M. collections both with the sharp

obl ique A on the reverses . From its pecul iar edge and great weight the

S.S.A. spec imen , Fig. 1 1 5C, seems to have been struck upon a Roman

denarius, and possibly passed for a double penny. I t is the coin , formerly i n

the Advocates’ collection,figured i n Anderson

,PI. CLVI I . 2 , and i n Car

donnel , Pl . I . 20 . I n the latter work the Mon the reverse is represented as

of the round form— a serious mistake,as the round 13 never occurs on the

sterl ings of the Alexander series. Another sterl ing of the same mint is

publ ished i n the Pembroke plates w ith IONAS ONAN, by error for TOMAS

ON AN, and has been copied— Anderson

,Pl . CLVI I . 1 ; W ise, Tab .

XX I I. ; Cardonne l, Pl . I . 19— in each case with the same blundered reading.

Macpherson mentions Andirs toun and Andris town as names by which


St . Andrews was designated, but he does not say at what particular period .

1

I find however, i n a map of Scotland , “ from the Border to the Water of

Tay, executed i n the reign of James I I . by Ha rdyng , an Engl ishman who

had come to Scotland in the employment of Henry V I that Andirs toun i s

the name there given to St . Andrews . Cosmo I nnes, while questioning i f

the c ity of St . Andrews had ever been popularly known as “ Andirs toun,

”

admits that Ha rdyng was wel l acquainted with“a l l that ground .

” 2 The

name Andirstoun has certainly a homely Scott ish ring, and could scarcely

have been invented by Ha rdyng . Whatever attribution may be given to

these coins , no doubt can be entertained that the proper reading i s ANDER,

not ANTIEN.

a

I f the D i n ANDER could be construed as Th , of which the Scottish

coinage affords no example,we should have ANTh ER, a passable rendering

for Anstruther. Curiously enough , a local ity i n th is anc ient town sti l l goes

by the name of the Cunz ie VVynd, a piece of information for which I am

indebted to Mr. W i l l iam Ta ap.

‘

I t i s much i n favour of the attribut ion to St . Andrews of these coins

that a mint was in operat ion i n that c i ty under Bal iol , the immediate suc

cessor of Alexander I I I . And th is agai n greatly countenances the statement

i n F ordoun,under 1 2 83 -

“ Eodem anno, quarto idus Ja nua rii, rex Alex

ander apud Sanctum Andre am e x iste ns ante magnum al tare , coram su is

sa trapis e t m ag na t ibus , dedi t e t concessi t De o e t beato Andre ae pe rcussuram

mone tae adeo l ibere e t quiete s icut a l iqu is e piscopus Sancti Andre ae tempore

patris sui Alexander I I . vel a l icujus praede ce ssorum snorum , l ibe rihs e t

qu ie t iii s habere consue v it , salvé s ib i de cla ra t ione i nquISIt i on i s ej usdem super

infeoda t ione habe ndé.

”

Or, as Wyntown has i t i n h is C/zrom’

cl e , under

1 2 83

1 Ma cpherson ’s Geog raplzica l Il lustra tions of s ince the a bove wa s in type ha s on the re verse

Scottis/z History . GILEBERT ON EDM.

4 Wh i le corre ct ing the proof-she e ts,a le tte r

2 F acsim i l es of Na tzona l [ll amcsm pts of Scot from Mr. Taap inform s m e of a not ice in the14 714

,Part Introduct ion , p . xv1.

newspapers of the de a th of an Ex-Ba i l i e Brown,

3 A sterl ing of St. Edmunsbury, of Stephe n, a t the Cunz i e House , Anstru ther! Se e , how

a s fi les . 2 70 , tha t ha s com e undermy inspe ction ever, the note under Kinghorn , p . 1 53 .

There is good reason to suppose that Wyntown would have been wel l

informed respecting such an event as th is . He wa s a canon regular of the

priory of St . Andrews from at least I395 t i l l 14 1 3 , a nd some record , wri tten

or oral,of an inc ident so notable must have been preserved . The part icu

l a rity also with which Fordoun -or rather Bower, the cont i nuator of Fordoun

and a contemporary of Wyntown— gives the date, and the precision of the

details i n both accounts , render i t very probable that i t was to some com

mon written record of the transaction that both writers were i ndebted for

their i nformation .

The fact of the right of coinage havi ng belonged to the Bi shops of

St . Andrews under Alexander I I . ,and even before that re ign , brings us

back to that extensive series of sterl i ngs without the names of the mints,

described here under W i l l iam ‘ the Lion,bearing the name of W i l l iam on

the obverse , but partly struck, evidently, under Alexander I I . There was

seen considerable reason to bel ieve that these pieces,al though beari ng one

common name on the reverses, had been struck at several different mints ,


Alysandre , owre Kyng ,Tha t Scot land had in governyng ,Com e inti l his Ryawté,Til of Sanc t Andrewys the cite,

And in the Kirk standand there,Devotly be for the hey AwtareIn wytness of a ll tha t there wes byGaddryde and standard, a ll fre lyTil God and t il Saynct Andrewe he

Granted the strykyn of mone

Als fre ly, qwtly, and ful lyly,

As ony tym e be for gane byGuy Byschope had sic thyngQuhen tha t his F adyre be fore wes KyngOr of his Eldrys ony be foreAs mycht be herd or had m emore ,Sawfand the declaratyoun

O f the Inquisityown ,

O f the feftment of tha t thyngTo rem ain ay wi th the Kyng .

THE COINAGE OF'

SCOTLAND.

STIRLING.

All the pennies of St irl ing, so far as known , have the head crowned

to left.There are several minor varieties of th is rare mint.


Figs. 94D, 943 .

698 . O. ALEXANDER REX B. I‘

lENRI ON STR 2 1 grs.

0. F rom the same die . B. h ENRI ON STR 19} grs .

The first of these pieces i s i n the Cochran - Patrick collection ; the

second,formerly in the Kermack Ford , i s now in the F erg usl ie col lect ion .

The reverse of the sterl i ng, Fig. 94E, belongs to a later issue than the

obverse,as shown by the later style of lettering.


Fig. 1 10A.

0. ALEXANDER REX B. I’

lENRI’

ON STRIVE 2 1} g rs.

I n the Pollexfen collection .

Fig. 1 103 .

6912. O. ALEXANDER REX B. I‘

lENRI ON STRIV grs.

I n the Cochran-Patrick collect ion .

I V. ROUNDED X, BROAD O BLIQUE A.

Fig. 1 14A.

69i . o. ALEXANDER REX 3 . naNRI ON STR grs.

I n the Pol lexfe n collection .


LO NG SI NGLE CROSS SERIES.

H itherto the long Single cross sterl ings of Alexander I I I . have been

arranged chiefly accordi ng to their types of reverse, without regard to d is

t inguishing differences i n the style of head , lettering, and other part iculars .

This, , a s putting the accidents i n the place of the essent ial s, i s, to say the

least of i t, a very unsc ient ific arrangement. The several styles of head on

the long s ingle cross series, wh ich are each accompanied by thei r own

part icular style of lettering, i nd icate d ist inct coi nages connected sometimes

with one type of reverse only,sometimes with several ; just as the Engl ish

contemporary sterl ings, which are each dist ingu i shed by their own sty le

of head and lettering, are connected sometimes with one sometimes with

several mints .

As arranged according to their respective varieties of head and lettering,

i t wi l l be found that the Alexander long single cross sterl ings natural ly form

themselves into two wel l -defined Groups , each Group compris ing severaldisti nct Cla sses . The several Classes in the one G roup, i t wil l also be found ,

i nterchange reverses among themselves,but not with the Classes i n the

other G roup, save , perhaps, i n one except ional i nstance. I n the G roup which

seems to have been the first i n order of i ssue the several Classes exhibi t

only one type of reverse,that of the mullet of six points i n each quarter

of the cross . I n the second G roup al l the variet ies of type of reverse are

represented, but not on al l the Classes.

There i s l i ttle var iation i n the style of the crown and of the sceptre on

the Alexander long single cross coinages . The crown is very straight,

and is ornamented with three fle urs -de- l i s , those at the s ides presenting two

leaves only to the Spectator ; smal l pyramidal projections occur between

the l is,sometimes surmounted with round pel lets. The sceptre head is

a fleur-de- l is,with two smal l pel lets , l ike pendant jewels, disposed im

mediately below,and with a larger pel let upon the handle a short way

farther down.

The head always regards the left ; the letters ND i n

ALGXANDGR are always i n monogram .


GROUP I.-CLASS I.

I n the style of the lettering and in the crescent contractive signs, the

coins in this Group correspond with the Engl ish large - letter sterl ings ,

figured here Pl . A, 1 3 . They have the same style of cross before the legend

on the obverse and after the legend on the reverse as on these Engl i sh

sterl ings— having the ends prolonged, much in the manner of a cross potent,

but partaking somewhat of the character of a cross patee . The letters are

straight in the stems. The A i s usually barred across the centre , as on the

earl ier English single cross sterl ings . The C and the 61 have open fronts .The G generally has an elongated neck as on the Engl ish sterl ings, figured

Pl . A,1 2 . The L has the foot well turned up , a characteristic of the

Engl ish sterl ings Pl . A, 1 3 , and d ist i nguish ing these coins from the other

Engl ish sterl ings of contemporary issue i n the same G roup . The Mhas

a single Straight stroke down the centre (III) , as on the reverse of the

Durham sterl i ng,Pl . A , 1 3 , differing from the M on al l the other Alex

ander long s ingle cross sterl i ngs, wh ich is fash ioned i n the usual way, that

is,with two converging l ines, forming a V, between the l imbs . The R i s

wedge-tai led, and the S wasp -waisted— corresponding respect ively with the

R and the S on the Engl ish sterl ings, Pl . A , 1 3 . The head has straight

curls, with the innermost lock or curl enclosing a small i nc ip ient curl i n the

form of a crescent or a pel let ; the neck is usually long and th in .

Four mullets of six poi nts — Fig. 14 1 .

1 . 0. i t ALGXANDGR D€I GR’

A B . R6X SCOTORVIII i t

19} g rs.

Three specimens ; the heads sl ightly varied . Sunk spaces are below

the crown, giving th is style of head a pecul iar appearance . W i th the same

variety of head and lettering, a sterl ing i n the Montrave hoard had the

€SCOS SIG REX i nscription on the reverse . This i s exceptional,as

the Escossie Re x pieces are more usual ly connected with Class I I . O n

the following sterl ings of th is Class,on which a broader style of head is


Four mullets of s ix points. Pel lets on the crown .—Fig. 148.

7. O.1I4 ALEXSANDER DEI G

’

SIA R. ESEOSSIE REX 2 1} grs.

8. 0. From the same die. Br. Do . : without a pe l l e t afte r REX 1 6} grs.

O n these two coins the neck presents the appearance of being sl ightly

clothed ; NO . 8 has sustained loss of weight by cl ipping.

Four mullets of six points. Pellets on the crown — Fig. I4SA.

84 . F rom the same die as F ig . 148. B1. REX SEOT TORVM 2 2 grs.

This piece, with the fol lowing, i s i n the H unterian collection .

Four mullets of s ix points. Pel lets on the crown .— Fig. 1483 .

86. O. E ALEXSADER DEI G’

RA B . REX SEOT : TORVM 2 0} grs.

GROUP I.— CLASS III.

The sterl ings Class I I I . i n th is G roup, from the style of lettering, are

evidently of the same general coinage as the sterl ings Class I I I . i n G roup

I I . Possibly to some extent they may have been of earl ie r i ssue, as the

head on the sterl i ngs Class I I I . i n G roup al though larger, appears to

be a development of the head on the sterl i ngs Class I I I . of this G roup. A

larger variety of th is head (Fig. 1 57) i s almost identical w ith the first

variety of head on the sterl ings Class I I I . G roup I I .

A plain cross occurs before the inscript ion on the obverse and after the

inscription on the reverse,corresponding w ith the plai n cross before the

legend on the obverse on the Engl ish sterl ings, Pl . A , 3 2 to 36 — these

representing the Engl i sh coinages immediately following the rose-on -breast

issues.

The lettering on the sterlings of th is clas s has not i ts exact counterpart

on any of the sterl i ngs of the Edward I . series , but appears rather to be

a modificat ion or “ outcome ” of the lettering on the sterl ings in the pre

ceding Class, and more boldly rendered . The C and 6 are usual ly open ;


th is, for the greater part , being the form of these letters on the sterl ings of

Bal iol , i t i s evident that, while the Engl ish moneyers, after the adopt ion of

the close- fronted (I and E on the rose-on-breast sterl ings,had continued

the closed style of lettering throughout,the Scottish moneyers had fal len

back againUpon the Ope n C and 6 . Although the reign of Alexander I I I .

was brought to an abrupt termination by the melancholy event of the 16 th

March 1 2 85-6

, there can be no doubt that whatever money wa s struck i n

Scotland, t i l l at least the accession of Bal iol , or ti l l about the end of 1 2 92 ,

was struck under the name of Alexander I I I . Some of what appear to be

the very latest issues of the Alexander I I I . sterl i ngs i n the two following

G roups, i n the style of head , and in some cases even i n the lettering, approximate to the head and the lettering on the earl ier pennies of Bal iol .

The usual mark of contraction on the sterl ings i n this Class is a hori

z onta l bar above the R i n GRA— occasional ly omitted, and frequently shorn

off the coin . O n a few exceptional pieces,chiefly with ALEXSANDER for

ALEXANDER, an elongated semi-crescent or comma, as on the sterl ings

Class I I . , i s employed as a contractive Sign after the G i n GRA. These

coins may be regarded as intermediate issues.

The same style of head as on the sterl i ngs in the preceding Class.

Four mul lets of s ix points . Pellets on the crown .— Fig. 1 50 .

9 . O. ALEXANDGR D€I GRA B . R€X SCOTORVM 1 8} grs.

Four mullets of six points — Fig. 1 5 1 .

19 . o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM-i 2 13 grs .

1 1 . o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX S€OTORVM 1 6} grs .

1 2 . O. ALEXAIDER DEI GRA 3 . Do . 2 13 grs .

1 3 . o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM

2 1} g rs .

The three coins in No . I3 are from different dies, and show Sl ight dif

-fe re nce s i n the style O f the head .


Four mullets of six points — F ig. 1 5 2 .

A wedge-shaped cross pa tée on the reverse, at the end of the l egend.

14. o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SEOTORVM 1 8 grs.

No. 14 has a very pecul iar 6 i n SEOTORVM, and is without the pel let

on the sceptre-handle below the head.

Four mullets of six points. Pel lets on the crown .— Fig. 1 57.

A larger head, very s imi lar to the firs t var iety of head of Class I I I .

I I .

1 5 . O. ALGXANDGR D€I GRA R. R6X SCOTORVM 2 0} grs.

INTERCHANGES— GROUP I.

O BVERSES AS CLASS I . REVERSES AS CLASS I I .

Four mullets of six points — Fig. 143 .

16 . 0.FF ALGXANDGR D€I GR

’

A R. §§ESEOSSIE REX 2 2 grs.

Some pieces with the obverses as Clas s I I . have their reverses as

Class I .

O BVERSES As CLASS I . REVERSES As CLASS I I I .

Four mullets of six poi nts — Fig. 144.

1 7. 0.FF AL€XAND€R D€I GR

’A Br. R€X SCOTORVM 2 2 g rs.

Four mullets of s ix points — Fig. 145 .

18. O. AL€XAND€R D€I GR’A R. R€X SCOTORVM 2 2 grs.

Four mul lets of s ix points — Fig. 146 .

19. O.1B ALGXANDGR D€I GR

’A B. R€X SCOTORVM 2 0 grs.

20 . 0. Do. : Without a cre scent afte r GR in GRA,19 grs.


GROUP 11.— CLASS I.

I t is on the sterl ings of th is G roup that the remarkable variety of types

of reverse occur.The sterl i ngs Class I . display three types of reverse

Four mullets of six points, extremely rare (the only spec imen that I have

seen is in the S.S.A . collection, Fig. I58A, from the Montrave hoard) ; (2 )Three mullets of six and one star of seven points ; 3) Two mullets of six

and two stars of seven points. The cross before the legend on the Obverse

and after thelegend on the reverse is’

usua l ly a cross potent ; sometimes, but

rarely,a plain cross is used . The l etters have straight stems , in th is respect

differing from the letters on the sterl i ngs in Class I I . of the same G roup,

on which the stems are sl ightly curved . The letter A i s barred across the

centre,which is not the case on the sterl ings of the other Classes i n G roup

I I . A specialty of the C on th is Class i s the peaked body andfish - tai l

ends. A similar C occurs on some of the reverses of the Engl ish sterl ings,

Pl . A ,18. The R frequently d isplays the same ornamental fin ish as ex

hib ited on these Engl ish sterl ings . The S has an egg- shaped swel l ing on

the centre,a characterist ic also of the S on the Engl ish sterl ings

,Pl . A ,

18. The contractive Sign , where employed , on th is Class and on the other

Classes.

in Group I I . i s a horiz ontal bar above the R i n GRA,as on the

sterl ings Class I I I . G roup I . The head presents the curls w ith a bolder

backward sweep than on any of the heads i n the preceding G roup. This

i s a characterist ic of the heads i n the several Classes in Group I I .

Four mullets of s ix points — Fig. 1 58A.

2 74 . O.tF ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM FF 2 1} g rs .

I n the S.S.A. collection

Three mullets of s ix and one star of seven points . Pellets on the

crown .

Fig. 1 59 .

2 8. 0. i t ALEXANDER DEI GRA Br. REX SCOTORVM if 2 3 grs .


As No. 2 8 wi thout the pe l le ts on the crown, a nd with a plain cross at the end

of the le g end on the reve rse , 2 1 g rs .

The star of seven points on these pieces occupies the fourth quarter.

Two stars of seven and two mullets of s ix points .

Fig. I60 .

0. i t ALEXANDER DEI GRA B1. REX SCOTORVM 114

0. Do. : without a ba r above R in GRA,

The stars of seven points are i n the first and th ird quarters .

GROUP 11.— CLASS II.

Considerable variety of type is presented on the reverses of the

sterl i ngs i n th is Class, as shown in the fol lowing descript ive l ist. ' The

letters have the stems slightly curved . A plai n cross generally placed

before the legend on the obverse,and after the legend on the reverse .

The A i s wi thout the bar across the centre , but frequently exhibi ts a sl ightly

barred appearance, the result of a curious indentation on the l imb to the

right, made possibly with a view to this effect. A similar A i s observable

on some of the Engl ish sterl i ngs , figured Pl. A , 2 3 , 24 . The C and E

frequently appear as i f the fronts were entirely closed, owing to the wedges

in front having coalesced i n striking. The R i s always wedge- tai led . The

S i s well proportioned,the ends closing in upon the body and presenting the

appearance of the fig ure 8. Two styles of head occur— the one larger than

the other, but both of the same character.

Four mullets of five points. A pellet after ALEXAND

Fig. 165 .

3 2 . O. +ALEXAND ° ER DEI GRA Bz . REX SCOTORVM

[2 3 , 2 1 grs.


Four mul lets offive points. A crescent after ALEXAND— Fig. 166 .

O ne pel let in the second and two in the fourth quarter.

3 3 . O . ALEXANDCER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 19} g rs.

34. 0. Do. : a pe l le t instead of a crescent after ALEXAND,2 2

,2 2

, 2 1} g rs.

The larger head,without a privy mark after ALEXAND— Fig. I6SA.

344 . O. +ALEXANDER DEI GRA BE REX SCOTORVM 2 0136 g rs.

NO . 33 , with the crescents instead of the pellets after ALEXAND,i s an

unpubl ished variety the two examples in the F e rg uslie col lection have the

crescents d ifferently disposed . The three coins in NO . 34 are sl ightly varied

from each other ; two have GRA. No . 344 i s i n the Hunterian col lection .

Two mullets of six and two of five points — Fig . 16 7.

3 5 . o. +ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM 2 2 , 2 9} grs.

The mullets of s ix points are in the first and third quarters.

Three mullets of s ix and one of five poi nts — Fig. 168.

36 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVM 1 6} grs .

The mullet of five points i s in the fourth quarter. Some of these pieces

have a pel let after ALEXAND.

Four mullets of six points . The larger head— Fig. 169.

3 7. o. +ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM 2 2,2 1 grs.

Two stars of seven and two mullets O f six points . The larger head.

Fig. 1 70 .

38. O. +ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM 2 2, 2 13 grs .

39. 0. Do. : with GRA, 2 1} grs.

The stars of seven points are in the second and th ird quarters.


punches for these letters had part ial ly given way . The same varieties of

reverse probably occur in connect ion with th is head as i n relation to the

second head,but I have observed only the three fol lowing Three

mullets of s ix and one of five poi nts ; ( 2) Four mul lets of s ix poi nts ; (3 )Two stars of seven and two mullets of six points . The same style of

lettering as on the sterl ings Class I I I . of G roup I . Plain crosses in the

legendary circles .

f irst 13mm

Four mullets of s ix points — Fig. 1 78.

44. O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM 2 1} grs.

Three mullets of six and one Star of seven points — Figs . I79, 180 .

45 . o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM

The star is i n the fourth quarter ; two coins . I have figured both ,

because Fig. 180 i s the piece described by W ingate , W . Pl . V I I . 1 , as

having on the reverse 1 star of 6,and I of 7 points , and 2 mullets of 6

points.

” From a comparison of th is piece,as here figured, with the better

struck coin (Fig. from corresponding dies,i t wi l l be seen , however,

that what has been regarded by W i ngate as a star of Six points i n the first

quarter of the reverse is merely an imperfectly struck mullet, probably froma much -worn punch . An instance of what may be done i n changing the

appearance of a coin by imperfect striking is afforded by the obverse of the

companion piece , Fig . 1 79, where the upper port ion of the face presents

quite a smooth appearance , with the fri nge of curls below the crown nearly

obliterated and with the eye partial ly closed . Compare also the halfpenny

Fig . 193 , where the pierced space in the centre of the mullet1 i n the th ird

quarter is almost completely closed up .

1 The mul le t is a lways ope n,or pierced, in the ce ntre , and repre sents the spur rowe l of a kn ight.

The star is s imply a closed mulle t.


Estonia Arab.

Four mullets of s ix points — Fig. 184.

46 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA E. REX SEOTORVM 1 7} grs.

The closed (I on the reverse.

Three mullets of s ix and one of five points — Fig. 185 .

47. O . ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM 2 1} grs.

48. 0. Do. : the c losed (I on the reverse , 2 2 grs .

The mullet of five points is i n the fourth quarter. The bust on these

two pieces, as also on some of the other long s ingle cross sterl ings of

Alexander I I I . i n the F e rgusl ie collection , presents the appearance of be ing

sl ightly clothed .

Three mullets of six and one star of seven points — Fig. IS5A.

484 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B1, REX SCOTORVM 1 3} grs.

The star of seven points i s i n the fourth quarter. I n the S.S.A. col

lection, from the Montrave hoard. Very much cl ipped . Se e also the two

sterl ings,Nos. 68, 72 , where , with reverses respect ively from dies of

Classes I . and I I . , the type of three mullets of six and one star of seven

points occurs i n connection with this head .

Two mul lets of s ix and two stars of seven points — Fig. 186 .

49. o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM 2 2 grs.

The mullets of s ix poi nts are i n the first and th ird quarters .

(l ZIJItD 19mm

Four mullets of six points .—Fig . 198.

59 . o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM 2 13, 2 1 g rs .

A pecul iar ornament on the neck .

AlexanderIII.

( 1249-1285

cross co inag e .

Group II.Class III.


Three mullets of six poi nts and one of five points — Fig. 199.

5 1 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 2 2 grs .

The mul let of five points i s i n the fourth quarter.

Three mullets of s ix points and one of five points — Fig. 200 .

5 2 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 19 grs .

The mullet of five points is i n the first quarter.

The pierced space in the centre of the mullet i n the second quarter of

this p iece is almost whol ly obl i terated . Had the effaci ng process proceeded

a very l ittle further this coi n possibly would have been rega rded as pre

senting an example of a new and unpubl i shed type— one mullet of five

points, one star of six points, and two mullets of s ix points! Se e the second

coin in No. 45 .

Two mul lets of six and two stars of seven points — Fig. 20 1 .

53 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SEOTORVM 2 2} grs.

The mullets of six points are in the fi rst and third quarters.

INTERCHANGES— GROUP II.

O BVERSES As CLASS I . REVERSES As CLASS I I .

Four mullets of six poi nts — Fig. 16 1 .

54. O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 1 8} g rs .

Two stars of seven and two mullets of s ix points — Fig. 16 2 .

5 5 . o.114 ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM 2 2 g rs.

The stars of seven points are in the first and th ird quarters.


O BVERSES As CLASS I I . REVERSES AS CLASS I .

Four mullets of s ix poi nts — Fig. 1 72A.

584 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 19} g rs .

Two coins,both in the S.S.A . collection , from the Montrave hoard .

Three mullets of six and one star of seven points — Fig. I73 .

59. O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 2 1} g rs .

The star of seven points i s i n the fourth quarter.

Two stars of seven and two mullets of Six poi nts — Fig. 1 74 .

60 . O . ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVM 114 2 0} grs.

6 1 . Do. : the he ad sl ight ly varied, 2 1 g rs.

The stars of seven points are i n the first and th ird quarters.

O BVERSES As CLASS I I . REVERSES AS CLASS I I I .

Three mullets of five and one of s ix poi nts — Fig. 1 75 .

6 2 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 2 1} grs

This i s an excessively rare and h itherto unpubl ished type Of reverse .

The only other example known to me is i n the S.S.A. collect ion . The

mullet of six points occupies the second quarter Of the cross.

Four mul lets of six points — Fig . I76 .

63 . O. +ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVM 2 1} grs.

Three mul lets of six and one star of seven points — Fig. 17 7.

64. o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 . REX SCOTORVM

The star of seven points occupies the fourth quarter.

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND:

Two mul lets of s ix and two stars of seven po ints — Fig. 1 77A. A le xander 111.8 -6 .

644 . o. ALEXANDER DEI GRA 3 REX SCOTORVM 1 73 grs . 802

3338361

The mullets of s ix poi nts occupy the first and th ird quarters. Two

coins, both i n the S.S.A . col lection , from the Montrave hoard .

Intercmméef

O BVERSES As CLASS I I I . GROUP I I . REVERSES AS CLASS 1. GROUP I .

~fii irsit t 11926 11.

Four mullets of six points — Fig. 18 1 .

65 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVM PF 1 8 g rs.

Properly , th is piece ought perhaps to have been described under

G roup I . I t i s a rare coin . There were only three spec imens in the

Montrave hoard out of 24 2 Alexander I I I . long single cross sterl ings . I n

no other i nstance have I met with any other apparent interchange of oh

verse or reverse between the sterl ings of G roups I . and I I . This head

may be regarded as common to Classes I I I . of both G roups . As asso

cia ted with Class I I I . G roup I . i t has the small curl i n front of the

larger curls,as on the other sterl ings in G roup I.

, and is connected wi th

only one type of reverse,the four mul lets of six points. As here assoc iated

with Class I I I . G roup I I. ,i t wants the small curl i n front of the larger

curls, and is connected with two types of reverse, the four mullets of six

poi nts and the three mullets of six and one star of seven points .

O BVERSES AS CLASS I I I . GROUP I I . REVERSES AS CLASS I . GROUP I I .

f irs t 192m

Four mullets of six poi nts — Fig. 182 .

66 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVME4 2 1 , 2 1} grs.

Two spec imens from different dies .


b anana Q t ah.


6 7. O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 2 1 grs .

Three mullets of six and one star of seven points — Fig. 188.

68. O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVM i t 2 0% grs .

The Star of seven points i s i n the fourth quarter.

Two stars of seven and two mullets of s ix points — Fig. 188A.

684 . O. ALEXANDER DEII GRA R. REX SCOTORVM PF I7% grs.

The stars of seven points are i n the first and th ird quarters . I n the

S.S.A. collection , from the Montrave hoard.

fdtbirn 19mm

Four mullets of s ix points — Fig. 20 1A.

686. O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVME

I n the S.S.A. col lect ion , from the Montrave hoard, i n which

Specimens.

Two stars of seven and two mul le ts of Six points — Fig.

69. O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVME‘ z zégrs .

The stars of seven points are i n the first and th ird quarters .

O BVERSES As CLASS I I I . GROUP I I . REVERSES As CLASS I I . GROUP I I .

j l‘ i t‘

g t 19mm.

Four mul lets of s ix points . -Fig. 183 .

70 . O. ALEXANDER DGI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 2 1 grs .


REVERSES AS CLASS I I . GROUP I I .

Two stars of seven and two mullets Of six poi nts — Fig. 205 .

76 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GR Br. REX SCIOTORVM grs.

On th is and on the following p iece the stars of seven points occupy the

first and third quarters of the cross.

Two stars of seven and two mullets Of s ix points — Fig. 206 .

77. o. ALEXANDER D€I GRAc R REX SOOTORVM 2 0 grs.

REVERSE As CLASS I I I . GROUP I I .

Four mullets of Six points — Fig. 20 7.

78. O . ALEXANDER D€I GRA R. REX SCOTORVM 2 15 grs .

BALIOL TYPES AND LETTERING, O BVERSE AND REVERSE.

Four mullets Of s ix points — Fig. 209.

79. o. ALEXANDER DEI GR R. REX SCOTORVM 2 2 grs .

I n al l but the name th is piece corresponds with the Bal iol sterl ings,

Figs . 2 10 , 2 IOA,2 1013 . A pellet on the sceptre—handle. The C and the E,

owing to the wedges i n front being i n too close proximi ty, have a closed

appearance.

CONTEMPORARY FORGERY.

Two mullets of s ix and two stars of s ix points — Fig. 208.

80 . O . ALEXANDER DEII GRA B . REX 2COTORVM 1 53; grs .

This piece seems to have been executed i n imitation of the sterl ings

of the four mullets of s ix points type of Class I I . Group I I .,but the mullets

in the first and th ird quarters have been mistaken for stars,and the S has

been rendered of the reversed form . I regard i t as a contemporary forgery,


and apparently , from its pecul iar work and hard glassy surface , of foreign

make. None of the genuine s ingle cross sterl ings of Alexander I I I . have

two mullets of s ix and two stars of six points,nor is the S on these ever of

the reversed character. This is the coin figured in W ingate , Pl . VI . 1 2

and described as unique . As represented by W i ngate the S on the reverse

is made to appear as of the regular form .

HALFPENN IES AND FARTH I NGS.

For the first time i n Scotland money of smaller denominations than

the penny,or sterl ing, was struck in th is re ign . All the spec imens of the

halfpennies and farthi ngs of Alexander I I I . that I have seen correspond in

the style of head and lettering with the penn ies G roup I I . of the later

i ssues. The halfpenn ies have a cross pa tée before the legend on the Ob

verse and after the legend on the reverse ; the farthings general ly have a

cross pa tée before the legendary c ircle on the obverse only. The type of

reverse usual ly met with on the halfpenny is a mullet of s ix points i n each

of two opposi te quarters of the cross, with the other two quarters plain .

Sometimes a star of s ix poi nts takes the place O f one of the mul lets , as on

the Spec imen Fig. 195 . A very rare variety, F ig: 192 , has mullets of five

instead of six points . The farth ings have mullets of Six points in al l the

quarters of the cross .

HALFPENNIES. Ha lfpennies.

A mullet of five points i n the second and the fourth quarters — Fig. 19 2 .

I. O . ALEXANDER DEI GRA R. REX SCOTORVM 10 g rs .

The lettering on the obverse is the same as on the penn ies Class I I I .

G roup I I . ; on the reverse i t agrees with that on the penn ies Class I I . G roup

I I . O n al l the following the lettering on both s ides i s the same as on the

pennies Class I I I . Group I I .

Farthings.


A mullet of six points i n the first and th ird quarters — Fig. 193 .

2 . O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 9} grs.

A mullet of s ix points i n the first and th ird quarters — Fig. 194.

3 . O. ALEXAIDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM 9 grs .

A star of six points in the first, a mullet of s ix points i n the th ird quarter.

Fig. 195 .

4. O. ALEXANDER DEI GRA B . REX SCOTORVM g i grs.

FARTHINGS.

The lettering is the same as on the pennies Class I I I . Group I I .

Four mullets of six points — Fig. 196 .

I. O. ALEXANDER REX B . SCOTORVM


2 . O. ALEXANDER REX B . SCOTORVM 6 grs .

W i th the same Obverse as No . 2,a farth i ng i n the S.S.A. collection

has SEOTORVM on the reverse .

I t has been already remarked that the several combinat ions of points, as

exh ib i ted on the stars on the reverses of the W i l l iam the Lion Short double

cross sterl ings , having the names of the moneyers but without the names of

the m ints,probably i ndicated the d ifferent mints at wh ich the sterl i ngs thus

dist inguished were issued . That the moneyers whose names appear on the

reverses of these p ieces should have carried on the ir operat ions at several

mints cannot be regarded as an unwarrantable assumption, in V iew of what


The'

employm e nt of stars, i n the case of seven poi nts, as against

mul lets,where the number of points was six or five, would greatly faci l i tate

the identification of the di fferent reverses . I have not met with any properly

authenticated instance of a star of s ix poi nts on the sterl ings of the long

Single cross series of Alexander I I I . ; although , on the halfpenny No. 3 ,

there is much reason to bel ieve that the object i n the first quarter is a star

of six points and not a mullet. W i ngate’

s sterl ing,

“2 stars of 6 and 2

mullets of 6 points, now in the F e rg us l ie collection, No. 80 , i s too palpable

a forgery to deserve further ment ion . H is other abnormal variety, “1 star

of 6 , 1 of 7, and 2 mullets of 6 points , also now in the F e rg usl ie col le c

t ion , NO . 45 , Fig. 1 79, appears , as already stated , to be only a blundered

specimen of the companion coi n in NO . 45 , Fig . 180 ,with three mullets of

six and one star of seven points .

ADDENDA— EDWARDS I.,I I III.

— PLATE A .

As the arrangement here made of the long s ingle cross coins of

Alexander I I I . i s entirely based upon the order of issue of the correspond

ing Engl ish coinages of Edward I. ,i t w il l be necessary that some reference

should now be made to these i n connecti on wi th P late A,here introduced

i n il lustration of th is important series .

For a period of some seventy to e ighty years at least,the coinages of

the first three Edwards may be said to have const ituted the main currency

of Scotland. I n al l the more extens ive finds of coins,belonging to the

latter part of the th irteenth and the first half of the fourteenth centuries , that

have occurred i n Scotland , the Engl ish coins have outnumbered the con

temporary Scottish coins— Alexanders, Ba l io ls , Robert Bruces, and Dav ids

—ln the proportion of about th irty to one .

H itherto , even by Engl i sh numismatists,the Edward ian sterl ings

,

although certainly the most famil iar section of the Engl ish coi nage , from

the great abundance of most of the examples , have been but indi fferently

studied a nd understood . The extens ive large- le tter series of sterl ings of

Edward I . read ing EDW, with which the Alexander I I I . sterl ings are so


i nt imately assoc iated , has been treated as one s ingle class , without regard to

important d ifferences i n the form of the letters and in the manner of

rendering the contractive s igns . Scarcely any attempt has been made to

Show where th i s large- letter series begins and where i t ends.

On the roth May 1877 , at Montrave , Fi fesh ire , the property of Mr.

Allan G i lmour of Lundin and Montrave , a very large find occurred of

Engl ish , Scottish, and Foreign Sterl i ngs,of which the Engl ish portion

comprised nearly n ine thousand coins of Edwards I . I I . I I I . The whole

hoard was put in to my hands for examinat ion by my friend Mr. George Sim ,

Curator of Coins of the Soc iety of Antiquaries of Scotland. I n proceed

i ng to classi fy the Engl ish portion I began by placing together those coins

wh ich had a common style of head and lettering, and th is irrespect ive of

the part icular m ints to wh ich the several variet ies belonged . I n th is way the

several p ieces naturally d isposed themselves into d isti nct groups and classes,

each group and class being disti nguished by its own special characteri stics .

The remarkable coin here figured A 30 was the key of the whole . The

obverse of th is piece belongs to that class of the large - letter series wh ich

have a Single pel let on the breast the reverse i n i ts lettering, which is of a

smaller and rounder character than on the obverse, corresponds exactly with

the letteri ng on the rose -on-breast class . The fact that two styles of letter

i ng represent ing different mi ntages should thus meet on the same coin

affords sat isfactory proof that these two mintages could not have been very

far removed the one from the other i n the ir period of issue . And the further

I carried my researches the more convinced was I that the two different

styles of letteri ng on the Obverse and the reverse of th is sterl ing of Durham

represented respectively the latest minta ge of the large - letter series of

sterl i ngs of Edward I . and the earl iest m intage of h i s smal l - letter coi nages .

The front of the letter 6 on the obverse of the sterl i ng A 30 has a

closed appearance,but i s real ly open

,the particular effect produced being

occasioned by the wedges with wh ich the front i s pointed hav ing coalesced

i n strik ing . Compare with the E on the Sterl i ngs A 30-

34 and with the

E on the other large - le tter coins of the same plate . The GI on the reverse,

l ike the CIon the same piece , al though formed i n the same manner, i s to be


regarded rather as a closed GI,the wedges i n front hav ing ev idently been

brought together by design . As a rule, i t wi l l be found that on al l the

subsequent coinages of the Edward ian series the CI and a have the fronts

closed,and that on al l the preceding coinages the C and 6 , al though some

t imes presenting a closed appearance from the cause described , are of the

Open variety. Save in th is difference , and that the smaller lettering on

the reverse is of neater execut ion than the larger letter ing on the obverse,

i t wil l be found that the larger lettering and the smaller lettering, as repre

sented respect ively on the Obverse and the reverse of the sterl i ng A 30 ,

approximate in style more closely than do the larger and the smaller letter

ing on any of the other coinages.

G roping my w ay backwards, from the standpoint afforded by the large

letter coinage as represented on the Obverse of the sterl ings A 30 , with the

single pel let on the breast, I observed that the large - letter coinage most

closely assoc iated with th is issue was the coinage with the three pellets on

the breast th is again was connected with the coinage with a single pellet

before the inscriptions . Many sterl i ngs, identical i n the style of head ,crown

,and lettering, with th is last class, were without the pellet before the

legends. These were probably the earl ier issues of the same coinage .

Progressing in th is retrograde fash ion, I at last came to that remarkable

group A 1 -5 , on which the letter N i s more frequently of the reversed (14 )than of the regular form .

The sterl ings A 1 -

5 consti tuted the greater port ion of the smal l hoard

of Edward I . pennies , discovered at N orthampton in the spri ng of 1873 ,

described byMr. Neck, Nam . Cfiron . , Third Series, vol . i i . I t is important

to observe that the only mints there represented,with the exception of

Durham and Lincoln , and St . Edm undsbury of Robert de Hade l ie ,were

London, Bristol , Canterbury, and York— the last ment ioned four mints

being those to wh ich the first great coinage of Edward I.,as proposed

i n the i ndenture with W i l l iam de Turnem ire of Marsei l les, 8th December

1 2 79 , was to be confined . None of the Durham sterl i ngs i n the Northampton find had the mint mark of B i shop Beck , appointed B ishop of Durham in

1 2 83— a s ign ificant c ircumstance , as implying that up to the time the hoard

A 3— London.


wedge - shaped contractive Sign disposed immediately behind the R, and

placed al so after ANGL, a s on the sterl ings A 1 . There were 18 of these

pieces i n the Montrave board, of wh ich 2 had an annulet on the breast.

All were of the London mint.

O f sterl ings as A 3 , with arrow- head shaped ornaments on the spaces

of the crown between the l is, but i n other respects the same as the sterl ings

A 2 , except that the wedge -Shaped contrac tive Sign beh ind the R seldom

passes through the letter, the Montrave hoard contained 2 5 specimens

al l of London .

W i th the same lettering and contractive Signs as on the preced ing, but

with a longer and a more sombre style of countenance , re presented A 4,

the Montrave hoard contained 6 2 sterl ings . Five of these had round

pellets,the rema inder had arrow - head shaped ornaments on the spaces of

the crown . W i th the except ion of one coi n of Canterbury —which appears

to have belonged to the class represented A 5 , although with its obverse

struck from a die of A 4— al l were of the London mint .

The sterl ings A 5 may be regarded as consti tuting the first general

coinage. These have a shorter style of head and a longer neck than the

sterl ings A 4 ,but are the same in al l other respects— in the Shape of the

crown,lettering

,and contractive signs . I t i s a significant c ircumstance that

,

with the addition of Durham , the m ints represented on these pieces are the

identical mints ment ioned in the indenture of 8th December 1 2 79— London

,

Bristol , Canterbury, York . O f sterl i ngs as A 5 the Montrave hoard

conta ined —of London 106 specimens,of Bri stol 4 2 spec imens, of Canter

bury 1 2 specimens, of York 2 5 spec imens, of Durham 14 spec imens of the

Durham coins none had episcopal mint marks .

I t may be remarked that on none of the Edwardian sterl i ngs, i n the

long series represented i n Plate A , do we find the same approximation to

the head and crown on the Henry long double cross sterl ings as occurs

on the EDW REX and EDW B. pieces.

The word REX i n ful l , moreover, as i nvariably employed upon the

Henry long cross sterl ings,may natural ly be supposed to have preceded

the abbreviated forms B’ and R on the Edward I . sterl ings . The circum


stance that none of the first four p ieces i n G roup A represent general mi nt

ages would seem to imply that, although the puncheons and dies for these

may possibly . have been prepared prior to or in connection with thos e for A

5 , th ismay have been Simply as compet ing designs for the proposed general

co inage of 1 2 79 ; but that , as the variety approved of, the puncheons and dies

for A 5 would be employed for general service , while those for the other

varieties wou ld be uti l i sed for the extensive requirements of the London mint.

Closely connec ted with the sterl i ngs i n G roup A 1 -

5 are the coins

figured A 6 - 10 ,forming another d istinct group

,remarkable for having a

plai n band or collar round the king’

s neck, instead of the usual drapery

d ivided i n front. The style of the crown,i n having round pel lets instead

of arrow - head shaped ornaments on the Spaces, corresponds with that on

the sterl ing s A 1 , 2 , but the bel t i s considerably more curved. The letter

ing has the stems sl ightly curved . The letter A on these pieces i s not so

open as on the sterl ings of the precedi ng group , and the cross l i ne at the

top i s much shorter. The N i s of the regular form , but on the reverses of

a few coins i t is of the reversed character ; in these cases, however, as

shown from the broad A with the long top l ine i n CIVITAS,the reverses

are really from reverse dies of the preced ing group, with wh ich, to some

extent , the coins of th is group have i nterchanged dies , three of the London

sterl ings A 5 i n the Mon trave hoard having thei r reverses from dies Of th is

group . The S i s Slender-waisted but ful ler than before . I nstead of the

broad wedge-shape d contractive signs after R and ANGL,we now find

crescents, some t imes with the lower end drawn out. The cross before the

legend on the obverse is larger than on the coins of the preceding group,

and partakes more of the cross potent than of the cross pa tée .

Addenda— Ed

Wards I. II. , III.

( 12 79- 1377)

Group» A. 1.-5 .

Group A 6 - 10

O f sterl ings as A 6 there were i n the Montrave hoard 1 1 specimens,A 6— London.

al l of London . The lettering on the reverses of these pieces was homo ~

g e neous with that on the obverses . Bu t i n a small find of Edward sterl ings

at Dumfries , examined by me, I observed a sterl ing with the obverse as

A 6 and with the reverse from a die of A 5 .

O f sterl ings as A 7 the Montrave hoard contained— O f London 8 A 7— London.

specimens, of Bri stol 2 Specimens —one of wh ich had i ts reverse from a die Bristol, York.

Group A 1 1- 15 .

A 1 1 London .

Ca nterbury.


of A 5— of York 7 spec imens . O f sterl ings as A 8 there were i n the

Montrave hoa rd— of Durham (royal mint) 1 spec imen , and of York 2 6

spec imens.The head on A 8 i s only a variety of that on A 7.

O f sterl ings as A 9 only two specimens were in the Montrave hoa rd,

both of London,one having its reverse from a die of A 5 , w i th the broad

A and reversed VI. Of sterl ings as A 10 the Montrave hoard contai ned

of London 2 spec imens, of Bristol 1 Spec imen , of Canterbury 3 spec imens.

Coins of th is group were among the smal l find of early pennies of

Edward I . at Northampton . They are pa rt icularly described by Mr.

Neck,who states — “ A plain wel l-defined band , varied i n Siz e, and without

bei ng as usual folded i n front, enci rcles the neck of the k ing.

”

Another group,whose issue must have been partly contemporaneous

with , and partly i n immediate sequence to that of the above group,i s

represented by the sterl ings A 1 1 - 1 5 . On these pieces the bust has the

usual drapery, divided i n front,but of the sl ightest description . The

crown , except on the sterl ings A 1 1 , has arrow - head shaped ornaments

on the spaces : on the s terl ings A 1 1 the crown has round pel lets, as on

the coins of the preced ing group .

Except i n the drapery not being divided in front there is no difference

between the sterl ings A 10 of the preceding group and the sterl ings A 1 1

of th is group , the head and letteri ng on both be ing identical . O f ster

l i ngs as A 1 1 there were i n the Montrave hoard 5 spec imens, al l of London

and in the Dumfries find I not iced a Canterbury penny of th is variety .

W i th the same head, crown , and lettering as A 1 1,a sterl i ng of London

in the S.S.A. col lection, not from the Montrave hoard, has the neck en

c ircled with a collar of the pronounced character as on the sterl ings A 6 .

The sterl i ngs A 1 2 are simply a variety of A 1 1 , but with a shorter

neck . O f these pieces, with some sl igh t d ifferences of head , the Montrave

hoard contai ned — of London 2 3 spec imens , of Bristol 5 spec imens, of

Canterbury 2 spec imens .

The sterl ings A 1 3 have been particularly referred to i n connection

with the Alexander I I I . long s ingle cross sterl ings G roup I . Class I as

corresponding closely with these i n letteri ng. The face is longer and the

Group A 16-2 1 .


A 14, others to A 1 5 . O n a few pieces, with the head as A 1 5 , the letter 5

i s of the same full -bodied character as on the sterl ings of the following

groups but i n general i t i s slender-waisted as on the preceding coinages,

and i s usual ly rendered as slop ing backwards . The L on the sterl i ngs A

14 , 1 5 , i s of the regular form , having the foot put i n by a small wedge,

i nstead of exh ibi ting a tal l up- turn , as on the sterl ings A 1 3 , and as on the

Alexander I I I . penn ies, G roup I . Class I . The crescents after R and

ANGL on the sterl ings A 14, 1 5 , frequently present a sol id appearance , l ike

bulle ts spl i t i n halves .

O f the above class , A 14 , 1 5 , the Montrave hoard contai ned— of

London 2 2 2 spec imens, of wh ich 4 had the ful l - bodied S on the obverse,

and 1 had the ful l-bodied S on both s ides ; of Bri stol 64 specimens ; of

Canterbury 5 2 Spec imens ; of Durham (royal m int) 4 spec imens, of which 2

had their reverses from dies of A 5 of Lincoln 42 Specimens ; of York 5spec imens . The name of Robert de Hade l ie , al though i t does not appear

among the Montrave coins of th i s class, occurs on the reverse of a sterl ing

in the S.S.A . collection with the obverse as A 14 .

The sterl ings A 16 - 2 1 represent another d i st i nct group , closely con

ne cted,however

,with the coi ns of the immediately preceding series .

The first two variet ies, A 1 6 , 1 7 , are of a transit ional character, marking

the change from the slender-bodied to the ful l -bodied S. These coins are

ch iefly remarkable, however, for the variety of contractive signs d isplayed

upon them —1 . Smal l sol id crescents of the spl i t-bul let character, as on the

sterl ings A 14, 1 5 , of the preceding group . 2 . Short th ick sem i - crescents

of a ki nd almost pecul iar to the coins of th i s class. 3 . Elongated semi

crescents,resembl ing b i rds’ claws . 4 . Sl im Sharp wedges .

As A 16 , there were 3 5 2 sterl i ngs i n the Montrave hoard , distri

buted as fol lows —London, 1 75 coins ; of wh ich 78 had the slender S on

both s ides, 2 had the slender S on the Obverse and the full-bodied S on the

reverse , 58 had the ful l -bodied S on both Sides , 3 7 had the ful l-bodied S on

the obverse and the slender S on the reverse . Bri stol , 38 coi ns, showing the

two styles of S i n equal proport ions . Canterbury, 66 coins, ch iefl y with the

ful l - bodied S. Chester, 5 coins, all with the slender S. Durham (royal


mint), 20 coins, al l with the full -bodied S. Lincoln, 44 coins , ch iefly with Addenda— Ed

the slender S. St . Edmundsbury of Robert de Hade l ie , 4 coins, of wh ich 3had the slender S.

Group A 16 -2 1.

The sterl ings A 18 have a rather large style of head with an unusual A I8— London,

development of nose . O n these the S i s of the remarkably ful l variety so Brisml ’ came"

frequently met with on the Alexander single cross sterl ings, G roup I I . Class sh

t

iu m om

’

I . The correspondence i n other respects of the lettering on these pieces

with the lettering on these Scottish s terl ings has been already referred to,

and suffic iently shows that they are of the same period .

O f the class A 18, five mints were represented in the Montrave hoard

— London , by 20 coi ns Bristol , by 9 coi ns Canterbury,by 3 coins ; Lin

coln , by 7 coi ns ; York, with round 11,by 2 coins . Apparently th is is the

last occas ion on wh ich the names of Bristol , Lincoln , and York appear on

the large- letter coinages of Edward I . Lincoln is met wi th no more on the

Edwards I. , I I . , I I I . series . Bri stol and York are revived on the small - lette r

coinage of 1300 .

The sterl ings A 19 exhibi t two varieties of the letter A ; Of these one A 19— London,

Canterbury, Dur

ham , Robert deother having the body open (A), a form wh ich eventual ly supersedes the Hade l ie .

has the body barred across the centre as on al l the preceding issues,the

barred A. The letter S usual ly shows the egg- shaped swell ing on the centre,

as on the sterl ings A 18. The stems of the D,R

, and other upright char

acte rs are sl ightly curved . Elongated sem i - crescents,or commas

,are

placed after R and ANGL.

The mints represented in the Montrave hoard of th is class were

London , 1 5 coins, of wh ich 10 had the open A ; Canterbury, 10 coins , of

wh ich 9 were with the open A ; Durham (royal mint), 2 coins, both with

the open A ; St . Edmundsbury of Robert de Hade l ie , with the open A, 1 coi n.

From the i ntroduct ion of th is coinage , and ti l l the appearance of the

small- letter sterl i ngs of A .D. 1 300 , A 3 7, the only m ints in operat ion seem

to have been London , Canterbury, Durham , and St . Edm undsbury.

The next two mintages represented on the plate A 20 , 2 1 , display only A 20 ,

the larger and the sma l ler variet ies of one style of head,and consti tute

Durham ,Robert

only one class, remarkable for the manner i n wh i ch the long sem i - crescent . de Hade l ie .

Group A 22 -30.


or comma,after R connects i tsel f wi th the tai l of that letter, forming with it

a continuous l ine completely i ntersecting the legendary circle . The letter

A i s barred across, but very sl ightly, with the bar placed very low down.

The S i s ful l-bodied , and of a larger and freer character than before.

The mints represented i n the Montrave hoard of the class A 20, 2 1 ,

were— London, 86 coins ; Canterbury, 48 coins ; Durham (royal mint), 8

coins ; St . Edmundsbury of Robert de Hade l ie— all wi th ROBERTVS,the

only instance of th is reading in the Montrave hoard— 10 co ins .

The sterl ings A 2 2 30 comprise the latest group of the large- letter series

of Edward I . The lettering on these pieces i s rather larger than before,

particularly the G,except on A 2 2 , where i t corresponds with the G on the

coins of the preceding groups. Large wel l-curved commas occur as con

tractives,usual ly cutting into the R.

On the class represented by A 2 2 , both the G and S are smaller than

on the coins of the other classes i n the same group. The Montrave hoard

contained— of London 1 14 spec imens, of Canterbury 5 5 Specimens, of

Durham 5 spec imens, of St . Edmundsbury of Robert de Hade l ie 3 spec i

mens.

The five Durham coins, A 2 2 , were specially interesting : consist ing

of two sterl i ngs of the royal mint— or of what i s usually called such , as

being without episcopal marks— and three sterl ings with the cross mol ine,

the mint mark of B ishop Beck , of which one (the figured coi n) had a plai n

cross before the legend on the Obverse , and a cross mol i ne instead of three

pel lets i n the first quarter of the reverse the other two pieces had the cross

mol ine placed before EDW and before CIVITAS, as on al l the following of

Beck struck prev iously to A 3 7, the coinage of 1 300 , on which , and on al l

Beck ’s subsequent issues, the cross mol ine is placed before the inscription

on the obverse only .

B i shop Beck was appointed to the see of Durham in 1 2 83 . I t was

probably in that year that the sterl ings of the class A 2 2 were minted .

The cross mol i ne ,1 Beck’s well-known family bearing, which is now for the

first t ime employed on the Edward ian sterl ings,does not appear i n thefirst

1 The ends of the cross mol ine term ina te l ike a m i ll-rind ; hence the name .


on A 24 and A 2 6 to indicate that these p ieces were of subsequent coinage

to A 2 3 and A 2 5 . I n th is case A 2 3 may have been of contemporaneous

i ssue with A 2 5 , and A 24 with A 2 6 .

O n the coi ns A 2 7 three pellets are placed on a row on the

royal breast at the fastening of the robe . O nly sterl ings of London and

Canterbury occur of th is variety. Bu t there are Durham and St . Ed

mundsbury coins (A which , with the breast plain , have the same head

and lettering as on these , and are evidently of the same coinage . The

style of head differs from that on A 2 5 , 2 6 , only in the hair being more

loose and ropy .

W i th three pellets on the breast, as A 2 7, there were in the Mon trave

hoard —of London 60 sterl ings, of Canterbury 1 7 sterl i ngs . W i th the same

head,but without the pellets on the breast, as A 28, there were of Durham

4 Sterl ings— all of Beck’ s mintage , having the ends of the cross mol ine before

the legends curiously formed of annulets, except on the reverse of one

specimen where the cross mol ine was of the ordinary variety. O f St . Ed

m undsbury as A 2 8, w i thout the three pellets on the breast, and with the

usual plain cross before the legend on the obverse,the Montrave hoard

contained 3 specimens, all with the name of the mint, now represented for

the first t ime , instead of the name of Robert de Hade l ie , which does not

again occur.

The sterl ings A 29, 30 , have a Single pel let, and occasional ly two pel lets ,

at the junction of the robe on the breast. O ne variety has the head corre

sponding to A 2 5 , 2 6 . Some wi th the heads as A 2 9, 30 , have the eyes

put in with almond-Shaped pellets, as on the rose-on -breast sterl ings,A 3 1 .

The fleurs-de- l i s of the crown on the pel let-on -breast coins are remarkably

wel l spread, a characterist ic also of the rose-on-breast pieces.

O f these coi ns the Montrave hoard contained as follows : of London-with the heads as A 2 5 , 29, 30

— 37 specimens ; of Canterbury— with the

heads as A 29, 30— 14 specimens of Durham , episcopal of Beck— with the

heads as A 2 9, 30— 2 spec imens , Of which one (A the figured coin , i s

the remarkable piece of wh ich mention has been made as hav ing the small

lettering on the reverse, from a die of the rose-on-breast coinage . A pied


fort of Durham , i n the S.S.A . collection,with the obverse as A 30 ,

has the

same large lettering on the reverse as on the obverse , and has the cross

mol ine before CIVITAS of the same extraordinari ly large character as

before EDW . O f St . Edmundsbury , with the head as A 30 , the Mon trave

hoard contai ned 1 spec imen . Here ends the large- letter series of Edward I .

The sterl ings A 3 1 3 7 const itute the first group of the smal l—letter Group A 3 1-37 .

series of Edward I . These have the king’s name rendered EIDW as on the

preceding groups of the large - letter series,but they differ from the large

letter sterl ings in several respects . 1 . They are of smaller module,while

giv ing the same average weight . 2 . They have a plain cross instead of a

cross pa tée with the ends i ncl i n ing to potent before the inscr iption on the

obverse,except on the sterl ings with the rose on the breast

,A 3 1 , which

have the cross of the same character as on the sterl i ngs of the large- lette r

series . 3 . As Opposed to the barred A and open C and E of the large- letter

coins,the A on these pieces i s usually open, or without the bar across the

centre,and the (I and 61 have the fronts closed .

Reference has been made , i n connection with the Alexander I I I .

s ingle cross sterl ings, G roup I . Class I I . , to the remarkable manner in which

the lettering on these Scottish pieces corresponds with that on the Engl ish

rose-on -breast sterl i ngs . The same lettering and neat execution occur also

on a sterl ing of Dubl in with the rose on the breast and the bust i n a

triangle in the S.S.A. collection , from the Mon trave hoard . We can

scarcely doubt'

tha t these were all of a period . Were it to be assumed,

however,that the coinage of Alexander I I I . had terminated with h is death

th is would prevent us fixing a later date to the English rose - ou

breast sterl i ngs than 1 2 86 , and th is in face of the fact that the latest of

the small- letter sterl ings of the group A 3 1-

3 7 represent the coinage of

1 300 . But the close correspondence of certa in of the later sterl ings of

Alexander I I I . with certain of the sterl ings of Bal iol renders i t very im

probable that the coinage of Alexander I I I . should have term inated with

h is death .

The sterl ings A 3 1 have the bust very well draped , and th is i s a

characterist ic of the other sterl ings in the same group , as also are the neat

Addenda—Ed

wardsI. , II. , III.

12 794 377)

Group A 3 1-37.

A 3 1— London,

Canterbury.A 3 1, w ithoutthe rose on the

breas t— London ,

Can terbury, Durham , St. Ed

mundsbury.

A 32— London.

A 33,—London ,

St. Edmunds

bury.

A 34— London,

Canterbury.


smal l commas after R and ANGL, which are also found on the Scottish ster

l ings Group I . Class I I . i n G’

CIIA and G’

SIA. The letter 5 has the points

barbed l ike the S on the large- letter sterl ings A 29, 30 . Some sterl ings,as

A 3 1 , have a slender-bodied S. The G has the front barbed . The other

letters have the stems erect. The eyes are put i n with almond -shaped

pel lets, and the fleurs -de-l i s of the crown are very wel l spread .

There were of London, i n the Montrave hoard, as A 3 1 , 18 sterl ings,of which 1 7 had the rose, and 1 was without the rose on the brea st. There

were also 4 sterl ings of Canterbury, of wh ich 3 had the rose, and 1 was

without the rose on the breast. Durham was represented by a reverse only,

that on the mule A 30 , but i t i s very probable that none of the Durham

sterl ings have the rose on the breast, fol lowing in th is respect the Durham

and St. Edmundsbury sterl ings A 2 8, which , with the bust and the letteri ng

the same as on the London and Canterbury sterl i ngs A 2 7, have not, as on

these pieces, the three pellets on the breast. St . Edm undsbury was repre

sented by 1 sterl ing, without the rose.

The sterl ings A 3 2 correspond very closely i n the style of crown and

lettering with the sterl ings A 3 1 , except that the Stems of the upright

letters are sl ightly curved . These have a comma after h yB,as wel l as after

R and ANGL. There were 10 Sterlings as A 3 2 i n the Montrave hoa rd ,al l of London . None had a rose or other ornament on the breast.

The sterl ings A 3 3 , 34, have the stems of the letters straighter than on the

sterl ings A 3 2 . The h has a Sl ight notch i n the tai l . The S i s sometimes of

the same 8 - shaped form as on the sterl ings A 3 1 , 3 2 , but a new style of S

i s more frequently i ntroduced hav ing a th ick body with long sharp twisted

ends . The contract ive s igns are rendered e ither by smal l crescents or by

Sharp commas, and are employed after R, ANGL,and h yB,

sometimes also

after h . The crown is smaller than on the preceding variet ies .

O f London in the Montrave hoard there were 6 7 sterl ings as A 3 3 , and

30 as A 34 ; of Canterbury 1 sterl i ng as A 34 ; of St . Edm undsbury 1 ster

l ing as A 33 .

We now come to the star -on - breast i ssues . These are treated by

Hawkins as consti tuting one coinage only. There are , however, three


the sterl i ngs A 3 7 embrace not only these four m ints, but also Bristo l ,Chester

,Newcastle, and York, here once more brought i nto operation, and

Exeter, and K ingston-upon -Hull, now i ntroduced for the first time . And in

further dist inction i t may be remarked that, besides the much more general

occurrence of the N without the connecting transverse bar on the sterl ings A

3 7, the letter G on these is formed differently from what i t i s on the sterl ings

A 36 , hav ing the front l i ne curved instead of straight, and not so boldly

rendered as on A 36 . The S also has the sharp ends somewhat curtai led ;and the double V i n W i s frequently disj oined. Commas

,and s imi lar con

tractive s igns, are very rarely i ntroduced on the sterl ings A 3 7.

O f Sterl ings as A 3 7 theMontrave hoard contai ned i n all 803 specimens,

distributed as follows

London : the breas t plain , 1 29 coins ; with the star on the breast, 2 74coins ; with a pellet on the breast, 9 coins. Bristol : the breast plain , 1 1

coins with the star on the brea st , 43 coins. Canterbury : the breast plain,

54 coins wi th the star on the breast, 50 coins. Chester : the breast plain ,

2 coins ; with the star on the breast, 3 coins . Durham,non-episcopal : the

breast plain, 30 coins ; with the star on the breast , 18 coins. Durham ,

episcopal of Beck (the cross mol ine now on the obverse only, as on al l the

following of Beck,thus further and sti l l more notably dist ingu ish ing the

sterl ings A 3 7 from those of A 36 ) the breast plain , 10 coins ; with the star

on the breast, 10 coins. Exeter : the breast plai n , 1 coin ; with the s tar on

the breast, 14 coins. Kingston-upon-Hul l : the breast plai n, 1 coi n ; with

the star on the breast, 1 6 coins. Newcastle : the breast plain , 39 coins ;with the star on the breast

,2 1 coins . St . Edmundsbury : the breast plain ,

4 coins ; with the star on the breast, 9 coi ns. York : the breast plain , 13coins, of which 3 had a quatrefoi l on the reverse ; with the star on the

breast, 42 coins, of wh ich 1 had a quatrefoi l on the reverse .

As A 3 7 , of the Durham sterl i ngs, 4 non - episcopal , with the breast

plain , had their reverses from dies of A 36 ; 1 non-episcopal , with the breast

plain, had its reverse from a die of the immediately fol lowing coinage,A 38 ;

2 episcopal of Beck, with the star on the breast, had their reverses from dies

of A 36 . O f the Canterbury sterl i ngs, 3 with the breast plain had their


reverses from d ies of A 38. O f Newcastle, no less than 38 of the sterl ings

with the breast plain , and 2 with the star on the breast, had their reverses

from dies of A 38.

The only instance i n which the names of K ingston - upon -Hul l and

Exeter appear upon the reverses of the Edwardian coi nages is in connection

with the sterl i ngs A 3 7. I t i s certain,therefore

,that these consti tute the

great coi nage of A .D. 1 300 . U nder A.D. 1 300 Ruding remarks There

seems to have been at this t ime a coinage of cons iderable extent,for

,accord

ing to the Red Book of the Exchequer,i t was ordained

,upon the 2 9th of

March , that there should be i n London thirty furnaces,i n Canterbury

eight, i n K ingston -upon -Hull four,i n Newcastle - upon -Tyne two, i n Bristol

four, and in Exeter two. The mints at Bristol , Newcastle - upon -Tyne ,

Kingston - upon - Hull, and Exeter, were now ei ther worked for the first

t ime, or considerably enlarged, for a wri t was issued in th is year which

ordered houses to be buil t for the workmen , and made provis ion for bringing

expert art ifice rs i n that l i ne from beyond the seas. ” This statement as to

the mints of Bri stol and Newcastle satisfactorily confirms what the coins

themselves have shown us,namely

,that these mints must have been discon

tinned for some considerable t ime .

The coinage A 3 7, A.D. 1 300 ,i s the last on which the trefoi l style of

crown , or the crown wi th three leaves on the fleurs-de- l is at the sides, i s

placed on Engl ish coins ; with the sterl i ngs A 3 8 the bifoi l form of crown ,

or the crown with two leaves on the fleurs-de- l is at the sides, first makes its

appearance. I t i s proper to state,however

,that certai n forgeries of Engl ish

sterl ings in the Mon trave hoard, with the obverses inscribed EIDWA and

EIDWAR, and, therefore , presumably struck subsequently to the EDW coi n

ages A 3 7, had the trefoi l form of crown . The busts and the letter ing on

these pieces showed their true character, as in many cases these were close

Counterparts of the busts and the lettering on certain of the foreign sterl ings

i n the same hoard,and differing notably from the normal types presented

by the GDWA and GIDWAR sterl ings of the genuine Engl ish mintages .

Contrary to what has h i therto been supposed, the sterl ings with the Group A 38-42 .

king‘s name reading EDWARD in full, A 38, come next i n order of i ssue


to the EDW sterl ings, A 3 7, as shown by their numerous i nterchanges of

d ies,both of obverse and reverse, with these pieces, and by their relations

to the other sterl ings of the ser ies , notably to A 39, 40 . W i th the corre

sponding coinages, A 39-

42 , the sterl ings A 38 consti tute another well

marked group,but dist ingu ished from the other coi nages i n the same group

by the bust coming down fl ush with the inner ci rcle, as on al l the preceding

issues . O n the remaining coins of th is group, and on the coins of the

fol lowing group,the lower portion of the bust i s peaked, and does not come

down flush with the i nner c i rcle. The head on the sterl i ngs A 38 i s longer

and th inner than on the sterl ings A 3 7, but i t i s really much of the same

character,exh ibi ting the same Style of curls . The lettering at a first glance

presents a considerable contrast to that on the sterl ings A 3 7, owing to the

stems being curved, while on these others the stems are straight . But i nd i

v idual ly,except i n the case of one or two letters such as the N and W

,the

several letters on the one are almost the counterparts of those on the other.

O n the EDWARD sterl ings A 38 the narrow curved N has much the

appearance of the letter Z the W almost invariably has the double V i nter

l inked ; and the letter S i s more convoluted than formerly . The comma

contractive s igns are promiscuously introduced ; sometimes after R,ANGL,

and h yB sometimes after ANGL and h y B sometimes after ANGL only ;sometimes after h yB only and frequently they do not appear at all .

The EDWARD sterl ings , A 38, i n the Montrave hoard , were distributed

as follows — London, 1 3 1 Spec imens, al l w ith one exception with the in

t erl inked W ; Canterbury , 48 spec imens, al l save one with the interl i nked

W ; Durham (non - episcopal), 2 3 specimens— of which one was inscribed

EDWARD REX— al l with the i nterl inked W ; Newcastle , 1 7 specimens , all

with the i nterl i nked W ; St . Edm undsbury, 3 specimens, al l with the i nter

l inked W .

O ut of the 1 3 1 London sterl i ngs, as A 38, no less than 74 had their

reverses from dies of A 3 7 the straight lettering on the reverses, and the

unbarred II i n LOIIDOII contrast ing curiously with the curved lettering on

the obverses and the barred twisted N i n ANGL. O ut of 1 5 London ster

l ings, as A 38— in another find examined by me, the Dumfries hoard— 13


Addenda—Ed the two classes immediately preceding and fol lowing A 38— viz .

, A 3 7 andwards I. , II. , III.

(12 79-1377)

Group A 38-42 .

A 4o— London,

Ca n terbury,Dur

ham, St . Ed

m undsbury.

A 39.Partly owing to th i s c ircumstance, partly from the misleading

character of Bartlet's arrangement, 1 and sti l l more from there not having

been any great finds of Edward sterl ings i n England s ince the more cri t ical

study of Engl ish coins has been i ntroduced and carried on, ch iefly in the

pages of the Num isma tic C/zrom'

cle , by so many dist inguished Engl ish

numismati sts,the proper place of these sterl ings i nscribed EDWARD, A 38,

and the order of sequence, genera l ly, of the coins of the first three Edwards,

have h itherto been ent irely misunderstood .

The sterl ings A 40 ,i nscribed EBWA

,have the same head as on those

A 38, 39. The bust, i n general , presents a sti l l more peaked appearance

than on the sterl i ngs A 39.

The G i s more open , with a sharp angular back .

The lettering , as before , has curved stems .

The R has the back

The W i s

never i nterl inked . Commas as contract ive signs are now rarely i ntroduced ,

entirely closed i n at the centre . The S i s more convoluted .

and only after h y B a contractive Sign more frequently employed, al though

also of very rare occurrence , i s the plac i ng of two, and somet imes of three

pellets after h y B .

Although confined to the four staple mints, London , Canterbury, Dur

ham , and St . Edmundsbury , the sterl ings A 40 are by far the most numer

O f London , as A 40 ,

there were in the Montrave hoard 75 7 sterl i ngs ; of these 2 had a comma

after h yB, 8 had two pellets after h yB, 2 had three pellets after h y B, and

ously represented class i n al l the Edwardian series .

1 According to B art le t’s arra ng em ent , on ly thesterl ing s w i th GDW a re a ss igned to Edward I.

those w i th GDWA, HDWAR, Q DWARD to

Edward II. ; those w i th GDWARDVS to Ed

wa rd III. Th e Tutburyfind,a s de scribed by

Hawkins,Arc/zmolog z

'

a,vol . xxiv . , is arrang ed on

th is principle,com pris ing - such a s wa s re

covered of i t by the Duchy of La nca ster1 46 2 Edward s terl ing s, inclus ive of 14 Irishpenn ie s ; tog e ther wi th 18 long s ing le crosspenn ie s of Ale xa nder III. , 2 penn ie s of B a l iol,and 7 fore ign ste rl ing s . The Wyke find, de

scribed by Franc is Sharpe and Dan ie l H e nryH a igh, Arc/za olog i a , vol . xxvi i i . , is a lso a rrang edin the sam e m anner

,save tha t the l ighter Ed

wa rd co inag e s , struck in the proportion of z o iand 2 0 grs . Troy, a re now re stored to Edward

II] . The the ory worked out by B artle t wa s firststarted by Archbishop Sha rpe cons iderably abovea hundred years a g o, and is the arra ng em e nttha t

,for wa nt of som e m ore de fin i te system ,

ha s

hithe rto be en adopted. F or rem a rks by Rudingon this subje ct se e vol . i . pp. 2 04-5.


1 had one pellet after R. O f Canterbury there were 4 16 specimens, of Addenda— Ed

which none showed commas or pel lets as contract ive signs . O f Durhamfifj iég’m

there were 74 spec imens , of which 2 5 were non -episcopal , and 49 were GTOUP A 38-42 ~

episcopal of Beck with the cross mol ine before the legend on the obverse ;of these last 4 had a comma after h y B. O f St . Edmundsbury there were

3 2 specimens, of wh ich 4 had a comma after h yB.

O nly one London sterl ing, as A 40,out of the 75 7 coi ns with EDWA,

as above , had its reverse from a die of A 3 7, the EDW coi nag e of A .D. 1 300 .

O f al l the mints revived , or brought into operat ion for the first t ime, on

the coinage A 3 7, of A.D. 1 300 ,i t wil l have been observed that— with the

exception of the four staple mints,London

,Canterbury, Durham , and St .

Edm undsbury— Newcastle is the only mint whose name appears on the two

fol lowing issues, A 38, 39.

A circum stance of some significance i n connect ion with the four New

castle sterl i ngs with EDWAR,A 39, i n the Montrave hoard , was, that on

three of these the crown was put in by punches of the coinage of A.D. 1 300 ,

A 3 7, as shown by i ts bei ng of the trefoi l i nstead of the bifoi l form, as on

all the other sterl i ngs A 38, 39. From th is, and from the interchanges of

dies with A 3 7, of which notice has been taken, i t may be i nferred that the

coinages A 3 8, 39, and probab ly a lso some port ion of A 40 , as being the

coinage the more closely resembl ing these i n the style of head , could not

have been struck very long subsequently to the coi nage A 3 7, of A.D. 1 300 .

Edward I . did not die ti ll 7th j u ly A.D. 130 7. Consequently these coins,

which by Bartlet ’s arrangement have been ass igned to Edward must

with greater probabil i ty be regarded as hav ing been struck under Edward I .

as also the two following iss ues, A 4 1 , 4 2 , which are merely varieties of A 40 .

The sterl ings A 4 1 are for the greater part i nscribed EDWA ; occas ion A 4 1— London,

ally,but very rarely

,EDWAR. O n these the face is Shorter, and the belt Canterbury,

of the crown more curved than on the sterl ings A 40 , displaying the brow xmsi rymore prominently. N0 difference appears i n the lettering, except that the

E i s more rounded. Commas and pellets, sometimes in conjunction , are the

contractive signs employed ; but are very rarely i ntroduced ,and almost

i nvariably only after h y B.

Group A 43 -

50.


Of London as A 4 1 the Montrave hoard contained 5 5 5 specimens, 01

wh ich only 3 were i nscribed EDWAR, and these had DN for DNS. O f

Canterbury there were 2 6 7 specimens, al l reading EDWA, Durham was

represented by 1 39 spec imens, of which 45 were non - episcopal,and 94

were episcopal of Beck with the cross mol i ne before the legend on the

obverse ; al l , with the except ion o f one sterl ing of Beck , were inscribed

EDWA, O f St . Edmundsbury there were 3 1 spec imens, all wi th EDWA,of

which 3 had two pellets at the end of the legend on the reverse.

All the sterl ing s A 42 , so far as represented i n theMontrave hoard,were

inscribed EBWA. These have a broader style of head than the other coins

i n the same group . The lettering i s the s ame as on the sterl i ngs A 4 1 , ex

cept that the back o f the G i s rounded, not angular, and that the letter I i s

generally quite straight i n these two respects corresponding with the letter

ing on the sterl ings o f the fo l low i ng group . The c ontractive s igns are the

same a s on the sterl ings A 4 1 .

The Montrave hoard as A 42 contained as follows -O f London, 85coins ; of Canterbury, 89 coins ; of Durham , 9 coins, of wh ich 5 were non

episcopal, and 4 episcopal of Beck with the cross mol i ne before the legend

on the obverse ; of St . Edm undsbury, 3 2 coins .

The sterl i ngs i n the following group, A 43-

50, represent the last of the

heavy coinages . Ruding states that up to the twenty-eighth year of Edward

I. ,A.D. 1 300, the weight of the Engl ish sterl i ng wa s 2 4 grs . Tower

,or 2 2 1

3

grs. Troy ; and that from A.D. 1300 up to the eighteenth year of Edward

I I . , A .D. 1 344, the weight was 2 3 7 073 (by error for 2 3 7 03 7) grs. Tower, or

2 2 2 2 2 2 grs. Troy :1 a d ifference so sl ight that i t cannot pract ically be d is

t ing u ished. Ruding , however, i s somewhat obscure and apparently self

contradictory on th is poi nt . He remarks under 1 2 79, on Stow’s authority

,

2

that “ the pound of money ought to weigh 20 sh i ll i ngs 3 pence by account ;so that no pound ought to be over 20 sh il l ings 4 pence , nor less than 20

sh il l ings 2 pence by account ." 3 Bu t th i s g ives the weight of the sterl i ng i n

1 Vol . i . p. 2 0 1 . cons ists w i th the rem a inder of the passag e2 Vol . i . p . 193 .

“ the ounce to we igh 2 0 pence,the penny 2 4

3 It is difficul t to se e how th is s ta tement gra ins, which 2 4, by we ight then appointed

Berw ick.


O n the Durham sterl ings A 44, B ishop Beck and Bi shop Kel low are

both represented . Previous, however, to the close of the Beck period a largefine ly- formed R supersedes on the sterl ings A 44 the short hook -waisted R

of the preceding issues from A 40 . After the accession of Bi shop Kellow

i n A.D. 1 3 1 1 , an E with a sharp angular back takes the place of the ful l

round-backed E of the immediately preced ing issues. We may therefore

i nfer that such of the London , Canterbury, St . Edmundsbury , and Berwick

sterl ings in this class as Show th is sharp E were not struck t i l l A.D. 1 3 1 1 .

O n some of the later sterl ings a plain band takes the place of the row of

three or four pel lets on the king’

s brow, as exhibited immediately below the

belt of the crown on the preceding coinages . The features are more care

fully rendered on the pieces thus d isti nguished than on the other sterl ings

of the same class . Pellets are the contractive signs ; but, as before , are

sparingly introduced, and only after h y B. The letters have straight stems .

O f sterl ings as A 44 theMontrave hoard contained as’

follows — London,

2 60 sterl i ngs, of which 2 7 were inscribed EDWAR, the remainder EDWA ;Canterbury

,EBWA 142 sterl ings

,EDWAR 9 ; Durham ,

non -episcopal,

EBWA 1 2 sterl ings ; episcopal of Beck 1 with the cross mol ine before the

legend on the obverse,EBWA 1 5 sterl ings, EDWAR 6 ; episcopal of

Kel low with the upper l imb of the cross on the reverse bent to the left l ike

the head of a cros ier, all with EDWA 54 sterl i ngs ; St . Edm undsbury,

EDWA 3 2 sterl ings, EWA 2,EDWAR 3 ; Berwick , al l with the sharp E

and EDWA 8 sterl i ngs .

This i s the first and the only occas ion on wh ich the sterl ings of

Berwick are found to exh ibi t the same head and lettering as on the Edward

sterl ings of the ordinary Engl i sh mints . Berwick fell i nto the hands of

Edward I . i n 1 2 96 . No t ime apparently seems to have been lost by

him in establ ish ing a mint at Berwick , as there are wel l-executed ster

l ings with EDW and the trefoi l form of crown— presumably struck before

1 300- of which 3 2 specimens were in the Montrave hoard . W i th EDWA

and the trefoi l crown there were 3 1 specimens, of which 16 had the hook

1 The nam e of the m int on Be ck ’

s s terl ing s a l l through the seri e s is inscribed DVRGMEI ;on Ke llow

’

s m oney DVNEILM.


waisted R,first i ntroduced on Engl ish sterl i ngs of the ordinary mints on the

EDWA money, A 40 . And with EDWA and the bifoi l form of crown, and

a pecul iar Style of head remarkable for the thick rings l ike Specta cles round

the eyes , there were 88 specimens. O f the 8 Berwick coins, as A 44 , one

had i ts reverse from a die of these last pieces . There were also i n the

Montrave hoard 1 1 pennies of more or less rude execut ion, evidently

imitat ions of the previous coinages. None of the Berwick coins had

EDWAR. The lettering on the Berwick sterl ings was different in general

from that on the contemporary Engl ish money , and more mixed, the square

E and round R occurring i n connect ion with the round E and square N .

I n A.D. 1 3 1 7 Berwick was captured by Robert Bruce , and the Edwardian

coinage as issued at Berwick was d iscontinued— for Sixteen years at least.

There does not seem to have been any Engl ish coinage at Berwick after i ts

recapture i n A.D. 1 3 3 3 by Edward I I I . I n connection with i ts recapture,

wh ich followed Edward ’s victory at H al idon H ill, Dr. J ohn H ill Burton,i n

h is History of Scot la nd, makes some remarks which suggest the probabi l i ty

that under Edwards I . and I I . Berwick may have been regarded as a semi

Scottish rather than as an Engl ish mint. He writes The place was long

burdened with an official staff,which , i n its nomenclature at least

,was

pompous as that of a sovere ign state . The Engl ish government,after

Scotland was lost, retained the offic ial Staff, which Edward I . had designed

for the administration of the country. I t was huddled together within

Berwick as a centre,and was in readiness to expand over such districts of

southern Scotland as England acquired from time to time— was ready to

spread over the whole country when the proper time should come . Soon

after the recapture of Berwick there was a prospect of such expansion . The

active field for th is body,however, was contracted by degrees, and at last i t

was confined to the town and l iberties of Berwick, which were thus honoured

by the possession of a Lord Chancel lor, a Lord Chamberlain , and other h igh

officers ; while the district had its own Doomsday Book and other records

adapted to a sovereignty on the model of the kingdom of England .

” 1 To

these other h igh official s there would no doubt be added a Chief O fficer of

1 H ill Burton ’s History of Scotla nd, 2d ed. vol . i i . p . 3 18.


the mint,holding himself of equal authori ty, i n h is own district, with the

Chief O fficer of the mint at London , and hav ing the d ies for the money

issued by him executed at h is own i nstance. I n th is way we can under

stand how the co ins struck at Berwick under Edwards I . and I I . should

have d iffered so much from those of Engli sh m ints i n general . I t serves

also to explain what has frequently been matter of surprise , that no money

for Scotland should have been struck by Edward I .

The sterl ings A 45 have the sharp - backed E, and the other lettering

as on the later i ssues of A 44, struck after A.D. 13 1 1 , but more uniform i n

s iz e. Pellets are occas ionally introduced on the obverse as contract ive

Signs, but only after h yB. EBWA i s the only reading on these coins,so

far as represented in the Montrave hoard .

There were of London , as A 45 , 45 spec imens ; of Canterbury, 42

Specimens ; of Durham , episcopal of Kellow with the upper l imb of the cross

on the reverse bent to the left l ike the head of a cros ier, 8 spec imens ; of

St . Edmundsbury , 6 spec imens .

W i th the coins A 46 the Durham series of Bi shop Kellow terminates

and that of Bishop Beaumont begins . The sterl ings A 46 have a smal l

head with broad bushy curls and heavy eyebrows . Several variet ies of

crown are pecul iar to th is class,some being of a rather ornamental character.

The lettering i s i n the same style as before,but more irregular, occas ionally

with a pecul iar lop- topped Apparently these pieces are without any con

tractive signs on the Obverse.

O f London as A 46 , the Montrave hoard contained 86 coins , 1 reading

EBWA,the remainder EDWAR ; of Canterbury, 1 56 coins, 47 reading

EDWA, and 109 EDWAR ; of Durham ,

episcopal of Kel low with the upper

l imb of the cross on the reverse bent to the left l ike a crosier - head, 3 2

coins, 7 reading EBWA,

and 2 5 EDWAR ; episcopal of Beaumont, with a

l ion rampant regarding the left and a l i s before the legend on the obverse ,

10 coins,all w ith EDWAR ; of St . Edm undsbury , 18 coi ns

,10 reading

EIDWA, and 8 EIDWAR.

The sterl ings A 47 have a s imi lar head to that on A 46 , but do not

show the th ick eyebrows, and the curls are not so broad. The lettering

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND.2 14

obverse,the square N on the reverse , only 1 spec imen ; of Durham ,

none ;of St . Edmundsbury , the round It on the obverse, the round in and It on the

reverse, 1 specimen ; of York, the round D. on both sides and a quatrefoi l

on the reverse , 1 Spec imen .

A Durham sterl ing of th is class in the Bri t ish Museum,fig ured i n

Hawkins 30 2 , has the round I!i n ARGL on the obverse, and the square N

and M i n DVNELMI on the reverse, with a loz enge on the centre of the

cross enclosing what seems to be a small open crown , or heraldic label , but

placed upright.

W i th these terminate the sterl i ngs of the heavy coinages .

The intermediate l ighter coi nages , as represented by the sterl ings A 5 1 ,

5 2 , were struck at first i n the proportion of 266 pence to the pound

Tower,giving the ir standard weight, as d irected by the indenture of 1344,

1at 2 0 3 grs . Troy .

1 It is g enera lly a ssum ed tha t the l ighterco inag e of Edward III. , a s in the ra t io of 2 0 3

grs . Troy to the s terl ing , did not comm e nce t i l l1 3 44 ; but th is re sts sole lyon the neg a tive evidencetha t the e arl ie st m ent ion of th is l ighter s tandard

If i t didnot comm ence t i l l 1 344, there would b e a con

occurs in the indenture of tha t ye ar.

siderabl e g ap be twe en the he a vier and the l ightercoinag e s , for there can b e no doubt tha t the grea tproport ion of the la ter hea vy m oney— re pre sentedby A — wa s struck during the Be a umon t

Poss ibly the Durhamsterl ing a s A 50 in the B ri t ish Museum re

pe riod, A .D. 1 3 16 - 1 3 3 3 .

fe rred to above , Ht s. 30 2 , w i th a crown or

he ra ldi c labe l on the centre of the reve rse , m ay

have be e n s truck unde r B ishop Bury,who suc

ce eded B e a umont in 1 3 3 3 , the se ve nth yea r of

Edward III. O n the other hand, a good de a lof the money a s A 48 must have be en in issueunder Edward II. , or previous to 1 3 2 7 , m any ofthe Alos t s terl ing s of Robert III. , Count of

Flanders,who died in 1 3 2 2 , having evidently

be en im i ta ted from the Eng l ish sterl ing s A 48.

The he avy money wa s certa inly in issue forsom e t im e under Edward III. , in whose first yea r

,

By a subsequent i ndenture, i n 1 346 , the pound of Si l ver

1 3 2 7 , the inhabitants of Bury broke in to the

abbey and carried away the a ssay of the co ins,

the s tam ps, and other th ing s re la t ing to the m int,for which they were am erced com

m uted to a pa ym ent of 2 000 m arks in twe nty ye arsfol low ing . The king ordered a new die a nd

a ssay to be m ade , to repla ce those taken awa y.

At th is t im e the he avy money m ust ha ve be e nin issue , a s i t is on ly on the he avy m oney tha tthe St . Edm undsbury m int is repre sented.

Wri ts were se nt out in the fourth a nd fifthye ars of Edward III. ( 1 3 3 0 authoris ingthe Archbishop of York to ha ve two die s to h is

m in t . The Y ork m int, a fter a long in terva l,

re sum ed opera t ions,a s we have se en

,on the

co inag e s A 49, 50 ; the se were probably thecoinag e s in issue when the wri ts in que st ion weresent out. The Y ork sterl ing s a s A 49, 50 , havea n open qua tre fo i l on the ce ntre of the reverse

,

which is reg arded by Mr. Long sta ffe ,2 wi th m uch

show of probabi l ity, a s the m ark of the archie piscopa l m in t.

In 1 3 3 5, 1 3 36, the pound of ha lfpenn ie s, ten

3 Na m . Citron . N.S. vol . xi. p. 196 .


was shorn i nto 2 70 sterl i ngs , reducing the standard weight to 20 grs. Troy.

The d ifference offiths of a grain i s too sl ight for practical d ist inction .

I n the Montrave hoard as A 5 1 , 5 2 , with EDW and EDWA, some with

the round D, some with the square N— the latter occasional ly reversed

there were of London, 80 sterl i ngs : of which 2 had pellets between the

words on the obverse, 5 3 had annulets, and 2 5 were without ornaments

These collectively gave an average weight of grs . ,

O f Canterbury , there were with EDWA,

and the round It, and with annulets between the words on the obverse ,

2 sterl ings, weighing grs . and with EDW,with the square N on

the obverse and the round It on the reverse,and with no objects between

between the words .

the heaviest weigh ing 2 1} grs .

the words except the commas after R,ANGL,

and h yB, 2 sterl ings, weigh

ing 2 17} grs . O f Durham , non- episcopal

,all wi th EDW and the square

N on the obverse, with no objects between the words except the commas

ounce sfine , wa s orde red to b e made int o twentyone shi l l ing s. Any sterl ing s struck a t th ist im e m ust have be en of the he avy s ta nda rd

,

or shorn a t twen ty shil l ing s a nd thre epe ncein the pound, for the pound of ha lfpenn ies a t

twenty-one shil l ing s, of ten ounce s fine,as re

duced to sterl ing sta ndard, wa s worth intrinsiWhen

,in 13 46 , the

ha lfpe nn ie s we re m ade of sterl ing s tandard, the secal ly on ly n ine te en shil l ing s.

were issued a t twe nty-thre e shi ll ing s to the pound,a s ag a inst the penn ie s now shorn a t twen ty-twosh ill ings a nd Sixpence in the pound. The in

cre a se of a l loy in the sm a l ler m one y in 1 3 3 5,

1 3 3 6 , ne ce ssari ly m ade the e xpe nse of workingg re a ter, a nd hence the diff erence of fifte en pencein the pound be tween the ha lfpe nn ie s and the

sterl ing s in 1 3 3 5, 1 3 3 6, a nd of n inepence pe rpound in 1 346 .

This carrie s the he avy co inag e up to 1 3 3 5,

1 3 3 6 .

But in 1 3 3 8 die s we re made for Reading .

In tha t ye ar John de Fle te , warde n of the king’s

m int in London, wa s comm anded “ to m ake

w i thout de la y,a t the e xpense of the abbot, thre e

die s of hard and sufficie nt m e ta l , viz. one for

sterl ing s, a nother for ha lfpenn ie s, and the th irdfor farth ing s. ” 1 Apparently the die s for the farthing s were not m ade , but the sterl ing s and ha lfpenn ie s ofRe ading a re we l l known to have be ena l l of the l ighter co inag e s, corre sponding w i ththe s terli ng s fig ured here A 52 . Apparently

,

there fore , the l ighter co ina ge s A 5 1 , 5 2 , m ustha ve be en in issue in 1 3 3 8, when the die s forthe Re ading sterl ing s were m ade

,or fully six

ye ars previous to the inde nture of 1 344.

It wi l l have be en rem arked tha t from the

comm encem en t of the he a vy serie s under EdwardI. in 1 2 79 down to its term ina t ion

,a s repre

sented by the ste rl ing s A 48, 49, 50 , l i ttle or no

in terruption se em s to ha ve take n pla ce in its

course of i ssue . This renders i t the m ore improbable tha t a long interva l shou ld have e lapsedbe twe en the he avy s terl ing s A 50 and the l ightsterl ing s A 5 1 , corre sponding a s the se pie ce s doso close ly both in the ir style of le tte ring and in

the words on the obverse s of e a ch be ing dividedby pe l le ts— a m ost e xceptiona l occurrence

,a l ike

on the hea vy a nd on the l ighter co inag e s.

1 Ruding , vol . 11. p. 156.

Addenda— Ed

wardsI. , II. , III.

( 12 794 377)

Interm edia teLightercowa ges,A 5 1, 52 .


as above,reading respect ively DVItELM,

DVIIELN, and DVNELM,

there

were 5 sterl ings, giving an average weight of 1972; grs . , the heaviest weigh ing

2 1} grs. O f York, with a quatrefoi l on the reverse, and the square N on

the obverse,with no objects between the words except pel lets after R

,

ANGL,h yB,

there were 5 coins, giv ing an average weight of grs . ,the

heaviest weighing 19} grs.

As against the weights afforded by A 5 1 , 5 2 , the 139 latest heavy

London sterl ings i n the Montrave hoard, A 48, 49, 50, gave an average

weight of 20{ grs . ,the heaviest weigh ing 2 2% grs . The 2 18 Canterbury

sterl ings of the same coinages gave an average weight of 20197591, grs .

, the

heav iest weigh ing grs. The 59 Durham sterl i ngs gave an average

weight of 2o§13 grs . , the heaviest we ighing grs . The 9 1 St . Ed

m undsbury sterl i ngs gave an average weight of 203? grs . The 2 York

sterl ings each weighed 2 2 g rs .

This leaves no doubt of the correctness of the attribution by Sa inthil l

and by Arthur J ohn Evans— made by each from independent observations

of the sterl ings A 5 1 , 5 2 , to Edward I I I . , as the i ntermediate l ighter

co inages,corresponding to the i ndentures 1 344, 1 346 .

O f these l ighter coinages with EDWAR REX— as A . J . Evans, Num .

Citron . 2d 5 . vol . xi . Pl . IX . 14— al l of the London mint, the Montrave

hoard contained 4 spec imens : of wh ich 1 had the square N on the obverse

and the round It on the reverse,weigh ing 192 grs and 3 had the square N

on both the obverse and the reverse,weigh ing respect ively 1 6 , 20 4

41, grs .

None had the interl inked W , as described by A . J . Evans i n connection with

the Oxford hoard .

The EDWAR REX sterl i ngs, as corresponding in the form of the

obverse legend wi th the EDWARDVS REX pennies A 5 3 , may be regarded

as the latest i ssues of the coinage of 1 346 .

There has never been any doubt respecting the correct attribution of

the EDWARDVS REX sterl ings . Their l ight weights and thei r correspond

ence in the style of bust and of the i nscriptions on the obverse with the

ha l f-groats of Edward I I I . point them out as belonging to the coinages

ordered i n 1 3 5 1 , i n the proportion of 18 grs . to the sterl ing.


I n th is descriptive analys is of the Edwardian sterl ings i n the Montrave

hoard,undertaken primari ly and specially for the il lustration of the

Alexandrian long single cross money, I m ight have stopped short j ust where

the one series ceases to be i n touch with the other. But , having proceeded .

so far with my arrangement of the cognate Engl i sh coinage, i t seemed to

me to be better on every account to carry the classification to the end.

AS viewed on the grand scale presented to us i n such a hoard as the

Montrave , the several styles of head , lettering, and contractive signs on the

Edwardian sterl ings are seen to i ndicate disti nct but connected coinages,

l inked together class by class and group by group , from beginn ing to end

of th is magn ificent series .

The determ in ing the order of i ssue of the Edward I . sterl ings, whi le

supplying the clue for form ing a new and more natural arrangement of the

w i th the two- le aved l is crown. In a l l probabil i ty,there fore

,they were contempora ry w i th the se

Eng l ish Ste rl ing s A 3 8, a nd are to be a ttri

buted to Edward I.

Montrave hoard g ave an a ve ra g e we ight of 205»The 8 e xam ple s in the

g rs . , the he avie st we igh ing 2 23 grs .

The re we re a lso 1 3 3 Irish s terl ing s w ith the

bust in a triang le . The e arl ie s t group of the sepie ce s

,a s dist inguished by the s l im -bodied S,

com prised 47 sterl ing s of Dubl in and 3 2 of

Wa te rford. Close ly re la ted to the coins in this

g roup from the inte rcha ng e of obve rse a nd re versedie s , a nother g roup had the round II a nd the

ful l-bodied S on the re verse , w i th , for the grea terpart, the Rom an E, and a sm a l l cross inste ad of

a pe l le t be fore the inscript ion on the obverse .

This group conta ined 2 1 sterl ing s , a l l of Dublin10 se le cted spe cim ens g a ve a n a verag e we ight ofabout 2 1 g rs .

The Irish sterl ing s in the pre ceding two groupshad thre e pe lle ts a t the a pe x of the tria ng le .

Som e of the se pie ce s , howeve r, a t a superficia l

g lance appe a red to ha ve on ly two pe l le ts , ow ingto the upper pe l le t, from its e xposed pos it ion on

the drapery of the bust, having be en worn ne a rlysmooth. It did not se em a s i f the orig ina l in

ten tion in any case wa s to ha ve had only two

pe lle ts, e xcept on one or two coins of fore ignappe arance , a ppare n tly forg erie s.

A sm a l l group , repre se nted by one sterl ingof Dublin and one of Wa terford, had the rose

on the brea st.The fourth and la st group had a s ing le pe l le t

on the brea st . This group was repre sen ted by 3 1sterl ing s, a l l of Dublin. To th is g roup be longthe Cork sterl ing s, of which there were none in

the Montrave hoard.

Al l the Irish s terl ing s had the thre e - le avedl is a t the s ide s of the crown

,and none se em ed

to be of la ter issue than Edward I.There we re a lso 2 9 2 fore ign sterl ing s, and

198 forg erie s of Eng l ish and Irish sterl ings , executed a ppare n tly a t the sam e m ints as certa in of

the se fore ig n s terl ing s , the busts in m any ca se sbe ing iden tica l. Among the se forg erie s in the

Montrave hoard wa s a“ Wa terford ”

sterl ingw ith the “ Eng l ish”

obverse . The Dum frie shoa rd conta ined a London sterl ing w ith theIrish obverse . The busts on the se two co ins

had se vera l ly the ir counterparts on sterl ing s inthe Mon trave hoa rd of Ga ulcher II. de Cha t i llon

,

Coun t of Porcien, struck a t Yve .


Alexander I I I . single cross sterl ings,of which there were 24 2 examples in

the Montrave hoard , fixes also at what particular period the several c lasses

of these were struck .

Even apart from thei r obvious correspondence with the earl ier and

with none of the later Edward sterl ings,the Alexander single cross penn ies

of themselves show conclusively that their i ssue could not have extended

over a prolonged period . The two groups under which,as naturally

arranging themselves, they have been here described , to some extent over

lap one another— Class I . G roup I I . being evidently of earl ier issue than

Class I I . G roup I. , as appears from its correspondence wi th an earl ier class

of the Edward I . series. Also, the several classes i n each group i nter

change reverses in an extraordinary manner, totally unaccountable on the

supposit ion that the earl ier mintages had belonged to the beginn ing and

the later to the end of a reign extending over th irty- s ix years .

I n the Engl ish coi nage it wi l l have been observed that one mint,that

of London,appears al l through the series ; in the same way, one part icu lar

combination of points , the four mullets of six points , occurs al l through

the Alexander I I I . s ingle cross series .

I n the Scottish series the four mullets of s ix points type occupies a

posi tion even more prominent than the mint of London occupies i n the

Engl ish series— monopol is ing one of the two groups into which the Alex

ander s ingle cross sterl i ngs naturally divide themselves , while being more

or less represented on the other group ; jus t as on the long double cross

money of Alexander I I I . the mint of Berwick, besides its several coinages

pecul iar to i tself,wa s to a greater or less extent represented on the com ag e s

common to the other mints .

Berwick wh ich ,under Alexander I I I . , bore the proud ti tle of the

Alexandria of the north , wh ile r ivall ing London i tself as a place of com

merce,held a far more important posit ion in relat ion to other Scotti sh

towns than was held by London with regard to other Engl ish towns .

I f therefore,as appears probable, the several combinations of poi nts

on the reverses of the single cross sterl i ngs of Alexander I I I . are to be re

garded as i nd icating the several mints at wh ich these pieces were executed ,


we can thus understand how that particular combinat ion , the four mullets

of six points type,should so largely have predominated , occupying j ust that

posit ion on Scottish s ingle cross sterl ings that Berwick might have been

expected to have held , had the names of the mi nts , i nstead of the differen t

combinations of points , been placed on the Alexander long s ingle cross series.

Apparently the mistake ha s been committed of supposi ng that the

d ifferent comb inations of points on the reverses of the Alexander s ingle

cross sterl ings represent so many d isti nct mintages, i nstead of be ing portions

only of certai n particular i ssues— corresponding severally to the names of the

mints on the contemporary Engl ish coinages. And hence , to some exten t,

probably,the impression that the long s ingle cross Alexander series was

one spreading over many years .

The much greater frequency of finds of Alexander s ingle cross than of

Alexander double cross money, and the consequently greater abundance of

specimens of the former than of the latter, i s only what might be ex

pe cted from the unsettled condit ion of Scotland after the death of Alexander

I I I . from the prosperous t imes when the double cross coinages were i n c i r

culation . Amidst the m iseries of the subsequent protracted struggle,

”

remarks E. W . Robertson , “ the Scots fondly looked back upon the reign of

thei r latest sovereign of nat ive origin as an era of peace and prosperity

of wyne and wax , of g amyn and glee .

’

Blobn 75mm .

ADJUDICATED THE SCOTTISH THRONE BY EDWARD I NOVEMBER 1 292 ;

DEPOSED BY EDWARD I. , JULY 1 296 ; DIED 1 3 14 .

I t i s not very easy to understand how the Scottish coi nage was

d istributed during that long period from the accession of Bal iol i n 1 292 t i l l

1 3 5 1 . O n the 1 2 th March 13 5 5- 6 Edward I I I . , by proc lamation , ordered

that the Scott ish money then recently issued should not be current i n England

,as being of less weigh t and coarser alloy than the ancient Scott ish

Wa llace .


were probably sti l l i n course of i ssue . The moneyers by whom these were

executed may have been engaged upon th is money of Bal iol . I n th is way

we can understand how the Bal iol s terl ings , Figs . 2 19, 2 20 , 2 2 1 , i n thei r

lettering a ndi

the ir style of fin ish , should so remarkably coincide with the

Engl ish sterl ings A 49, while present ing such a marked contrast.

i n respect

of lettering and finish to the ordinary REX SCOTORUM money of Bal iol .

What strongly countenances the probab il ity that these sterl i ngs of Bal iol

may thus have overlapped the Robert Bruce coinages is,that one variety

of the David I I . REX SCOTTORUM pennies, evidently the earl iest, has

the s ingle T, the Roman M, and the cross after SCOTORUM,with the same

large pecul iar lettering as on those pieces, almost as i f the same punches

had been employed upon both .

There were 29 Bal iol sterl i ngs i n the Mon trave hoard as against 1 2

sterl ings of Robert Bruce , and as against 19 REX SCOTTORUM penn ies of

David I I .

Money, i f struck by W allace, and by those who subsequently actedas governors of Scotland, would be issued under Ba l iol

’

s name .

1

The sterl ings of Bal iol may be broadly dist ingu ished as coi ns of rough

and coins of smooth surface. The former are d irectly connected, by inter

changes of dies, with the Alexander I I I . single cross coinages . Thus ,

while the Alexander I I I . sterl i ng, Fig. 209, has its reverse from a Bal iol

die correspond ing to the reverse of the Bal iol sterl ings, Figs . 2 10 , 2 1OA ,

2 10B , the Montrave hoard affords an example of a Bal iol sterl i ng, Fig .

2 1 IA, having i ts reverse from a die of an Alexander I I I . sterl i ng, as Class

I I . G roup I I .

CLASS I .

STERL I NGS O F RO UGH SURFACE.

O bverse : crowned head, with sceptre , to left ; the fleurs-de- l i s of the

crown of rude, pecul iar formation, having the s ide leaves pointing upwards

1 A banner embro idered w ith the arm s of John Ba l iol wa s pre sented by the Archbishop of

G la sgow to Robert Bruce a t his corona t ion , under wh ich he re ce ived the hom ag e of those pre sent.


rather than downwards . Reverse : the cross wi thi n the legendary ci rcle

placed before, not after the i nscript ion, di fferi ng i n th i s respect from that

on the Alexander I I I . single cross sterl ings . The lettering i n greater part

i s loosely put together. The 7X generally open,the C and 6 also usual ly

open , but sometimes with a closed appearance. Roman M and N , the

latter frequently with the cross- stroke reversed . The letter 8 occasionally

of an acute angular character l ike an i nverted Z . Rude workmansh ip in

general .

REX SCOTORUM. Rex Scotorum .

F oUR MULLETS or s1x POINTS.

Figs . 2 10 , 2 1OA.

1 . O . IOh KVIl/I€S D€I GR7I B . R€X SCOTORVM

i a . As the above ,

A pellet on the sceptre-handle. No. 12 , Fig. 2 10A,i s from

mack Ford col lection .

Fig. 2 10 3 .

Id. 0. IOh flNNGS D€I GR7IC B. R6X SCOTORVM 2 3 g rs .

W i th the same head as on the preceding, but wi thout the pel let on the

sceptre -handle . The same lettering is on these pieces as on the Alexander

I I I . sterl i ng, Fig. 209. From the Kermack Ford collection .

Fig. 2 1 1 .

2 . O . + IOI‘

17WIl/IES D€I GR7I B . R€X SCOTORVM 2 2 71; grs .

Fig. 2 1 1A.

2 42. O . IOhKVIl/IGZS D€I GRI R. REX SCOTORVM 2 3 grs.

I n the S.S.A. collection, from the Montrave hoard. The reverse is

from a d ie of Alexander I I I . , as Class I I . Group I I I .

St. Andrews.


Fig. 2 1 2 .

3 . O. IODKVIVICS D€I GR B . R€X SCOTORVM 2 2 g rs.

4 . Do. : with IORKVIVICS, Igg g rs .

5 . Do. : IOI‘

IKVIVIGS D€I GR7Y, 2 1% g rs.

6 . Do. do. : the c losed (I on the reverse,

1 8 grs.

7. O. IOI‘

IKVIVIGS D€I GRA B .

‘I' R6X SCOTORKM Z lég rs .

The last p iece has the appe arance of having a rude pellet bes ide the

mullets in the th ird and fourth quarters ; probably the effect i s acc idental .


Fig. 2 1 3 .

8. O. IOh flNNCS D€I GR B . R6X SCOTORVM 1 85 grs .

A pellet on the sceptre - handle. Mr. Cochran - Patrick,i n h i s pr ivate

MS. catalogue, describes a sterl ing i n h is col lection as having two mullets

Of s ix poi nts, one of seven points, and one star of seven points.

ST. ANDREWS.

Two MULLETS OF FIVE AND TWO OF SIX POINTS.

(The mullets of five points i n the first and th ird quarters .)

Fig. 2 14.

9. O. IOh KNNt-IS D€I GRA Bz. CIVITTIS SKNDR ” Tgrs .

10 . O. IOR7\'

NN€S D€I GRA B . CIVITKS SKNDR€ 2 2 grs .

II. 0. IOh flNNCS D€I GR R. GIVITKS SKNDRG 2 1 -3‘ g rs.

The preced ing three pieces have a pel let on the sceptre - handle .

A very rare REX SCOTORUM sterl i ng of Bal iol , with a youthful head in

the Alexander I I I . style, has a pellet on the sceptre-handle, and two mullets

of five and two of six points on the reverse. Possibly th i s may have been

St. Andrews .


was kil led unti l about four years after Bruce had taken the t i tle of king,

that i s, from 1 2 83 to 13 10 .

The Bal iol sterl i ngs of St . Andrews , with the smooth surface, have a

small sharp-backed a corresponding with the 92 on the Edward sterl i ngs

of the later Kellow and earl ier Beaumont series . The REX SCOTORUM

sterl ings of Bal iol , with the smooth surface , have a large pecul iar GI exactly

as on the Engl ish sterl i ngs A 49 of the Beaumont period, remarkable as

bei ng met with on these alone of al l the sterl ings of the Engl ish heavy

series. Except that the K on the Bal iol smooth- faced money i s barred

and of the East Angl ian character, and that the D i s s imply a reversed (I,

the letters on these Bal iol and Beaumont pieces general ly correspond.

ST. ANDREWS.

Two STARS or SIx AND Two MULLETS OF FIVE POINTS.

Fig. 2 16 .

1 3 . O. IOh KNNGS DETI GRK B . (IIVITKS SANDRGG 2 0 grs.

O n th is and on the two following pieces the stars occupy the first and

th ird quarters O f the cross. This i s the usual arrangement but on 21 sterl i ng

i n the Taap collection‘ with the same obverse as on th is coi n the mullets

occupy the first and th ird quarters .

Fig. 2 1 7.

14 . O. I DI GRK SCOTORVM: RX R. GIVITKS SANDRGG 19g grs.

Extremely rare .

Fig. 2 18.

1 5 . O. IOIIKNNCS D€I GR R. GIVITKS SKNDREIEI 2 0 grs.

This piece is a mule,hav ing a rough surface on the obverse , and the

same lettering as on the sterl ings of rough surface , with a smooth surface on

the reverse,and corresponding lettering. A pellet on the sceptre - handle.

1 Now in the F e rgu sl ie cabine t.


REX SCOTORUM.

FOUR MULLETS O F FIVE POINTS.

Fig. 2 19.

16 . o. IOhANNa S Da I GRA Re x saOTORVM 2 35 grs.

Two coins ; Sl ight varieties of head. The neck sl ightly draped, as

also on the fol lowing piece , which has a plain cross for the sceptre-head .

The cross in the legendary circle on the reverse is now a lways placed

after the i nscription.

Fig. 2 20.

17 . O. IOhANNGS D6 1 GR‘

A R. R6 X SCIOTORVM 2 1% grs .

Two MULLETS OF FIVE AND Two STARS OF FIVE POINTS.

(The mullets in the first and th ird quarters . )

Fig. 2 2 1 .

18. O. IOh ANNEIS DGI GRA R. RGZX SCIOTORVM 2 0 g rs.

A pel let on the sceptre-handle. O nly one spec imen of th is variety

was i n the Montrave hoard . Extremely rare.

HALFPENNIES.

The hal fpennies of Bal iol of th is class are of neat execution . The

neck is sl ightly clothed,and the cross i n the legendary Ci rcle on the reverse

is placed after the inscript ion . A mullet of s ix points occupies each of two

opposi te quarters of the cross,the other quarters plain. There are two

varieties : I. W i th the mullets in the first and th ird quarters ; 2 . W i th the

mullets in the second and fourth quarters.

THE,.COINAGE.QF .SCQTLAND.

I . THE MULLETS IN THE FIRST AND THIRD QUARTERS.

Figs . 2 2 2 , 2 2 3 .

1 . O. IOh ANNGS D€I GR'

A B. R6X SCIOTORVM

Two coins, different heads.

THE MULLETS IN_

THE SEOOND AND FOURTH Q UARTERSU

Fig. 2 24.

2 . O. IOI’IANNGS D€I GR

'

A B . R€X SCOTORVM

This is much the rarer variety .

Robert 15mm.

CROWNED AT SCONE 2 7TH MARCH 1 306 ; BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN

24TH J UNE 1 3 14 ; DIED 7TH J UNE 1 3 29 .

A diminution in the standard weight of the coins is recorded in th is

re ign . I n a contemporary document, enti t led Tfie A ssz'

z c of K ing David

of Mesurz'

s a nd Wecfit z’

s ,‘ i t i s stated that “ on account of the , . m yn0ra t ion

O f the penny that i s i n the tym now, the pund aw to wey in siluer xxvi

shill ing is and i i i s terl i ng pe nij s ; whereas i n K ing Davidis day is the pund .

weyit xxv schil l ing is.

"

I n the reign of Robert Bruce the Scottish pound, as establ ished by

David I. , contai ned I5 ounces, each O f these, l ike the ounce of the Engl ish

m int pound of 1 2 ounces , being Of the value of 450 grs . Troy,— giving a

total of 6 750 grs . . Troy to the Scottish pound,— so that the coin ing of 2 6

Shi l l ing s and 3 pence out of th is pound would reduce gthe

_

Stan_dard weight ,

of the , pe nny to grs . Troy, as against 2 25 grs. Troy..whe n only 12 5 :

Shil li ngs were coined.

The 1 2 Robert Bruce ste rl ings '

in the Montrave hoard were all i n the .

1 Act . P a rl . Scot:i. p . 309— 11. p. 6 74 .

F ig . 2 26A.

F ig . 2 2613 .

Ha lfpennies.

Farthing .


Fig. 2 26 .

3 . 0. SB ROB6 RTVS DGI GRK R. SCOTORVMR6 X ii i 2 0% grs.

The head on th is p iece is sl ightly d ifferent from that usual ly met with ,

the brow proj ecting more, and the curls being indicated by four i nstead of by

three curves . Another pecul iari ty of th is coin consists i n i ts hav ing three

pel lets after ROB6 RTVS and De l . The great majori ty of the sterl ings of

Robert Br uce have the words div ided by two pellets only. A sterl i ng of

Robert Bruce, with the words d ivided by three pellets, i n the collection of

Mr. Cochran-Patrick, Fig. 2 26A, has a remarkable portrai t, very Similar to

that on an Alost sterl ing with the name of Robert I I I . ,Count of Flanders

,

i n the S.S.A. col lection, Fig. 2 2 613, except that on th is latter p iece the curls

correspond rather with those on the ordi nary penn ies of Robert the Bruce .

The one may have been imitated from the other,or both may have been

executed by the same hand .

HALFPENN IES.

A sharper style of profi le than on the pennies wi th the usual head .

Two mullets of five points i n each of two opposi te quarters of the cross on

the reverse,the other quarters plain . The lettering simi lar to that on the

sterl ings,but the 6 with an Open front, and the R with a plain wedge tai l .

Fig. 2 2 7.

I. 0.PP ROB€RTVS D€I GRK : B . SCOTORVMR€X 83 Io}, I légrs.

Two coins both from the same Obverse die , but from different reverse

dies. The mullets are i n the second and fourth quarters.

FARTH I NG .

A neater style of head than on the halfpennies . A mul let Of five

points in each quarter of the cross on the reverse. The letteri ng is the

same as on the halfpenn ies .


Fig. 2 28.

I. O. 2 ROB€RTVS D€I GRK B . SCOTORVM R€X 5} grs .

The farth ing of Robert Bruce i s of the h ighest rari ty . The hal fpenn ies

are al so very rare.

Davin 1111.

ACCEEDED 7TH J UNE 13 29 ; DIED 2 2D FEBRUARY 13 70

Born at Dunferml ine, 5 th March 1 3 2 3-

4. Sent to France, after the

success of Edward Ba l iol, about 1 3 33 . Returned to Scotland i n May

1 34 1 . Made a prisoner at Durham in O ctober 1 346 . Final ly released i n

the autumn of 1 35 7. The ransom adj us ted at merks— equal to

At the t ime O f the ransom of Dav id I I . the standard weight of the

sterl i ng or penny in Scotland, as in England , was 18 grs . , as against

grs . , i ts present weight grs . , being the standard

weight of the modern shil l ingz— So that

,i n actual s i lver weight, at that

period, 1 3 :4 would represent :9 :4 of modern money,

but wi th a purchasing power many times greater. I n 1 349, a plentiful year,

wheat was sold i n England at two sh il l ings the quarter, and a fat ox for

s ix sh ill i ngs and e ightpence . I n I3 59 , a very scarce year, wheat rose to

£ 1 :6 :8 the quarter ; but i n 1 36 1 , another year of great plenty, i t came

down once more to two sh il l i ngs,while two hens were valued at one penny.

8

Scotland , greatly impoverished by so many years of warfare, found

payment of the ransom of i ts king a matter of the utmost di fficulty.

I ndeed,th is ransom was not finally d isposed of t i l l some years after the

death of David I I . I n 1 360 ,for the ransom Of J ohn I . King of France ,

taken prisoner by the Black Prince at Po ict ie rs , a sum equivalent i n

1 F ordun’

s Scotz'

clzrom'

con , vol . 11. p . 3 80 ; and se e footnote , pp . 3 80- 1 .

2 Se e note,p , 53 ,

3 C/zrom‘

con P rca‘

osum,p . 96 .

Robert Bruce( 1306

Farthing .

1 3 2 SCOTLAND.

bull ion value to £ 1 , 2 I1 of . our present gold currency ‘ was

arranged to be paid,and was paid by France apparently with comparative

ease, notwi thstanding"the

‘

enormous losses"

the'

Eng'

l ish i nvasion occas ioned

her.

PENN IES— REX SCOTTORUM.

These are the only coins to which the proclamation of Edward I I I . ,i n h is letter to the sheriff of Northumberla nd, 1 2 thMarch 1 355 -6 , could have

referred ; the date of the proclamat ion‘ proves that they were struck when

David I I . wa s i n capt iv i ty . They are of defect ive weight,al though not

,

i n al l cases at least, of defect ive qual ity, as shown by the assay made for

the Society-of Antiquaries of Scotland of a specimen from theMontrave find,

the qua l ity’

of which was represe ntedi as 1 1 oz . 2"dwt.-fine ' —exactly the

Eng l is‘

h‘

standard. As previously. stated, there‘

were 19 of the se ' coins -ln the

Montrave hoard, and although al l were much in the condition i n which they

must have been issued from the mint, they gave the very low average

weight of 16 1175 grs . s O n the other hand

, 82 sterl ings of Edward I I I . with

EDWARDVS, i n the Montrave hoard , afforded the very sati sfactory average" weight Of 1 719691 grs . , or only grs . below the standard weigh t of 18 g rs .

When David I I . resumed the practice Of plac ing the names O f the i r

respect ive mints upon h is coins, after the REX SCOTTORUM money had

been superseded , a'

great -effort was m ade to keep the weights up- to the

Engl ish standard . For the first few years, as shown by the Montrave

hoard, this standard was maintained . There were i n the Montrave . hoard

with the names of . the m ints, I7 penn ies of David I I . of the aggregate

weight of 2 9 13 grs . ,giving to each an average weight O f grs . ; thus

showing'

satisfactori ly that i t could not have been against these that the

proclamation of Edward I I I . was directed . This second coinage does not

seem to have been issued t i l l after the return of David I I . from his captiv i ty

in England .

1 The ransom m oney was thre e m i l l ion French grs. Troy,and of the finene ss of 2 3 cara ts 35 grs . ;

crowns of gold, of which two were equa l in va lue while our pre sent sovere ign is of the standardto the Eng l ish noble , a t tha t t im e we igh ing 1 20 we ight of 1 2 3 1 3 7 grs.

,and of only 2 2 cara tsfine .


SMALL LETTERING ON THE O BVERSE ; LARGE LETTERING ON THE REVERSE.

Fig. 2 3 1 .

4 . O . DAVID DGI GRACIIAI 131 . R6 X SCIOTORVMB 1 6513; grs.

5 . 0. Do. : from the same die . R. RCIX SGOTORVMQ 1 61? grs .

The reverses of these two pieces belong to the same coi nage as the

reverse Of the sterl i ng NO . I . An Oldwiz ened head on the obverse. This

head,from the same die , but wi th i ts own proper reverse , occurs on the

sterl ing below.

SMALL LETTERING ON BOTH SIDES.

Fig. 2 3 2 .

6 . O. DAV ID DGII GRACIIAI B . REIX SGOTTORVJII I4 g rs .

Fig. 2 33 .

7 . o. DAVID -DH1* GR710:171 R. RGIX SCIOTTORVm 1 7 g rs .

This piece also shows an old wiz ened head,but in a different style from

the preced ing.

Fig. 2 34.

DAVID DEII GRA(TIA R. RCIX SCIOTTORVJI! 1 6g grs .

DO . B . R6 X SCITTORVm 1 7 grs .

reverse of N O . 9 i s from the same die as N0 . 2 . Youthful style

F ig. 2 35 .

10 . O. DAVID DGI GRAGIA B . RHX SCIOTTORVII! 1 5 , 1 5% g rs .

Two coins from the same dies. Youthful head , rather different from the

preceding ; two pellets below the sceptre -head, as on most Of the following.

Fig. 2 36 .

1 1 . O. DAVID DHI GRAOZIAI B . RGX SCIOTTORVIII


All the preceding have a large G i n GRAGIA. All the following have

a smal l G ; and the lettering general ly i s percept ibly sma l ler than before.

Youthful head, larger than on the preceding varieties.

Fig. 2 3 7.

I2 . 0. DAVID DEI 3 GRACIIAI Br. R6 X SQ OTTORVIII 1 6g- grs.

13 . 0. Do. : the same die . R. RCIX SCIOTTORVIII 1 6g, 1 7 grs.

A bar across the sceptre-handle below the head . Youthful head of the

larger variety, as on Fig. 2 36 . All the following, down to Fig. 243 , have

th is head.

Fig. 2 38.

I4. 0. DAVID DHI GRACIIA B , RQX SCIOTTORVIII 1 7 grs.

W i th the sceptre-head only.

Fig. 2 39.

15 . o. DAVID !zDa IxGRm m H. mm SdOTTORVm g rs .

A bar below the sceptre-head. All the following have a pecul iar

dentated style O f,.I i n SCIOTTORV lII.

Fig. 240 .

16 . O . DAVID DHI GRACIIA R. R6 X SGOTTORVIII 1 7 grs.

1 7. O . DAVID DEII GRACIIAI R. REIX SCIOTTORVHI 1 51} grs .

A large pellet on the sceptre .

Fig. 24 1 .

David II.

Penn ies—Rex

Scottorum .

18. O. DAVID DHI GRA(IIA B . R6 X SCIOTTORVm 1 5421grs.

bar below the sceptre-head .


Fig . 242 .

19. O. DAVID DETI GRACIIA °Z° B . R(IX SGOTTORVJII

20 . O. DAVID DHI °I° GRACIIA B . R6 X SCIOTTORVIII

A bar below the sceptre-head .

Fig. 243 .

2 1 . o. DAVID Da I GRACIIA H. REIX SCIOTTORVm grs.

A pecul i ar triangular ornament on the sceptre-head . Some of the

letters on the Obverse are pointed with pellets .

Fig. 244.

2 2 . O. DAVID DHI GRACIIA B . R6 X SCIOTTORVIII 1 5% grs .

2 3 . O. DAVID DGII GRAGIIA B . RHX SGOTTORVII! 1 545 g rs .

Youth ful head Of the smaller variety, different from any Of the preced

ing. All the following have this head .

Fig. 245 .

2 4. O . DAVID DGI GRACII B . R6 X SOIOTTORVIII 1 6§g rs .

2 5 . o. DAVID DHI GRACHA R. Re x sa OTTORVm 1 6 grs .

large pel let on the sceptre .

Fig . 246 .

2 6 . O . DAVID DEII GRAGIA B . R6 X SCIOTTORVIII 1 5 grs.

A bar across the sceptre .

Fig. 247.

O. DAVID DGI GRAGIA

O. DAVID DEII GRA(TIA

O . DAVID DEII GRACIIA

Two rows of pel lets below the

Farthing .

F ig . 249A.


quarters. NO such coin i s known . Snell i ng gives also a representation Of

a halfpenny with VILLA GDIRBVRGh on the reverse,apparently from an

actual specimen (Pl . I . mullets Of five points i n the second and fourth

quarters, the other quarters plai n . I have never met with any hal fpenn ies

of David I I . having the name of Edinburgh or of any other m int ; nor am

I aware of any cabinets in which Edinburgh halfpenn ies are to be found,

although Lindsay, i n h is Appendix NO . 2,p . 207, refers to the Mart in

cabinet for a Specimen with the name of Edinburgh on the reverse , and

estimates i t as R6 only !or of the s ixth degree of rari ty— not extremely

rare,taking R8 as the h ighest degree O f rari ty next to un ique . O nly one

hal fpenny of David I I . appeared i n the Ma rti n sale catalogue , but without

mention of any name of m int, a lthough‘

the names of the m ints in connection

with two groats , one hal f-groat, and two penn ies of David I I . i n the same

lot were disti nctly s tated, and also those Of three Robert I I . hal fpenn ies

i n a fol lowing lot . Cardonne l’

s representations Of Edinburgh and Re x

Scotorum halfpennies of David I I Pl . I I . 14, 1 5 , are copied from those

of Snel l i ng, Pl . I . 3 1 , 3 2 .

FARTH I NG .

Types— obverse : crowned head to left, with sceptre ; reverse : mullets

of five points i n each quarter of the cross.

Fig. 249.

1 . O. MON€TH RHGIS D E. HVID SGOTTOR 4g grs.

The inscription on the Obverse , as wil l be seen , i s conti nued on the

reverse . Lettering : Roman M and N ,barred H, closed (I, the first 6 Open

the second Gt closed. A farthing in the collection of Mr. Cochran-Patrick,

Fig. 2 49A, has the same reverse as on th is p iece, but i s i nscr ibed on

the Obverse DHVID DEI GRHCIIH, with the head in a younger Style than

on the MONGTH REIGIS farth ing. Another farth ing of Dav id i n the

Bri tish Museum , Lindsay, Pl . I V. 92 , and Cochran -Patrick , Pl . I I . 3 , has on


the Obverse DHVID DEII GRJICIIH,and on the reverse REIX SCIOTORVM

Clumsy forgeries ex ist Of the MONCTH REGIS farthing,by J ons of Dun

fe rm l ine , struck upon si lver three - hal fpenny pieces of W i l l iam IV. and

Victoria. On the centre Of the reverse of one O f these forgeries i n the

F e rg usl ie collection the numerals 15 can sti l l be distinctly traced ; th is

piece weighs 101 grs .

CO I NAGES W I TH THE NAMES O F THE MI NTS.

O n the 5 th February, i n the twenty-eighth year ofDavid ’s re ign, 13 56

-

7 ,

a charter was conferred upon Adam Tor (or Torrie , as he is cal led in the

Ratification Charter of 16 6 1 burgess of Edinburgh,by whom

,as Mi nt

Master of Scotland, the great new coinage was carried out. An Exchequer

Roll , 2 stil l extant, gives Tor’s account for the profits and expenses of the

coinage from 19th February 1 3 5 7-8 to l g th March 13 58

-

9 .

The new Scott ish coinage was to be Of the same qual ity and weight as

that of England, v iz . 1 1 oz . 2 dwt. fine, the penny weigh ing 18 grs . and

the groat 72 grs .

At the commencement Of th is coinage the chief moneyer of Scotland Jam es Mu lekyn.

w as J ames Mule kyn of Florence , referred to in the foregoing account as

Magister J acobus m one tarius.

” I n a subsequent account for profits and

expenses from 2d June 136 1 to 2d December 13 643 the name of Bonage

,

or Bonag ius , O f Florence now first appears, i n connection w ith a payment of Bonagius.

6 1 merks, or 40 I3 4 ,for designs and dies furnished by the said Bonage

for the coinage .

Bonag ius , previously to h is having been engaged at the Scottish mint,

had been employed as moneyer at the episcopal mint at Durham ; but

having got into debt in Durham , he left h is employment there , apparently

in a surrepti tious manner, about A.D. 1363 or

1 Act P arl . Scot , vol . vu. p . 2 2 7 . Cochra n 3 Cochran-Pa tri ck ’

s Records of tire Coinag e

Pa tri ck’s Record: of Ike Coinag e of Scotl a nd, vol . of Scotl a nd, vol . 1. p . 5.

i i , p, 1 3 5 ,

4 Re spe ct ing the conne ct ion of Bona gi us

2 Cochran-Pa tri ck’s Recorzir of tlze Coinag e w i th the m in t a t Durham ,

Mr. W . H. D. Long

of ScoI/cmd, vol. 1. p . 3 .stafl

'

e ha s kindly commun i ca ted to m e the fol


There need be no d ifficulty in assigning to Bonag ius those later coins

O f David I I . which have the Robert I I . Head .

throughout during the reign of Robert I I .

Bonag ius was the moneyer

I n the style of the head,crown

,

and lettering,and in the Slender form Of the crosses dividing the words, as also

i n the hav ing a star on the sceptre-handle , the groats of Robert II. corre

spond with the Dav id I I . groats of the reduced Standard weight of 6 1141grs . ,

as struck under the Act 7th O ctober 1 36 7,l when 3 5 2 pennies were

low ing inform a t ion .

“ It m ay not be am iss to

l e t you know tha t in 1 3 58 Bonag e us Moneour

wa s adm i tted by the Convent of Durham to two

m e ssuag e s a nd la nds not far off tha t ci ty, which

had pre viously be long ed to other folks a nd tha t,

in 1 3 64 , the Lord Prior re sum ed one of the

m e ssuag e s and la nds ‘

qua fuerunt in tenura

Bonag ii Mon eour e o quod e long a tus est ex tra

pa trzam et ta berfla w'

t pra dictum m e ssuag ium e t

W e ha ve

not the rol ls for 1 3 6 3 , and Idon’t know the

“ fa tetenam s ine l icen ciam [P] Dom in i .

’

of Bonag e’

s other farm . Bonag e le ft in debt to

the Lord Prior, who se ized his crop and a lso he ldhis sure tie s l ia ble .

”

1 This Act renders i t perfe ctly cle ar tha t thepound then in use a t the Scott ish m int wa s the

1 2 -ounce , not the 1 5-Ounce pound. Se tt ing out

w i th the sta tem ent tha t a t tha t t im e there wa s

gre a t scarci ty of s i lver in the kingdom ,the Act

orda ins tha t for this re a son m oney should b eVide l i ce t,

quod l ibra arg en t i m inua tur in pondere de cemm ade in the m a nner fol lowmg

denariis ponderi s , sic scz'

l z'

cet guod de l ibra pon ~

de ris iam fiant vig int i novem sol idi e t qua tuorde nari i num e ra le s .

”Or

,a s rende red by Sir

John Skene in our own verna cular in the Reg z'

am

Maj esta tem ,

“ tha t the pund of s i lver sa l l b em ade le sse in we cht te n pe nn ie we cht

,m a t/zat

of the pund w e cht a t th is tym e sa l l b e m ade

twe nt ie nyne shill ing s and four penne is num era l l .”

The pound of si lver, i t is e vident, wa s le sse ned j ust in proport ion a s the we ight of the

penny wa s le ssened. When, under Da vid I. ,

300 penn ie s were co ined out of the poundw eig ht

of 1 5 ounce s, t°

.e . of 300 pennywe ights, the poundof s i lver e xa ctly corre sponded w i th the pound of

we ight . But when Robert I. coined 3 1 5 penn ie sout of th is sam e pound of we ight, z

’

.e . of 300

pennywe ights, the pound of s i lver the n s toodto the pound of we ight a s 2 1 to 2 0— in otherwords

,the pound of s i lver wa s le ssened by

21

1

Under David when the we ight of thepenny wa s further reduced to 1 8 grs .

,tha t is

,

part.

by Jgth

, the pound of s i lver wa s corre sponding lyreduced by 1f th , or by 3 ounce s, so tha t now the

pound of s i lver, cons ist ing of 300 penn ie s of 1 8

grs . e a ch,we ighed e xa ctly 1 2 ounce s .

This m ust ha ve be en the t im e when the 1 2

ounce pound wa s subst ituted for the 1 5-ounce

Had the pound Of

1 5 ounce s be en the pound then in use,i t would

pound a t the Scott ish m int .

have g ive n 3 7 5 pe nn ie s of 1 8 grs. ea ch ; but, a swe have se en , the Act 7 th O ctober 1 3 6 7 , in the

fa ce of a decl a red reduction of the we ights of

the co ins , ordered tha t 3 5 2 pe nn ie s ( 2 9 shil l ing s

and 4 pence ) should be co ined out of the pound

of we ight, e xa ctly the num ber ordered by the

Act 1 7 th June 1 3 85 of Robert thus g iv ing a

penny of 1 51g grs . a nd a groa t of 6 112I grs . The

1 5-ounce pound, had i t be en in ope ra t ion a t the

7 th of O ctober 1 36 7 , would have re sul ted in a

penny of 199716 grs . a nd a groa t of 7 62-3} g rs .

It is a lso e vide nt tha t the 1 2 -ounce poundwa s

in use under Robert III. for whe n , by the Act24th O ctober 1 393 , i t wa s ordered tha t 2 1 shi ll ing s, or 2 52 penn ie s , should be coined out of

6 ounce s of pure s i lver,wha t were the se 6

ounce s but the ha lf of the 1 2 -ounce pound ?


2 . As No. 1 : but with LIB’and RGI

’

I no saltire s at the sides of T, 6 9 g rs.

Tressure of six arcs — Fig. 2 5 1 .

3 . O . EDA’

UID 0 D6 1 0 GRA R6 X SCIOTORVJI!

FF DII—

S§P TEI IITS'

ILIB 6 7% grs .

VILL

O f the preceding varieties -there were i n the Montrave hoard 1 2 groats ;

of wh ich 9, as NOS. I, 2 , gave an average weight of 7 15? grs . , wh ile 3 as

NO . 3 weighed respectively 73 7 1 grs .

Corresponding i n every respect with the coins last described , except in

having crosses d isposed salt irewise,i nstead of rosettes, between the words

on the Obverse , four groats i n the Montrave hoard weighed respect ively 75 ,

72 21. 6 79: g rs

The groats of David I I . i n the Montrave hoard , bei ng all i n the same

state as when struck,afford valuable assistance in determin ing the standard

weights of the several var iet ies O f the period to wh ich they relate . They

do not extend further than the earl ier issues with the I ntermediate H ead .

RosETTEs IN THE ARCS OF THE TRESSURE ; SALTIRES BETWEEN THE WORDS.

Tressure of s ix arcs — Fig. 2 5 2 .

4 . O .PBDAVID 8 DEII 8 GRA R6 X N SOIOTORVII!

tF DII'

S 2 T6 7 3 g rs.

VILL A (ID IIl BV

As No. 4 : no saltire be fore GD, 6 7 rs.5 g

6 . As No. 4 ,the obve rse leg end ending SCIOTORVHI5 (thefigured coin) , 6 9} grs.

662. As No. 4 with DAlIID,a saltire on each side of T,

6 4 g rs .

No. 6a , formerly i n the W akeford , i s now i n the F e rgusl ie col lection .

The Montrave hoard contained only two Spec imens of the groats

with rosettes in the tressure ; these weighed 72 and 7 1} grs .


PELLETS IN THE ARCS OF THE TRESSURE ; SALTIRES BETWEEN THE WORDS. David 11.

Tressure of s ix arcs — Fig. 2 5 3 . 51:13?d7 . o. E4D7YVID 1Da l 1 GRA’

: Bax rSUOTORvmEdinburgh

Rvi DITS:P re m

‘

s 7 grs.

As a xD v RGh

There were four coins of th is rare variety i n the Montrave hoard,weigh ing severally 7 13, 7 135 , 7 13, 707} grs . The specimen above descr ibed

is cl ipped and worn .

PLAIN TRESSURE ; SALTIRES BETWEEN THE WORDS.

Tressure O f seven arcs — Fig .

tF DAlIID D6 1 3 GRA 8 R6 X SGOTORVIII

TDR—

SSP TEIGTOR T LIB 7 1§grs.

VILL AGD IRBV

Tressure of six arcs — Fig. 2 56 .

9. O.PEDAVID x DGIa GRA R6 X I SGOTORVH!

EDD—

S zP TEI 6 1 grs.

VILL AHD IIIBV RGI’

I

AS Fig. 2 56 there were two specimens i n the Montrave

i ng respect ively 695 and 685 grs .

PLAIN TRESSURE CROSSES BETWEEN THE WORDS.

Tressure of s ix arcs — Fig. 2 5 7.

E‘DAVID DEII GRA R6 X SGOTORVIII

EDIl—

S SP ITEICITOR ms T LIB l ATORm—S 6 85; grs.

VILL A + aD InBV RGh


Tressure of Six a rcs — F ig. 2 5 8.

I1 . O. BDAVID t DCII GRA t RCIX 4 CIOTORVm 1

EDRS:P I TEICITOR I mS * T+LIB I ATORmS 5 5 grs.

B" VILL I A GID I IIIBV I RGh

From the same dies as the above, three spec imens i n the Montravehoard weighed several ly 747413 705, and 6 7 grs. The p iece here descr ibed

is rubbed and considerably cl ipped.

The following four Edinburgh groats Of David with the Small

Head,have a privy mark at the end of the legend on the Obverse, repre

sented in the first th ree instances by a mullet of five points , i n the fourth

instance by a l is. W i th these coi ns an ornamental style of III now makes

its appearance on the groats of David I I . On al l the preceding pieces

the A i s of the plai n Open variety.

Tressure Of s ix arcs — Fig. 2 59.

1 2 . O.tF DAVID DGI GRA RGIX SCIOTORm>I4DITS

,p Tt—I 6 9 grs.

VILL A “t GD

Tressure Of s ix arcs — Fig. 2 60 .

EDAVID DEII GRA RGIX t SCIOTORVmfl'

EDD—SAP TEI 6 5 g rs.

VILL HHD IIIBV

Tressure of s ix arcs — Fig. 2 6 1 .

14 . O. 11 DHVID 1DGII GRR Ra x SGOTORVmx

BDRS 11> Te am 6 2 g rs .

VILL A H mm

The heads on the above three coins are al l d ifferent. The groat

No. 14, instead Of the ord inary cross patee, with the ends incl i ning to

potent, before the legend on the Obverse,has a c ross pa tée , with the ends


Tressure of seven arcs — Fig. 2 5 5 .

I6 . 0.FF DAVID 4'DEI GRA R6 X SGOTORVIII

rBDIt—

S r. P Te aTOR m‘

s T LI 6 73 grs.

VILL A t A

An Aberdeen groat i n the Montrave hoard , with the Obverse from

the same die as the above , weighed 6 7 grs . Two Edinburgh groats i n that

hoard had also thei r obverses from the same dies as Fig. 2 55 , and

weighed respectively 70% and 6 7 grs. The only other Aberdeen groat Of

David I I . with the Small H ead i n the Montrave hoard had a tressure Of

Six arcs, and weighed 73 grs.

I t i s to be Observed that nearly the same two varieties Of head present

themselves al l through upon th is Smal l Head coi nage . W i th very sl ight

variations the head on Fig. 2 50 i s repeated on F igs . 2 5 2 , 2 5 3 , 2 54A, 2 5 7 ,

2 58, as that on F ig. 2 5 1 i s repeated on Figs . 2 54, 2 5 5 , 2 56 , 2 59, 2 60 , 2 6 1 ,

2 6 2 . Fig. 2 6 2B, however, shows a disti nctly different head. The lettering

on al l the Small Head coi ns is O f an open regular character, corresponding

well wi th the full rounded crosses between the words, which , from their

flower- l ike appearance , may be described as quatrefoi ls rather than crosses.

I NTERMEDIATE HEAD.

On what may be regarded as the first of the groats of Dav id I I . with

the I ntermediate Head we find the same open regular lettering and the

same ful l quatrefoil- l ike crosses divid i ng the words as on the Smal l Head

groats . This earl ier variety of the I ntermediate Head,except i n being

larger and more massive , i s Of much the same character as the Small Head,Showing the same straigh t l i nes Of profi le.

The groats of David I I . with what may be called the second variety of

the I ntermediate Head,d isplay a Sl ightly aqui l ine profi le . The lettering on

these pieces i s much the same as before, but occasional ly wi th the (I and

the 61 of a more pointed character,and the base of the T more prolonged ;

while the crosses between the words are usual ly more slender and of a less


quatrefoil - l ike appearance than on the Small Head groats or than on those

Of the first var iety Of the groats with the I ntermediate Head .

The th ird variety of the groats of David I I . With the I ntermediate

The bust differs from that on al l the

preceding issues in having the fore Shoulder longer than the h ind shoulder,

Head has a highly aquil ine profi le .

corresponding in this. respect wi th the bust on the groats of Dav id I I .

with the Robert I I . Head .

below the bust, running paral lel with i t, as if in completion of the tressure

For the first t ime a curved l ine now extends

th i s curved l i ne i s met With also on certai n groats of David I I . with the

Robert I I . Head .

1

of the same sharp character as on the groats of Robert I I .

The lettering and the crosses between the words are

I t i s only on certai n of the groats with the I ntermediate Heads that

the letter D occurs i n one of the quarters of the reverse and th is letter i s

found i n connection with the reverses of al l the three variet ies .

The

coins i n that hoard stopped short wi th the groats here described as the

second variety O f the I ntermediate Head, of which the number i n the find

None O f the Montrave groats had the letter D on the reverse .

was greatly i n excess Of that of any of the other groats of David I I ., render

ing i t very probable that the hoard had been deposited just when those

pieces were being in course of issue .

1 This curved l ine be low the bust is appare ntly on ly a conven tiona l i sed m ode of re pre se nt ingthe upper fold of the king ’

s under-g arm e nt, a s

be tter exhibi ted by the thickish irregular l ine ,e xtending from shou lder to shoulder, on the

Sm a l l He ad groa ts, F ig s . 2 59 , 2 60,of which

som e tim e s the comm encem ent on ly is indi ca ted,a s on the g roa ts, F ig . 2 6 2 , a nd other pie ce s.

Com pare w i th the groa t of Edward III. , herefigured for i l lustra t ion , 2 SSA, which, a s pre senting a fron t fa ce bust, shows the king ’

s under

robe Wi th st il l gre a ter dis t inctne ss , On th is

p i e ce a pla in ba nd w i ll b e observed stre tchinga cross the lower part of the bust, lurch ing downa t e a ch shou lde r

,displaying the sam e curve s a s

on the Da vid II. groa ts, F ig s. 2 59, 2 60.

None of the groats of Edinburgh ,

F or a m ost instruct ive and in te re st ing paper,by the Ve n. Archde a con Pown a ll , enti tled “ The

Roya l Bus t on Early Groa ts,”show ing why the

shoulders, a s repre sented on the e arly groa ts ,were le ft bare

,se e Num ism a tic Clzrom

'

cl e,2d S.

Se e a lso Dr. John H il l Burton ’s

History of Scot l a nd, vol . i i . pp. 309, 3 10 , for

vol . ix . p. 2 0 3 .

a de script ion of the corona t ion of Da vid 11.

O n this occa s ion the corona t ion ceremony havingbe en conducted unde rpapa l a uspice s , for the firstt im e in Scotland, by a spe cia l Bul l from Rom e , the

king wa s anointed by the B ishop of St . Andrewson the shou lders a nd other pla ce s, which were

The nude bust on the

e arly groa ts wa s pla ced the re in te st imony of

e xposed for the purpose .

th is ano inting— King , by the gra ce of God.

Edinburgh.

First varie ty.


which are here described as the first variety of the I ntermediate H ead from

their greater afi‘i nit ie s to the Small Head g roats, were there represented ;but an Aberdeen groat with the I ntermediate H ead approximated to thi s

type, having i ts obverse from the same die as the Aberdeen groat,Fig.

2 76 , in the Fe rgusl ie collection .

I t may possibly have happened that the groats of David I I . with the

letter D on the reverse were a second issue of the I ntermediate Head variet ies

— struck Wh ile the d ies for those with the Robert I I . Head were i n pre

para t ion. I n th is case , possibly, the letter D may stand for dupl ica ta,or

some such word . O ne Donatus, or Donate, Mulekyn was employed at the

Scottish m int about the t ime that these pieces were being issued. H is

name appears i n the same account Of Adam Tor Where the name O f

Bonag ius i s first ment ioned . But i t i s scarcely l ikely that the i ni t ial of th is

person's Christ ian name would have been placed upon the coins.

The groats O f David I I . with the Robert 11. Head differ from those

with the Smal l Head and from those with the I ntermediate Head in one

remarkable respect. They have the eyeballs fi l led i n wi th unpierced pellets,

giv ing the face a blank bl ind- l ike appearance . O n al l the groats of David

I I . O f the preceding issues the pel lets represent ing the eyeballs are pierced,

imparting to the countenance a h ighly an imated expression . The spandrels

of the crown between the l i s on the groats O f Dav id I I . with the Robert I I .

Head are perceptibly lower than the spandrels of the crown on the groats

w i th the Small and with the I ntermediate Head .

glut etmrutatr list en.

EDINBURGH.

PLAIN TRESSURE, USUALLY OF SIx ARCS ; THE WORDS DIVIDED BY CROSSES.

Fig. 2 68.

I7 . O.PF DHVID DEII GRJI REIX SCIOTORV J

’

I! (41)

PEDI'

t—

S 2 P THGTOR SIT-

S T LI ATORIIl-

S 6 6 g rs.


2 1 . O.PP DITVID DCIIIGRIT RGIX i SGOTORVJII

tF DRS t P S T LIB 6 6§g rs .

VILL JIGD IRBV

The letter D i n the fourth quarter of the reverse — Fig. 28 1 .

2 2 . O.PB DITVID IDCII GRIT REIX i SCIOTORVm

rP DITSxP 595 grs .

VILL HEID i nBV

The letter D reversed i n the second quarter Of the reverse — Fig. 2 82 .

2 3 . O. TDITVID D6 1 1 GRITREIX SOIOTORVIII1

FF DII-

S“

fl; Ill—S 6 4% g rs .

VILL BHD l i nBv

A cross i n the fourth quarter of the reverse — Fig. 2 82A.

2 3a . 0.AF DITVID i DCIIIGRITIRGX ISGOTORVIR

tF DII-

S 3 P I Il l—

S T 6 2% grs .

VILL REID

NOW in the F e rgus l ie , formerly i n the Ri chardson collection . Ex

treme ly rare . The cross i n the fourth quarter Of the reverse on th is piece

i s Of the same slender form as the crosses i n the legendary c ircles.

A cross i n the th i rd quarter of the reverse — Fig. 282 B .

2 36. O.II‘DITVID 1mu 1 GRITi R6 X ISCIOTORVIIITDD

—

SIP mS +T+LIB 6 6 grs .

I n the Cochran - Patrick col lect ion apparently from the same Obverse

die as the preced ing.


Fig. 2 86 .

24 . O. TIDIIVID 1D(IIi GRA 1 REIX ISGOTORVIIIvBDn

‘

s xP Te aTOR 11173 T LIB IITORIITS

VILL AHD

Six arcs and segment — Fig . 2 87 .

2 5 . O.>I<DITVID IDEIIi GRITIR6 X ISCIOTORVIIIPF DIl

-

SIP TGIGTOR il l—S T 6 5% g rs.

VILL AGID

The letter D i n the first quarter of the reverse — Fig. 288.

2 6 . O.tF DITVID i DHIIGRITIREIX ISCIOTORVm

TGICITOR 585 grs .

VILL I AaD InBV I RGh

The letter D i n the first quarter Of the reverse — Fig. 289.

2 7. O.PF DAVID I DEIIi GRITIREIX 1 CIOTORVIII

EDIISxP I Ta dTOR +LIB I HTORms grs .

VILL IRBV RGI‘

I

The plain Open A, where i t occurs on the groats wi th the th ird

I ntermediate Head , i s usual ly O f the large l imp - looking character common

to the groats with the Robert I I . Head— XIII.

ABERDEEN .

PLAIN TRESSURE O F Six ARCS AND CROSSES BETWEEN THE WORDS.

Fig. 2 75 .

2 8. O . TDITVID i DCIIt GRIT RETX SGOTORVm t TI

tF DIl—

S THCITOR III—

S T LIB 6 4 grs ,

Aberdeen.

First vari e ty.

David 11.

( 1329-1370

Groa ts.

Inte rm edia teHead.

Edinburgh.

6 5% gI‘

S. Third va rie ty.


The reverse of th is piece is very s imilar to that Of the groat, Fig .

2 55 , and is evidently struck from a die of the same coi nage . This i s the

coi n figured in W i ngate , Sup. , Pl . I I . 14 . I t i s very rare , as are also the

fol lowing of Aberdeen with the I ntermediate Head .

The crosses between the words on the reverses Of the following groats

of Aberdeen With the ornamental II, are of the same plump quatrefoil- l ike

form as on the preceding, showing that , a l though the (I and 61 on these coins

are of the more pointed and later character,their period of issue must have

closely corresponded wi th that of the above .

F ig. 2 76 .

2 9. 0. From the same die as the preceding .

tP DIlS 2 P GIGTOR ms T LIB ITTORmS 6 3g grs .

VILL IT1 IT BGIR DOD.

2 9a . AS No. 2 8, but with a sing le cross on each side of the

From the Kermack Ford and Wakeford collections .

Second varie ty. Second Va rie ty .

Fig. 284 .

30 . O .PP DITVID DEII GRIT R6 X t SCIOTORVJII

tF DRS 2 P THGTOR 1115 T ITTORmS 6 33 g rs .

VILL 11 t 11 M R I D011

These coins seem to be the latest groats O f Aberdeen . I have not m e t

with any Aberdeen groats with the letter D on the reverse , nor with the

Robert I I . Head .

I t has already been Stated that the David I I . groats in t li e Montrave

hoard do not extend further than the second variety Of the I ntermediate

Head, Fig. 2 79 of the F e rg usl ie col lection . O ut of the total of 1 24 Edin

burgh groats of David I I . i n the Montrave hoard , 55 were Of th i s variety .

These gave an average weight of only grs . , as against 703 grs . , the

1 5 4 THE COINAGE O F SCOTLAND.

penny was 18 grs. Troy— a difference of grs. on the penny, or of 797181grs . on the pound of Si lver ;

1 while the reduct ion as ordered by the Act

was only 10 dwt. , equivalent in Troy Weight to 2 2 5 grs . ,leaving 5 72fi

grs . of reduct ion st i l l to be accounted for.

Assuming the average weight O f the groat , as issued from the mint at

the t ime that the first undeclared reduct ion of the weights of the coins seems

to have taken place (when the ornamental II was i n the process Of supplant

ing the plai n open A), to have been 6 73 grs . , thi s accounts for only 3 3 71

21 grs .

Of the deficiency . SO that a sti l l further undecla red reduction of the pound

of s i lver to the extent of about 2 3 5 grs . would appear to have occurred

prev iously to the declared reduction of the standard weights as ordered by

the Act 7th O ctober I36 7.

I am not aware O f any of the groat coinages of David I I . Of wh ich the

standard weight can be considered as bei ng Intermediate between 6 7§and

6 IT4Igrs . ; but probably some of the smaller money, part icularly of the

half-groats and penn ies wi th the Robert I I . head , may have been Of some

such standard , and have represented an independent issue from the groats.

The circumstance which compl icates matters in the Scottish coinage

of this period is, that , While a certain average weight was maintained by the

several issues, the i ndiv idual weights Of the coins var ied considerably the

heaviest three groats of Edinburgh of David I I . with the Smal l Head and

the plain Open A on both s ides, i n the Montrave hoard , weighed respect

ive ly 7 75 grs . , the l ightest three 6 6 , 6 7, 6 71 grs. the heaviest two

groats wi th the Large I ntermediate Head , as F ig. 2 79 ,with the ornamental

11, weighed respectively 703 and grs . , the l ightest two 59} and 6 2} grs.

1213—9:x 300 : 7971

8

1


Robert M. Dean.

HEAV IER ISSUES : PREV IO US 1 0 OCTO BER 7 , 13 6 7 .

EDINBURGH. Edinburgh.

PLAIN TRESSURE ; THE WORDS DIVIDED BY CROSSES ; A CURVED

LINE BELOW THE BUST.

Six arcs - Fig. 2 9 1 .

O .PPDITVID 1D6 1 I GRITi REIX it SfIOTORVfll

vBDI’

i‘

s xP Te a TOR m‘

s + 1 +LIB I BTORm‘

S

VILL I mm mm I RGh

Do. with SEIOTORVm,

Six arcs and segment — Fig . 2 92 .

3 3 . o.rBDIIVID 1 De n1 GRII1 Re x rSGIOTORVm

rBDITs xP TEIOZTOR III—

S HTORIITS 6 75 g rs .

VILL AEID InBV RGh

Six arcs a pellet on the sceptre -handle.— Fig.

O.vBDITVID i D6 1 1 GRITIRETX it SEIOTORVII!

>I4DRSIP I TGCITOR ms T LI 6 95 g rs.

VILL IIIBV

Do. : from diffe rent dies, 6 7 grs.

NO . 3 5 was formerly in the Kermack Ford and Wakeford collections .

The groats O f Dav id I I . with the pellet on the sceptre-handle have not

h itherto been publ ished i n any work on Scottish coins . Their heavier

weight shows that they are Of earl ier i ssue than the groats with the star on

the sceptre-handle . I have not Observed the pel let on the sceptre-handle

on any of the coins of the two smaller denominat ions .


L IGHTER ISSUES : SUBSEQUENT TO O CTO BER 7 , 136 7 .

By the Act Of Parl iament 8th May 1366 i t was ordered that new0

money should be coined of the same weight and qual i ty as that made by

J ames Mulekyn Magister J acobus so that in these respects i t m ight

be equal to the money current i n England . To distinguish th is new

money from what had previously been fabricated, i t was further provided

that a notable Sign should be placed upon i t ; evidently implying that the

more recent issues, subsequent to those ofMagister J acobus, had not provedsatisfactory i n weight or i n qual ity .

As final ly ordered by the Act 7th O ctober 1 36 7 , the material of th is

new money was to be good and pure , such as that now made i n England

but the Standard of the weight O f the coins, as we have seen, was reduced

considerably below that of England , i t be ing provided that 3 5 2 instead of

300 sterl ings as formerly in Scotland under Magister J acobus, and as sti l li n England, were to be coined out Of the pound O f weight , thus reduc ing

the standard weight of the groat to 6 11ir grs .

The groats of David I I . with the Robert I I . Head and the star on

the sceptre-handle correspond , i t W il l be Observed , with th is reduced stand

ard indeed they scarcely ever exceed i t by even a fraction Of a grain .

To all appearance , therefore, th is star on the handle of the sceptre Of

th ese pieces was the “ notable Sign finally adopted .

I t can easi ly be understood, notwithstanding that no immediate action

for the issue of the proposed new coinage was taken by the Parl iament O f

8th May I3 66— matters having been left over for more mature consideration

t i ll next Parl iament, that the d ies for th is coinage might meanwh ile have

been i n preparat ion at the mint, and spec ial ly wi th reference to the em

ployment of the notable sign . As a di stingu ishi ng mark i nd icative of a

reduction of the weights, the star on the sceptre -handle would be quite as

serviceable as i t would have been i n denoting that, i n weight as wel l as in

qual i ty,the coins had been restored

,as at first proposed , to thei r origi nal

standard under Magister J acobus . Possibly the d ies for the following two

coi ns w ith the pellet behi nd the head and in the first quarter of the reverse

may have been executed i n antic ipat ion of th is new coinage.

Hal f-groats.


W i thout the curved l ine below the bust. - F ig.

O.FF DA

'

VID IDGIIGRA i RGX i SCIOTORVIII

B .PF DITS1; P I ATORIIIS 57} grs .

VILL AGD IRBV RGh

Two spec imens ; the heads sl ightly d ifferent.

W i thout the curved l ine below the bust ; two Stars Of five a fter DRS.

Fig. 305 .

42 . O .PEDAVIDIDGIIGRA 1 RGX i SCIOTORVIII

B .rBDIi s P (ITOR ms x T x LIB ATORmS 58} grs .

VILL RBV RGh

W ithout the curved l ine below the bust ; two stars poin ts after

DIIS the words d iv ided by sal t ires.

Fig. 306 .

43 . O . TDAVID 35DGI32GRA RGX SGOTORVIII

TiDI’

tS P TGCITOR ms x T x LIB ATORmS 593 g rs .

VILL AGB nBv RGh

W i thout the curved l ine below the bust two stars of five points after

DDS ; the words d iv ided by sal ti res ; no trefoi l s i n the tressure .

Fig. 307 .

44. O.>I<DAVID asDGIz:GRA z:RGX 1 SGOTORVm

PEDRS t P TGGTOR ms x T x LIB ATORlIl—

S 57} grs .

VILL AGD IIIBV

This i s an extremely rare variety.

HALF -GROATS.

The issues of the half-groats Of David I I . appear to have been more

l im ited than those O f the groats. The Mon trave hoard conta ined only 6


half-groats O f Edinburgh and I half-groat Of Aberdeen , as against 1 24

groats Of Edinburgh , 3 groats Of Aberdeen , 14 pennies of Edinburgh , and 3pennies O f Aberdeen . When the groats were first made there was the less

occas ion for the hal f-groats, as the smaller currency wa s provided for by the

sterl ings of the first coinage of David I I . and by the other small money

then i n c irculat ion . None Of the earl ier hal f-groats appear to have any

ornaments with i n the arcs Of the tressure, such as occur on some O f the

earl ier groats . Possibly, therefore , no half—groats may have been co ined

t i l l subsequent to the issue Of those early groats with the ornaments in the

arcs O f the tressure . The half-groats display three styles O f Head —the

Small , the I ntermediate , and the Robert I I . Head . The I ntermediate

H ead as exhibi ted on the hal f-groats i s not SO large i n proport ion to the

Sma l l Head as is the I ntermediate Head to the Smal l Head on the groats .

The words are usually div ided by salt ires or by crosses . The difie re ntstyles O f lettering on the hal f—groats correspond with the several styles O f

le tteri ng on the groats. The mullets i n the quarters of the cross on the

reverse present a d ifference to those on the groats , the centres being usual ly

quite plai n . I n one or two instances, however , the mullets, l ike those on

the groats,have c inquefoi ls i n the centres .

PLAIN TRESSURE, USUALLY or s1x ARCS.

9 mm iam .

EDINBURGH.

Tressure O f six arcs — Fig.

I. O.'I*DAVID 11 DGI RGX 8 SGOTORIIII!

PF DIIS PRO 3 5} g rs.

»I<DAV1D DGI GRA RGX SGOTORvm

341 grs

Sma ll Head.

Edinburgh.


3 . O . EDAVID 1 DGI GRA RGX SCIOTORV’

3 2 grs.

VILL ITGD IRBV

4 . DO : with AGD, 3 3} grs.

Five arcs - Fig. 2 64.

5 . O.PBDAVID t DGI0 GRA RGX SGOTORVm

FEDIIS PROT 3 I} g rs.

VILL HQD IRBV

Aberde en. ABERDEEN .

Five arcs — Fig. 26 5 .

6 . O.ITIDAVID 1 DGI GRA RGX SGOTORV

rF DR—

S PROT 3 2} grs .

BGR DOR

A half-groat of Aberdeen with Six arcs,i n the Ri chardson col lect ion ,

has SGOTORVIII, and a cross after VILLA ; i t weighs 3 6 8 grs .

Ent zrm znfat z Eran.

EDINBURGH.

Six arcs — Fig. 2 69 .

DAVID x DGIn GRA x RGX SGOTOR

ITIDRS PROT 3 2 grs.

tF DITVID DGI GRIT RGX SGOTORV

>14Dns I PROT GGTOR I mavs 2 5} g rs .

VILL I IIGD I InBV I RGh

FF DITVID DGI4' GRIT RGX SCIOTORVIII

2 9} grs .

Edinburgh.


And it is a very curious c ircumstance that th is style of head is carried

out al l through,not only on these later hal f-groats of Dav id I I . , but also on

the hal f-groats of Robert I I . , and th i s continuously with the head with the

blank eyeballs,as presented on the later groats and the pennies O f Dav id

I I . ,and on al l the groats and the penn ies of Robert I I .

From the fact that the first of the fol lowing half-groats, NO . 14 , has

the letter D i n one of the quarters on the reverse , i t i s clear that th is style

of head must have been i ntroduced on the half-groats of David I I . while

the groats with the I ntermediate Head were stil l i n course of issue .

The hal f-groat N o. 14 differs from all the following, as also from al l

those previously descr ibed , i n hav ing large mul lets with ci nquefoils i n the

centres i n the quarters of the cross on the reverse , as on the groats and the

penn ies,i nstead of the small plai n mullets spec ially dist i nctive Of the

hal f-groats .

All the half-groats O f the later co inages , so far as I have Observed , have

a curved l i ne below the bust ; and the tressure consists usually Of s ix arcs .

EDINBURGH.

Six arcs and a small segment ; the letter D i n the firs t quarter.— Fig. 2 90 .

14. O.rB DITVID DGI GRA RGX SCIOTORVIII

GVS I 3 2 grs .

VILL

Six arcs, without the letter D on the reverse — Fig . 293 .

1 5 . O.rF DITVID DGI GRIT RGX SCIOTORVIII

T4DRS 34 grs.

VILL16 . Do. : with SCIOTORm (thefigured coin) ,1 7. As No. 1 5 , with SGOTORVIII and PROSGCITOR,

1 7a . As NO . 1 5 , with SGOTORVIII and a tressure of seven arcs,

The very rare piece, No. 1 7a , formerly in the Wakeford , i s

the F e rgusl ie col lection .


Six arcs ; a pel let beh i nd the crown and in the first quarter of the reverse.

Fig. 2 99.

I8. 0. Ti DITVID DGI GRIT RGX SGOTORVII!

RTi DIl

—

S I PROT I GCITOR mavsct )VILL I IIGD I IItBV I RGh

19. Do. : the head as F ig . 2 90 ,

Six arcs a star behind the neck and between G and D on the reverse .

Fig. 300 .

20 . 0.PF DITVID DGI GRITIt RGX SCIOTORVm

PTIDIIS PROT GY S‘I) 30 grs .

VILL ITG 4 D IRBV

Six arcs ; trefoi ls i n the angles a star on the sceptre-handle .

Fig. 303 .

2 1 . 0. i tDITVID DGI GRIT RGX SGOTORVm

TIDIIS PROT GGTOR VS 1 3 2} grs .

TIDAVID DGI GRA RGX SCIOTORVm

VILL2 3 . Do. : with PROSGGTOR, the edge broken,

The fol lowing extraordinary piece,with a late style of head and with

five arcs in the tressure,has the legend i n the outer c ircle on the reverse

the same as on the groats . No trefoils in the angles of the tressure , nor

star on the sceptre-handle.

Five arcs — Fig. 308.

O .PT<DAVID DGI GRA RGX SCIOTORV

$DIIS + P Rm x T I LIBAT 2 5} g rs.

VILL VRG

The edge is considerably c l ipped ; from the SheriffMackenz ie collect ion .


PENN IES.

Three styles of Head occur on the pennieSw —the Small , the I nter

mediate,and the Robert I I . Head . The Small and the I ntermediate Heads

correspond with the s imilar heads on the half-groats the Robert I I . Head

corresponds with the s imilar head on the groats. Cinquefoi ls are in the

centres of the mullets on the reverses, as on the groats .

Sma ll Head. b ma l l Tez ab.

EDINBURGH.

Fig. 2 66 .

I. O .>T<DAVID 8 RGX 8 SGOTORVJI!

B. VILL I A 8 GD I IRBV I RGh

2 . Do. : but the bust with a shorte r ne ck,

As NO . 1 , with a saltire b e fore VILL,

Aberdeen. ABERDEEN.

Fig. 2 6 7.

4 . o.rB DAVID RGX SGOTORVm

B . VILL I A >B A I BGR I Don

ant zrm zni a t z Drab.

EDINBURGH.

Fig. 2 70 .

5 . O .IEDITVID t RGX +SCIOTORVm

B. VILL AGB I mm RGn

A penny in the S.S.A. col lection from the Montrave boa rd asabove

,had RGR for RGX .


between the fleurs-de- l is are low and flat , corresponding wi th those of the

crown on the later groats on th is p iece they are h igh and sharp and the

pellets for the eyebal ls, i nstead of being blank, as on a l l the following

pennies with the Rob ert'

II. Head, are pierced.

Fig. 2 95 .

r1 . o.rPDHVID Re x sa oroavm

VILL I M D I M N I RGh

A pellet beh ind the c rown , and in the quarter reverse.

Fig. 299A.

1m . mDHVID mm SCIOTORvm

VILL I HGD I v RGh

the S.S.A. col lection .

A star beh ind the neck — Fig. 300A.

I15. 0. (63D)1HVID 4 RGX SCIOTORVm1 x5 grs.

R vb vuLL) I HGD I mBV I m m

I n the Cochran-Patrick col lection .

A star on the sceptre-handle .— Fig.

E‘DHVID REIX SCIOTORVJII

VILL I HEID I IRBV I RGh

a D7W1D Re x SGOTORVm

VILL I M D I mm RGh

rPDKVID DEII+RCIX SCIOTORVx3}; grs .

VILL M D I mBV I RGh

E4D7 WID DEII GM REIX scr

VILL I M D I M N I RGh


GO LD CO I NAGE.

NOBLES.

Gold coins for Scotland were first struck in the reign of David I I .

These consisted of nobles , executed i n close imi tation of the nobles of

Edward I I I . of England . O n the obverse the king is represented,crowned

and in armour, standing in a ship, holding a sword in h is right hand,

and bearing on h is left arm a sh ield charged with the Scottish l ion with in

a double tressure flenrie— the first appearance of the Scottish l ion on the

national coinage . The type of the reverse corresponds i n every respect

wi th that of the contempo rary noble of Edward I I I . , except i n having a

c i nquefoi l i nstead of an GI i n the centre of the cross. The legend on the

reverse is the same as on the English nob les. There are two varieties.

The words on the obverse d ivided by two crosses on the reverse by

pellets.Fig. 2 6 2A.

1a . 0.rF DKVID 3 Da r1 GRKCIIK z Retx x suoroxvm 4a im nvram TRmm Ia u s P maDIVm

g rs.

[ILLORVIDd 13m“ !

I n the Bri tish Museum . This p iece differs from the following in

hav ing the sh ip ornamented with s ix l ions.

Second Va riety .

The words on the obverse d iv ided by two sal ti res, on the reverse by

annulets and crosses .

Fig. 2 85 .

I. O. Q DKVID 5 DGIi GRK RGX SGOTORVm

B . Ed na o 7 w'

1‘

am o TRKIIGIEIIIS o P o mEIDIVm 1 1 8 grs.

[ILLORVm IB7T

From Luke iv. 30. But f em: pa ss ing through the m idst of them went his way.

”


Formerly i n the Carfra e collection . The ship on th is p iece i s orna

m ented with five l ions . Two other spec imens of th is noble exist , appar

ently from the same dies as the above— one i s in the H unterian col lection ,

weighing grs . , and one, which was formerly i n the Marti n andAddingt on cabinets, i s i n the col lection of Mr. Adam Black Ri chardson ,

weigh ing 1 19 grs. W i th the exception of the coin,Fig. 2 6 2A

,these

are the only known examples of the noble of David I I .

The noble, F ig. 2 6 2A,i s evidently the earl ier of the two varieties ;

having the lettering on both s ides, and the crosses between the words on

obverse of that ful l plump character observabl e on the early groats . I n

the style of execution i t seems more particularly to correspond with the

Small Head groats, F igs . 2 5 7-2 6 2 , having the same style of l i s at the end

of the legend on the obverse, as after (IOTORVJII on the groat , Fig. 2 6 2 .

The noble,Fig. 2 85 , has the letteri ng and the salt i res between the words

on the obverse as the lettering and the crosses on the noble, Fig. 2 6 2A ;

but,on the reverse

,i n the more acute style of the lettering and of the crosses

after mHDIVm and ILLORVm, i t corresponds rather wi th the lettering and

with the crosses d iv id ing the words on the groats wi th the I ntermediate

Head of the later variety . There thus appear to have been at least two

dist i nct coinages of the nobles of David I I .

I t is not only i n the types and in the i nscription on the reverse that

the nobles of David I I . d irectly imitate the nobles of Edward I I I . The

ornamentation , and to some extent the lettering, are al so borrowed from

these pieces. The annulets d iv id ing the words on the noble , Fig. 2 85 , wh ich

are of very frequen t occurrence on the Engl ish nobles and the ir parts, and

on the corresponding Engl i sh s i lver money,are not found on any of the

s i lver money of Dav id I I . The Roman II,without the connecting bar

,i n

TRKIICIIGIIS, as on the two varieties of the David I I . nobles, i s not met

with on any of the s i lver coins of David I I . nor does the Roman N appear

to have been employed at all except on the rare farth i ngs .

N0 half or quarter nobles of David I I . are known but possibly these

may have been struck ; being, i ndeed, more sui table for the c ircumstances

of the country than the larger pieces. I t is,moreover, to be noted that,


that now current,and should make of every b i llon (de quocz mgue bil lon)

brought to h im , as wel l foreign money as vases and other s i lver, and

render for every pound of. weight twenty -nine s/zz'

l l z'

ng s a nd fourf em e , our

money (or 2 5 2 sterl i ngs, the same as ordered by the Act of David I I . of

7th O ctober I to those who brought to h im new French blancs, weight

for weight of our money,except an allowance of six blancs for waste i n the

coinage of each pound .

"

I t does not seem that any change took place i n the weights of the coins

i n th is reign,at least

,so far as relates to the s ide -fa ce si lver money. I n 1 3 74

Scottish s i lver coins were ordered to have currency i n England at the rate of

four penn ies Scotti sh to three pennies Engl ish . From this arrangement no

change,apparently

,wa s made t il l 1 390 , the year i n wh ich Robert I I I . acceded,

i n wh ich year the groat,hal f-groat, penny, and halfpenny of the coinage

of Scotland were ordered to pass i n England for no more than hal f the i r

nominal value . That th is must refer to the front -fa ce si lver money withthe name of Robert is obvious, for the sz

'

a’ef ace s i lver money of Robert

as we shall see , maintains al l through a very fai r average weight . The

better preserved and uncl ipped specimens of these pieces approximate very

closely to the standard weight of érfigrs . to the groat.The change of type i n the si lver coinage of Scotland, from the s ide to

the front face , was concurrent with a cons iderable reduction i n the weights

of the coins .

As no Acts relating to th is change i n the type and the weights are

extant, w e cannot determine whether i t took place at the c lose of the

reign of Robert I I . or at the beginni ng of that of Robert I I I . But,from

the practice in similar cases,i t may be i nferred that the change in the type

had a direct relat ion to the change in the standard of the weight,rather than

that i t was employed , a s seems generally to be assumed, to indicate a

change of reign . I t has to be kept i n v iew that changes such as these

must have been the subj ect of serious del iberation , occupying possibly

a considerable space of t ime and that,when finally determined upon

,some

further t ime must be al lowed for the preparation of the d ies for the new

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND. 2 7 r

money, as also for i ts fabricat ion, and for its currency in England previous

to i ts being reduced to one-half the values of the money of the correspond

i ng denominat ions of that kingdom . While , therefore, i t i s conven ient to

place al l th i s l ighter money with the front face under Robert I I I . , i t i s

possible , and indeed highly probable, that i t may have originated under

Robert I I .

The Act 24th O ctober 1 393 , under Robert I I I . , i n relation to the

coinage of gold and of s ilver money as then ordered,does not preclude the

conjecture that a s imilar Act had not been passed i n the previous reign .

U nder J ames I I I . , as we shall see,a coinage of gold and of si lver

money was ordered by an Act passed on the 24th February 1483 . O n

the 2 6 th May 1485 a coinage of gold and of si lver money was again ordered,

and in the very terms of the preceding Act. Under James IV . , on the

1 7th O ctober 1488, another Act was passed, ordering a coinage of gold

and si lver money, and in the ident ical terms . There is reason to bel ieve

that the gold coinage ordered by these several Acts never took place,but

the s i lver co inages certainly did.

The mints of Robert I I . were Edinburgh , Perth , and Dundee . The Mints

suppo sed halfpenny of Roxburgh in the Brit ish Museum , figured here 3 16A,i s apparently a blundered halfpenny of Edinburgh , of wh ich part of the

i nscription and a port ion of the type of the reverse appears on the obverse,

while the word RGX of the obverse inscript ion has been transferred to the

reverse,and has been mistaken for ROX.

1

GROATS.

Groa ts .

The groats of Robert I I . differ i n name only from the later groats of

David I I . The tressure enclosing the bust commonly consists of six arcs,

with trefoil s in the angles ; a curved l ine extends below the bust a star i s

usual ly placed on the sceptre - handle and the words are div ided by crosses,

sometimes disposed sal tirewise.

1 Se e p . 2 8 1 .


EDINBURGH.

Tressure of s ix arcs — Fig. 309.

I. O .rIi ROBGIRTVSIDEIIIGRK IREIX ISCIOTORVm

E4DDSX 6 1 grs.

VILL IIl BV

2 . Do. : apparent ly with a barred 7K in V ILLA,

3 . Do. : with SGOTTORVm,

Three coi ns ; sl ightly different heads.

Six arcs — Fig. 3 10 .

4. O.FPROBGRTVS DEII GR7Y RGX SGOTTORVJII

FED R 5 8i grs.

B“ VILL IIIBV

Seven arcs — Fig. 3 1 1 .

5. O. EROBHRTVSIDGIIGRK IRGX ISCIOTTORVIII

>I<DIYSI 60 grs.

VILL KGD IRBV

Six arcs ; a salt ire beh ind the head— Fig. 3 24A.

5a . 0. EBOBHBTVS ii DGI GEN32RGX 5 SGOTOBV’

>I<DIl S 7YTORIIIS

IIIBV RGh

N0 star on the sceptre-handle ; extremely rare ; formerly

now in the F ergusl ie collect ion .

Dundee .


Six arcs — Fig. 3 18.

II. O . E!ROB6 RTVSIDGIIGRA IREIX ISCIOTTORVIII

Ii iDR’

S (ITOR 6 03 g rs .

VILL KGD

Seven arcs — Fig. 3 19.

I2 . O.PIIROBEIRTVSIDEIIIGRK IRGX ISGOTTORVm

E4DDS CITOR 6 0 grs .

VILL

Six arcs ; a smal l B beh ind the head— Fig. 330 .

1 3 . O. EIROBGRTVS DGIif GRK 35RGX SCIOTOR’

EIDRSA‘

P I TGCITOR I ms 3 LIB 5 3g grs .

VILL ADH PGR Th ét

Six arcs ; no trefoils i n the angles of the tressure, nor star on the

sceptre—handle .

F ig. 3 3 5 .

I4 . 0.PP ROBHRTVS DGI GRA RGX SCIOTORVIII

EDHSIP I TEIGTOR mS+ T LIB KTORmS 4 1 grs .

VILLFormerly i n the Sheriff Macken z i e col lect ion . This coi n i s much

clipped . A sim ilar p iece,i n the S.S.A. col lection , but with a ful l edge,

weighs 60 grs . The type of obverse is apparently imi tated from the David

II. groats with the earl ier I ntermediate H ead . The spandrels of the

crown as on these are h igh and Open ; the eyeballs are fi l led i n with pierced

pellets ; and the hind shoulder i s longer than the fore shoulder. The

lettering is the same as on the other groats of Robert I I .

DUNDEE.

Six arcs a smal l B beh ind the head— F ig. 3 3 2 .

15 . O .PF ROBGRTVSIDGIIGRA IRGX ISGOTTORVIII

E4DIIS I ms x T x LI grs.


16 . 0. From the same die as No. 1 5 .

ILmD TEICITOR ImS+I +LIB | 7ITORmVIL u m I Dvu I De m

The edge of No. 16 i s much broken . A Dundee groat in the Pollex

fen cab inet, from the same reverse die as No. 1 5 , has on the obverse

BO (B€ B)TVS DGI i GBK'

it BEIX SGOTOB’

. That th is coin reads

BOBEIRTVS, as here rendered, I have l i ttle doubt, as the B al l through on

the obverse is of that pecul iar character wh ich,on the coins of Robert I I .

and Robert I I I . , usually takes the place of the B.

HALF-GROATS.

These have the same types on the obverse and on the reverse as on

the later groats of David and are sometimes without a star or other

ornament on the sceptre-handle , or trefoi ls i n the angles of the tressure .

The plain mulle ts on the reverse frequently present the appearance of stars,

apparently e ither from having been put in from imperfect or worn punches,

or from having been rubbed smooth in the course of currency.

EDINBURGH.

Tressure of s ix arcs,with trefoils i n the angles a star on the sceptre -handle .

Fig. 3 1 2 .

I. O. EROBEIRTVS DGI GRK REIX SGOTORVIII

>I<DIIS I PROT I a aTOR I me vs 2 9 g rs.

VILL I M D v I RGh

2 . As No. 1 wi th SGOTOR’

; no cross afte r mews (the figured coin) , 2 8g g rs.

3 . Do. : with SCIQTTORVm,2 7% grs.

4. As the last, without the cross afte r me vs,2 95, 2 9 g rs .

The two coins i n N o. 4 ,which are from the same reverse d ie , have a

pecul iar T i n (ICIt OR ; on one of these pieces the mullets i n two of the

quarters of the cross are entirely closed , and in the other two quarters are

nearly closed ; on the other piece the mullets in al l the quarters are closed.

Ha lf-groa ts.

Edinburgh.

Perth.


5 . As No. 2 with SGOTTOR’

,

Six arcs , with trefoi ls i n the fourth and fifth angles ;

the head no star on the sceptre-handle .

Fig. 3 2 5 .

6 . O.PP ROBEIRTVS DGI5 GRK 35REIX 325 6 0

vb Dns PROT a uTOR me vsVILL I KGD

The sal tire beh i nd the head i s more plainly v is ible on

the same dies i n the Bri t ish Museum .

Seven arcs, no trefoil s ; a sal ti re beh ind on the

sceptre -handle .

Fig. 3 2 6 .

7 . o. e nona Rrvs max e saUronvm r

tIIDIIS IIIHVSI 2 7% grs .

VILL IRBV RGI’

I

Seven arcs , no trefoil s ; a square object beh ind the head ; no star on

the sceptre-handle.

Fig. 336 .

8. o. EROBQRTVS Den GR7I REIX SCIOTTOR

>I*DD.S I PROT I a aTOR I mews 2 7 grs.

B" VILL I KGD I IIIBV I RGh

The head on th is p iece is pecul iar, resembl ing that on the Perth groat

F ig. 3 3 5 .

PERTH.

Six arcs, trefoi ls a star on the sceptre-handle.- Fig. 3 20 .

9 . 0. i tROBEIRTVS DGI GRK RGX SGOTTORVIII

GCITOR mews 2 6 g rs.

IO . Do . : with SGOTTOR,2 8 grs .

Pennies.

Edinburgh.


A Dundee half-groat in the Pol lexfe n col lect ion , from same obverse

as F ig. 3 2 6A, has on the reverse

>I<DRS8

VIL DVD.2 Igrs ’

PENN IES.

These have c inquefoi ls i n the centres of the mullets on the reverse ,

as on the groats,and are sometimes with , sometimes without the star on

the sceptre-handle occasional ly a cross or a salt i re tak es the place of the

star.

EDINBURGH.

A sta r on the sceptre-handle .— Fig.

1 . o.rBROBGR(TVS )R6[X SCIOTTORVJI!

R. VILL I M D I IRBV I RGh

2 . Do. : with SGOTTOR (thefigured coin) ,As No. 2 two crosses afte r ROB6 RTVS,

Do. two crosses afte r RGX,

A trefoi l beh ind the head— Fig. 3 13A.

4a . 0. B ROBEIRTVS Rax sa orroxr

B. VILL I M D I IIIBV I RGhg rs'

I n the S.S.A. col lect ion .

No star on the sceptre-handle.-Fig.

EIROBIRTVS RGX SfIOTTOR14§g rs.

VILL I M D I v I RGh

e nonanrvs D G Bax sa (F ig .

I3 g rs .

VILL I M D I InBv I RGh


e nona nrvs BEIX SCIO'

I‘

O

IRobert “ .

1 3 rs.M IL I LM I DIR I nvn

g

I n the E.M. collect ion .

Edinburgh.

The letter B behind the head ; a cross on the sceptre-handle .— Fig. 3 29.

7. o.iIIROBGRTVS Re x saorr(0Rvm)

B . VILL I M D IRBV RGh

PERTH,Perth.

A star on the sceptre-handle .—Fig. 3 2 2 .

8. o. e ROBaRTVS+REIX + suorrorr

R VILL KDG I PEIR Th e

9. Dd : sa 0TT0Rv,

A salt ire on the sceptre-handle .— Fig. 3 2 3 .

10. O.FEROBEIRTVS+R€IX +SGOTOR

I3} g rs.

B . VILL I KDH I PHR I Th Q¢

W i thout ornament on the sceptre -handle .—~Fig. 3 24 .

I

R. VILL I 7ID6[ I PaR I Th é¢3 grs

The R on th is p iece, although taking the place of the B i n ROBGR'

IV S,

i s of the usual character throughout .

1 2 . As No. II ROBEIRTVS REIX +SCIOTTOR, I3 grs .

1 3 . Do. : ROBHRTVS D G RGX SCI, I4 grs.

The obverse of the Perth penny No. 1 3 i s from the same die as the

Edinburgh penny No . 6 .

Dunde e .

Hal fpenn ies.


The letter B behind the head a salt ire on the sceptre-handle .

Fig . 3 3 1 .

1 3a . 0. at ROBEIRTV(Sr.) Re x rsa orr

B.. V1LL I KDG I PaR I Th é¢Formerly i n the Kermack Ford

,now in the F e rg usl ie cabinet.

1 7 grs .

DUNDEE.

The letter B behind the head without ornament on the sceptre-handle.

Fig. 3 3 3A.

1 35. 0.FF ROB6 RTVS REIX SOZOTTOR

B . VIL §Iw e I DVR§ I DareI3 grs.

I n the Bri tish Museum col lection ; very badly struck . This very rare

piece is not as yet represented i n the F e rg usl ie cab inet . The specimen

figured in Lindsay _ (P l . V . 1 t o) was in the col lect ion of the late Mr. W i l l iam

Ferguson of Edinburgh , at whose sale in London , 185 1 , two Dundee

penn ies seem to have been sold — lots 1 5 5 , 1 56 . At the Christmas sale,

London , 1864, lot 1 19, a Dundee penny, fal se , although not described as

such, was sold along with a groat and half-groat of the same mint.

HALFPENN IES.

The mints known in connect ion wi th the hal fpenn ies of Robert I I . are

Edinburgh and Dundee . T-he hal fpennies of the Edinburgh mint cannot

be cal led very scarce ; but Dundee is represented by two specimens only,

respect ively i n the collections of Mr. Cochran-Patrick and Mr. Guthrie

Lornie . I have not observed the star on the sceptre -handle on any of

the halfpennies. Ca rdonne l figures spec imens wi th th is mark , but the

il lustrations given i n h is work on Scott ish coins cannot be rel ied upon .

The mullets on the reverses of the halfpennies, l ike those on the half-groats ,

are plai n .

Puta tive gold


the i nscription of the obverse (REIX) has been transferred to the reverse .

The first three letters on the obverse seemto be BVR,the next two appear

to be VI, these being respectively the three letters of the inscript ion i n

the fourth , and the first two letters of the i nscription i n the first quarter

of the reverse.“

Below the letters VI, as these appearon the obverse, and

immediately under the cheek, may be observed one of the mul lets and a

small port ion of the cross as transferred from the reverse. I t wil l requ ire

more satisfactory evidence than i s afforded by th is coi n to establ ish the

bel ief that there was a m int at Roxburgh under Robert I I . This coi n i s

figured, Lindsay, Pl . XVI I I . No. IO ,but considerable l iberty has been

taken with the inscript ions.

PUTAT IVE GO LD CO INAGE.

I t has been the hab it to attribute to Robert I I . a certain “ portion of

the gold money bearing the name of Robert .

The gold coins w ith the name of Robert consist of two denominations

of larger pieces now usual ly cal led “ St . Andrews, and of smaller pieces

now usual ly called “ l ions . "

There are two princ ipal variet ies of the “ St. Andrews those with

the \DOMINUS PROTECTOR and those wi th the CHRISTUS REGNAT

i nscript ions on the reverses.

The DOMINUS PROTECTOR “ St . Andrews, which are of small

module and l ight we ight, have h i therto been given to Robert II. the

CHRISTUS REGNAT “ St . Andrews,” which are of larger module and

heav ier weight , have been ass igned to Robert I I I .

The so - cal led “ l ions,

” without except ion , have been attributed to

Robert I I . These are of two kinds, bearing on the reverses inscriptions

corresponding respectively to those on the reverses of the two varieties of

the St . Andrews. ”

I n point of fact,the DOMINUS PROTECTOR so-cal led “ l ions are

the hal ves of the DOMINUS PROTECTOR “ St . Andrews, and the

CHRISTUS REGNAT so- cal led “ l ions are the halves of the CHRISTUS

THE COINAGEOF SCOTLAND.

REGNAT St . Andrews , the several varieties of each corresponding, one Robert 11.

( 1370 1

Puta tive goldornamentation, while having thei r counterparts among the s ilver coins of coinage .

Robert I I I .

Strange to say, thi s fact has not h itherto been recognised by Scottish

with the other, i n respec t of fabric, and in the style of lettering and of

numismatic wri ters otherwise they would not have assigned the CHRISTUSREGNAT St . Andrews ,

” with the name of Robert , to Robert I I I . , and the

CHRISTUS REGNAT so-cal led “ l ions to Robert I I .

Had the earl ier nomenclature,as appl ied to these pieces when they The w het

were in actual currency, been adhered to, thi s could scarcely have happened.

nomencmm .

What are now cal led “ St . Andrews ” were known , when in c irculation, as‘

l ions,while the halves

,now called “ l ions,

" were denominated demi - l ions, or,

briefly , demies .

Considerable m isapprehension has also h itherto been entertained re

specting the proper place of the so - cal led “ St . Andrew pieces with the

DOMINUS PROTECTOR inscr iptions. These; so far from bei ng the earl iest ,are the very latest of the Robert gold coins of the larger denomination

,cor

responding as they do in thei r fabric, style of lettering,and of ornamentat ion

,

and in thei r reduced weight and module,with the latest si lver coinage of

Robert I I I . , as struck when the weight and the module of the groat were

of the reduced sca le as continued under j ames I .

I t has been supposed that the proclamation i n England i n 1 3 72 against

rece iving Scotti sh gold or si lver money had reference to the gold coins with

the name of Robert. This view cannot be entertained, because the origi na l

of the so- cal led “ St . Andrew,

”

or Scottish Crown, was the Era 21 la Cour The Em d za

omze of France , a co in which was not i ssued til l March 1384-

5 . Those

pieces were cal led crowns, from the crown placed above the em or sh ield ;and the name passed i nto general acceptation . I t i s not only ‘ i n the crowned

escutcheon on the obverse, and in the CHRISTUS REGNAT i nscription on

the reverse, that the l ions or Scott i sh crowns with the name of Robert

correspond with these French pieces. I n their earl ier i ssues they closely

correspond with them also in weight.

What has further to be stated regarding the gold coi ns wi th the name


of Robert wi l l be given under Robert I I I under whom they are here

necessa ri ly placed, as being the counterparts of the s i lver coins of Robert

I I I . i n fabric, style of lettering , and ornamentat ion .

I f any of the front- faced si lver money attributed to Robert I I I . can be

assigned to Robert then the corresponding gold issues wi l l go with

them but not otherwise can any of the gold money with the name of

Robert be,attributed to Robert I I .

I have treated th is subj ect at cons iderable length in a paper publ ished

i n the P xooeea’z

'

ng s of tbe Society . of A ntiqua ries of Scot la nd, enti tled,

Descript ive not ice of the Coins in the Fortrose Hoard, with Notes on the

correspond ing Gold Coinage of Scotland .

" 1

Robert III.

SUCCEEDED 19TH APRIL 1 390 ; DIED 4TH APRIL 1406 .

Elde st son of Robert named j ohn origina l ly, but took the name

of Robert on ascending the throne .

During the whole reign of Robert I I I . the re al ruler of the kingdom was

Robert, Earl of Fi fe, afterwards Duke of Albany, the younger brother of

the king. I n 1 389, the la st year of Robert th is energet ic prince , i n

consequence of the advanced age of h is father and of the bodily infirmi ty and

incapac ity. of h is elder brother, had been solemnly recognised by the Three

Estates of Scotland as governor of the realm . This posit ion be virtually

maintained throughout the reign of Robert III. and during the first fourteen

years of the fol lowing reign , t i l l h i s death in 14 20 .

That the elder brother should have taken the name of the younger

brother seems singular,even although the name of Robert w as popular in

Scotland , and j ohn was a name as sociated to some extent with national

d isas te r. I n such a change,which could scarcely have taken place without

h is sanction , and poss ibly even at h is i nstigation , we may be certain that

1 Vol . x iv. 1879- 1 880 .


King David’s,” were not intended to be unde rstood as synonymous, i s

afforded by the fact that very many groats of Robert I I I . exceed by several

grains the standard weight that would have been afforded had the 2 1

sh il l i ngs , or 6 3 groats, been made out of si lver already al loyed to the extent

of 236parts

,or 1 1 oz . 2 dwts . fine

,thus giv ing a groat of the standard weight

of grs . Troy only, while of one particular variety in the Fortrose hoard

compris ing 1 76 specimens— 45 of the heav ier pieces gave an average weight

of 4495, grs . Troy.

From the quant ity of al loy they contained, the penn ies and halfpenn ies

of Robert I I I . must have been particularly obj ectionable to the Engl ish

people. At the best, these smaller pieces were of a qual i ty l ittle better than

bi l lon— a term which may be regarded as compris ing al l coins contain ing

si lver of 6 pennyweights fine and downwards. Four of the pennies were to

contain the same amount of si lver as one groat,but were to weigh

'

s ix

pennies, which would give thei r standard weight at 1 713115 grs . Troy, while

the quantity of pure s i lver to be contained i n each was only 105} grs .

— or

somewhat le ss than 7§d. fine. Some of the penn ies of Robert I I I . have

so debased an appearance that they are regarded as simply bi llon coins, and

really are such . The great evi l attending a reduction of the standard of the

qual ity of the coi ns i n Scotland as i n other countries was, that i n actual

practice th is reduced standard was apt to be st il l further reduced, so that from

time to t ime i t was found necessary to cal l in the debased money at prices

greatly below the nominal values at which i t had been issued— a source of

great hardsh ip and loss to the people.

The s i lver coinages of Robert I I I . , as also of the following reign , may

be broadly d istingu ished as consist ing of coins of rough and coins of smooth

finish , each hav ing their own styles of bust, lettering, and ornam entation .

The gold coi nages correspond in these respects with the s i lver coinages.

I n having the points of the arcs of the tressure surrounding the bust

ornamented, the larger si lver coinages of Robert I I I . differ notably from

those of the preceding two reigns,on which the points of the tressure are

always plain. The silver coins of Robert I I I of the rougher surface, have

three pellets, disposed i n pyramid ical fash ion at the points of the tressure ;


those of the smoother finish have neatly-shaped trefoi ls . I t may be safely

conjectured that the groats of the three -pellet - pointed series from their

greater correspondence i n the style Of workmansh ip and lettering with the

groats of Robert I I were probably,to some extent

,of earl ier issue than the

smoother fin ished groats of the trefoil - pointed tressure series , which are

ev idently the work of a different hand

The groats of Robert I I I . ,instead of a mullet as previously i n each

quarter of the cross on the reverse,have three pellets in each quarter, i n

im itat ion of the corresponding Engli sh coinages, which they also resemble

i n having a ful l- faced bust on the obverse.

The mints of Robert I I I . are Edinburgh , Perth,Aberde en , and Mi nts.

Dumbarton . The so - called Roxburgh groat (figured here 398H, and

described 4 111) i s s imply a blundered piece , of probably la te issue and of

no spec ified mint. The penny of I nverness attributed to Robert I I I . by

Lindsay andW ingate belongs to James I .

GROATS. Groa ts .


WITHOUT O RNAMENTS ON THE POINTS O F THE TRESSURE.Pla in tressure .

Tressure Of s ix arcs not surrounding the bust . The words

obverse not d iv ided on the reverse divided by sal tires.

Fig. 3 3 7.

I. O . Q BOBHBTVS DEII GRK RGX SGOTOB

tEDITS x GICITOBIII S x T x LIBK TORIIIS it

Id . 0. From the sam e die .

3a DI1SrP I Ta aTon I 1115

'

I LI I MTOBm 39Igrs .

mm n aD Il tBV IBGh

I n the SheriffMackenz ie collection .

F ig 337A


The pecul iar B with the sharp angular back that appears on these coins

and on the following two pieces, i s ident ical wi th the B on the obverse of

the Robert I I . Edinburgh groa t, No. so , Fig. 3 24A, and on the outer c ircle

of the reverse on the Dundee groat of Robert No . 1 5 , Fig. 3 3 2 .

Where used ,whether on the coins of Robert I I . or of Robert I I I th is

sharp angular - backed B usually supersedes the B ; so that we have

BOBEIBTVS for ROBHRTVS,LIBKTOB for LIBKTOR

,arid fIDIRBVBGh

for HDIHBVRGII.

This same B occurs on the long cross l ions, or “ St . Andrews,” NOS. 1 ,

2 , 3 , thus associating these gold pieces wi th th i s coi nage, which seems to

have been the earl iest issue of the front-face si lver money, as these appear

to have been the first of the Robert gold money .

A variety of the preceding groat , with SCIOTOBVIII, has a detached

heart- shaped bust,Fig. 3 3 7A, i n the S.S.A. collection, from the Fortrose find .

THREE PELLETS ON THE POINTS O F THE TRESSURE.

Tressure of seven arcs surrounding the bust ; the words on the

obverse d ivided by three pellets, on the reverse by sal t ires.

Fig. 340 .

2 o e BOna RTvs zDa i IGBK IBHX ISOOToa

e Dnsa ro Ta aTon ins u a KTOnmS ss es .

VILL I i nnv I Hon

3 . Do. : but with KTVBmS,

These two coi ns are from the same obverse die . Some

have SCIOTORVm 3,others SCIOTOBVIII

F ig 344

4 . O. EROBEIRTVS 5 DGI GRK i RGX i SfIOTORV lIl

e Dns rP Ta a TOR 4 2 gm .

The style of R employed on th is piece does not supersede the B. I t


The words on the obverse divided partly by two sa l t i res,partly by

three pellets on the reverse by two sa l t i res .

F is. 3490.

7d. 0.>EROB€RTVS 5 Da nIGRm Ra x asnow m an

rI<DItS Ta a TOR m '

i LIB KTORmS grs.

VILL HID v RGh

The words on the obverse div ided by three pellets on the reverse

fleurs-de- l is and crescents .

F ig . 349D.

76 . O.rIIROBGRTVS 2DGIEGRK i RGX ESGOTORVII!

Bu(ITOR ms 1 LIB KTORIIIS

VILL K IGD IRBV RGI’

II

Nos. 75, 7c, are in the S.S.A. col lection , from the Fortrose hoard .

The words on the obverse d ivided pa rtly by three pellets, partly by

fieurs-de- l i s and crescents on the reverse by fleurs-de- l i s and crescents .

Fig. 3 50 .

8. O.FI‘ROBGRTV 5DGIIGRK i RGX 1 SGOTORVIIII

EDIISIP I TGGLIB IRS 4 2 g rs .

VILL 7‘ IGD IIIBV RGh X

9 . O. E4ROBEIRTVS IDEIIi GRK i RGX ISCIOTORVIII2

B. As No 8443g grs .

O n the groats wh ich have the words on the obverse divided partly by

three pel lets, partly by fleurs -de - l is and crescents , the crown and the bust

are perceptibly smaller than on the groats having the words on the obverse

d iv ided by three pellets only . I t i s also to be observed that as the crown

becomes smaller the pointed spaces between the l is become tal ler and

sharper. A smal l top ~ heavy 11, frequently i n two halves, i s met wi th on the

reverses of some of these pieces,but not on the obverses. This 11 now for

the first t ime occurs on the three-pel let-pointed coinag es .


The words on both sides div ided by fleurs-de- l i s and crescents .

Fig. 3 53 .

IQ Q EROBGRTVSIDGIt GRK IRflX t SGOTORvm

tPDIlSI P TGIOZTOR KTORmS 5 1 grs.

\ ULL BV RGh :

1 1 . As No. 10 but the K in GRK has a curiously barred appearance , g rs.

1 2 . As No. 10 ; with SGOTORVIIII, 405 g rs .

The small top-heavy 11 i s now of very frequent Occurrence , both on the

obverses and the reverses .

A very curious variety of F ig. 3 53 , i n the SSA. collection,from the

Fortrose hoard , has the pellets on the points of the tressure d isposed as

trefoi ls . An illustration of this piece is given, Fig. 353A.

F ig 3S3A

Tressure of n ine arcs the words div ided by fieurs—de- l i s and crescents .

Fig. 3 55 .

1 3 . o.rP ROBHRTVS Da i GR7I Ra x SCIOTORV

vb DIi s xP Te aTOR I mS'

ILIB I KTORmS 3 71i g rs .

VILL I 71 1 HD I l ItBV I RGh

I n the Fortrose hoard , as examined by me, there were 3 7 groats of

th i s variety, of which 30 had SCIOTORVIII, 3 had SCIOTORV,and 4 had

SGOTORVSI!2 on the obverse ; the heav iest three of these pieces weighed

respect ive ly 4 73, 4 5 , and 44g grs. All these n ine - arc tressure groats had

the small top-heavy 11. O ne groat , having a tressure of apparently e ight

arcs,was probably only a mis-struck coin with n ine arcs . I n the same

hoard,with the seven - arc tressure, there were 1 76 groats having the words

divided by fleurs-de- l i s and crescents .

Tressure of nine arcs ; the words on both sides div ided by large fieurs

de- l i s ; a large fleur-de- l i s as mint mark on the obverse.

Fig. 3 5 7.

14 . O . 1'ROBERTVSIDEII GRK t REIX t SCOTORVm

rF Dns t P a aTOR ms"

1 LIB KTORmS 3 74 grs ,


This is a very rare variety. The Fortrose hoard , out of the 878 groats

of Robert I I I . examined by me , afforded only one spec imen , which weighed

44 grs . W i th th is obverse , another coi n in that hoard had its reverse from

a die of the fleur-de- l i s and crescent coinage .

Tressure of n ine arcs the words on both s ides d iv ided by sal tires .

Fig. 3 58.

1 5 . O . EROBGIRTVS DGI35GRK RX 5 SGOTORVIII

EIDRS TGCITOR IIIS 2:'

I 5 LIB 4 2 grs.

Il tBV RGh

This i s evidently the latest variety of the three -pel let-pointed tressure

groats. The aquil ine features as exh ibited on th is p iece present a pleasing

change from the coarsely - rendered countenance usual ly met with on the

groats of the three -pel let-pointed tressure series . The same style of head

and crown , but with a broader bust , occurs on some of the later groats of

the trefoil -pointed tressure series,and on some of the very l ight groats of

Robert III. having the points of the tressure ornamented with single pel lets .

I n the Act 24th O ctober 1 393 , i t i s stated that the money of gold and

s i lver, as there ordered , should be fabricated by Bonag ius of Florence our

moneyer. The three-pellet -pointed tressure coinages , as shown by their

close s im ilari ty of execut ion to the coi nages of Robert are ev idently the

work of Bonag ius, who was moneyer during al l the reign of Robert I I .

And from the ci rcumstance,as formerly ment ioned

,that the Scotti sh s ilver

money was reduced i n England to one-hal f the value of Engl ish money in

1 390— a valuation at wh ich it continued to be received i n England up to

I398 at least— it may be regarded as certain that no change in the i ntrins i c

value of Scottish s i lver money had taken place during the years between

1 390 and 1 398 ; consequently Bonag ius , or whoever executed these three

pellet-pointed tressure groats of Edinburgh,must have been at work upon

them at least three years prev iously to I393 .

Wh ile these pieces were stil l i n process of issue , however— and probably

some l i ttle t ime after 1 393— a new moneyer seems to have been employed


After these come groats of Perth hav ing the smaller lettering on both

s ides, and with the words on both sides div ided by sa l t ires and pel lets . O f

th is latter var iety , among the 878 groats of the Fortrose hoard examined

by me , there was only one Edinburgh groat, while of Perth there were no

less than 5 7 groats, and these were dist inguished by considerable d ifferences

of detail .

Of the groats with the la rger lettering not one spec imen belonged to

the Edinburgh mint, nor to any other mint save Perth .

I t would seem , then , that down ti ll about the c lose of the salti re and

pel let trefoi l-pointed tressure series the Perth moneyer had carried on

operations independently of the Edinburgh mint .

Whi le there was only one homogeneous Edinburgh salti re and pellet

groat i n the Fortrose hoard, that i s, with the Obverse and the reverse belong

ing to the same coinage, there were i n that hoard with the sal t ire and pellet

obverse 24 Edinburgh groats which had their reverses from dies of other

coinages, partly i n connect ion with the reverses of the groats of the three

pellet-pointed tressure ser ies, and part ly in connect ion with the reverses of

other and later variet ies of the groats of the trefoi l-pointed tressure series

i tself.

None of these Edinburgh non - homogeneous groats with the trefoil

pointed tressure and the salt ire and pellet obverses had the larger lettering,

and none of the reverses from the three-pellet-pointed tressure ser ies, with

which they were united,seemed to belong to the earl ier varieties of that

series,as al l had the small top-heavy n, which was first introduced in con

ne ct ion with the groats , with the words d ivided by fleurs-de- l i s and crescents,

and subsequently superseded the larger 7T.

I t would appear, therefore , that when th is union of the obverses of the

trefoil -pointed tressure series with the reverses of the three-pellet -pointed

tressure ser ies took place,the coinages of the latter series had come nearly

to a close— coinc ident,probably

,with the term ination of the long connection

of Bonag ius with the Scottish mint . The name of the successor of Bonag ius

as the master moneyer is not recorded , but we can trace h is work, displayed

plainly enough in these smooth- faced coins with the trefoi l -pointed tressure .


TREFOIL-POINTED TRESSURE.

PERTH.

Tfie Round F ace Groa ts.

Tressure of seven arcs, not extending below the bust ; the words on

the obverse not div ided , on the reverse d iv ided by salt ires and pel lets pro

m iscuously arranged ; the la rger lettering on both s ides .

Fig. 360 .

I6 . 0. -ROBGRTVS DGI GRA RGX SCIOTTORVIII

B DIIS P 3 THGT 4 25 grs .

VILL PGB. I TIN?

The object resembl ing an ornament of four compartments at the end of

the legend on the i nner c ircle of the reverse is s imply a cross potent disposed

salti rewise,having the ends sl ightly fourchée . Compare the similar cross

,

but of an upright character,before the legend on the obverse, and before

the legend on the outer c ircle of the reverse . Some of the letters,parti

cularly the letter T on the reverse, have the ends similarly prolonged. The

letter 11‘ i s of a lanky character, as on the other coins of the trefoil-pointed

tressure series , and is occas ionally barred across the centre - E. The

on the reverse between ms and LIB i s now formed l ike the letter Iwith a

transverse stroke across the centre— I.

Tressure of eight arcs, the lower arc extending across the bust ; the

words on the obverse divided by trefoi ls , on the reverse by salt ires and

pel lets the larger lettering on both s ides .

Fig . 36 1 .

1 7. O . mROBEIRTVS DEIIo. GR7I RGX 1» StIOTTORV

EDItS rI) r THCITOR ms 1 I LIB HTORmS 4 3 g rs.


18. 0. F rom the same die .

4 3131 grs

19. 0. F rom the same die .

4 1 grs.

VILLA

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust ; the words on

both s ides d ivided by salti res and pel lets ; the larger lettering on both s ides.

Fig. 36 IA.

194 . o. mROBEIRTVS e Da i 1: GR7I1 Rax 1: SCIOTTORV

mDnS an? a uTOR ms I LIB ATORms 4 13 grs .

B“ VILL A 5 De; PaR Th e.

This piece is in the S.S.A. collection , from the Fortrose hoard .

The larger lettering on the obverse ; the smal ler lettering on the

reverse.

Fig. 36 2 .

20 . O. EROBGRTVS 8 DGI GR7Y RGX SCIOTTORV

rI<DItS Ta aTOE 4 2 grs .

VILL DG

Tressure of eight arcs, the lower arc extending across the bust ; the

smaller lettering on both s ides.

Fig. 363A.

20a . 0.PI‘ROBHRTVS DGI GRA REIX SGOTTORVII!

EIDIIS 1‘ [P S i KTORIIIS

I n the S.S.A. col lect ion , from the Fortrose hoard. All the following

have the smal ler lettering on both sides.


Tressure of n ine arcs extending below the bust,the lower two arcs

expressed by s ingle l i nes the words on the obverse variously d iv ided : by

a sal ti re and a cross , by two salt ires , and by salt ires and pel lets ; on the

reverse divided by two crosses a trefoil on the breast .

Fig. 3 73D.

24a . 0.rBROBGRTVS 2 DGI GRKCIIA REIX S(IOTORV

tF DIIS IrI) I TGGTOR IIILID KTORmS 4 zég rs .

VILL 7TIDEI I PHR I Th Q¢I

I n the S.S.A. col lection , from the Fortrose hoard . This piece is from

the same obverse die as the Edinburgh groat, Fig . 3 73C, described 395 ; the

lower arcs of the tressure to the left are double struck .

Tressure of e ight arcs ; the lower arc disj oined and placed imm edi

ately below the ch in ; the words on both s ides divided by two crosses ; a

trefoi l on the breast.F ig 3 74.

2 5 . 0.PBROBGRTVS IDGIIGRA IRGX ISGOTTORVIII

EDIIS TGGTOR XLIB 4 5 grs .

VILL I 71 +Da I

W i th the words div ided by two crosses, and with a tressure of seven

arcs, some of the groats i n the Fortrose boa rd had GRKGIK and StITORVm

there were also a number of minute varieties .

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust, annulets in the

angles ; the words div ided by two crosses.

Fig. 389.

2 6 . O.tF ROBGRTVS DGIIGRAIRGX ISGOTTORVIII

PF DIIS IP I TGGTOR m5 ITILID ATORIIIS 3 6g grs .

VILL 71xDGI1 MR I Th x

All the coins with th is style of head, as previously described, have the

same uniform lettering on the reverse as on the obverse ; but on the groats


Fig. 3 89 , wh ile the lettering on the obverse i s of a uniform character, that

on the reverse is usually of a mixed descript ion. The small heavy - topped

n on the reverses i s obviously appropriated from the later Edinburgh groats

of the three-pellet-pointed series ; the 8: as on these pieces i s shaped thus—'

I —i nstead of i as on the other round- face groats ; the In and some of

the other letters are smaller than before,and in general have the stems

more curved . For LIBKTOR we now more frequently find LIDKTOR or

LDKTOR. The groats as F ig. 389, are evidently the latest of the Perth

groats with the round-faced portrait .

Tlze Long F a ce Groa ts.Long face .

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust ; annulets in

the angles ; the words d ivided by two crosses ; a trefo il on the breast .

Fig. 3 90 .

2 7. o. GRK IRGX ISGOTTORVJII

rBDRS IP i TauTOR mS i ’

I ILD n onms g rs .

VILL m n xe PEIR

This variety of head occurs only on certai n of the groats wi th annulets

i n the arcs of the tressure . The same style of n and 3 appear on the

reverse as on No . 2 6 . Some pieces with th is head have the small curved In.

7 716 A qu il ine F ace 07 04 15 .Aquiline face .

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust ; annulets in the

angles ; the words d iv ided by two crosses a trefoi l on the breast.

Fig. 392 .

28. O .>I4RO B6 RTVS IDEIIIGRK IRGX IRGX ISCIOTTORVHII

i tDDS I'

II KTORmS 44g grs .

VILL

This head, e xcept i n the broader style of the crown and of the bust,and in the different arrangement of the curl s, i s identical with that on the


latest figured groats of the three - pel let -pointed series,Fig. 3 58. The

lettering on the reverse of F ig. 392 , and on the fol lowing coins with this

head,i s homogeneous wi th that on the obverse ; and, i nstead of P after

DDS, the character i or T i s now general ly employed.

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust ; crosses i n the

angles .

Fig. 394.

29. 0.IIIROB6 RTVSIDGI GRK IRGX ISGOTTORVm

PEDDSITI T(ITOB I IRSITLID KTORmS 40} grs .

VILL K IDG PEIR Th QC

Tressure of s ix arcs and segment not extending across the bust ;crosses in the angles .

Fig. 395 .

30. O.IIIROBGRTVSIDa l GRK IREIX ISOIOTORm

IF DIISI’

II THTOR I mSI'

i LD 4 2Igrs.

B" VILL KDG PEIR

Tressure of s ix arcs not extending across the bust, the angles plai n ,

the points ch iefly unornamented a trefoi l on the breast.

Fig. 396 .

3 I. O.IPROBEIRTVS IDGIIGRK IREIX ISGOTTORVm

&4Dns z: 3 z TOITOR I I1 LID m omns 44g grs.

VILL 7YD PHR TRQ¢

Some coins i n the Fortrose hoard with th is obverse , but with the let

tering on the reverses of a m ixed character, had the small heavy - topped n

of the three -pel let—pointed series . Three of these pieces , with the breast

plain,had SCIOTORVm, as the following.


Tressure of seven arcs not extend ing below the bust,trefoi ls on the

points, a large pel let i n each angle ; crosses after some of the words ; a

trefoi l on the breast.Fig. 398F .

3 2 6 . O . $ROB€RTV§SDGIGRKGIK REIX ISCIOTTORVm

rBDRS"

f i TaTORm 4 23: grs.

VILL m e:x I PEIR I x Th é¢

Tressure of n i ne arcs extending below the bust, trefoi ls on the points ;the words div ided by crosses a trefoi l on the breast.

Fig . 3980 .

3 2d. 0. ROBaRTVS 1 De l GRKCIIK REIX SdOTom

rP DnSIL+ TCITOR I 1 } L I I (IKTORm g rs .

VIL LKB etPa RTh

The obverse of th is piece seems to read SGOTO JII rather than SCIOTOR.

A spec imen from the same dies , i n the collect ion of Sheri ff Mackenz ie,weighs 3 8 grs .

A different style of head with flat features, apparently imitated from

the head upon the Edinburgh three-pellet-pointed tressure groats ; tressure

of seven arcs,not extending below the bust , the points unornamented ;

crosses after some of the words .

Fig. 400A.

3 2 8 . O .rF ROBGRTVS DGI GRK RHX ISCIOTORVJII

II‘DO JIII I HVSPR I OTEHIT I ORmEIV grs .

R VILL I “DGI I PGR I Th I

The same head as on th is piece,and al so with DomIRVS PROTGICITOR

mav on the reverse , occurs on the Aberdeen groat, No . 45 , Fig. 400 , i n

the F e rgusl ie collection . Two other Perth groats with thi s obverse i n the

S.S.A. collection , from the Fortrose hoard, had IB DRS i Z i I TGTOR Ims 22

'

IL I IDKTO I on the reverse.


The groat 400A appears to have been struck over another coi n,as

shown by some of the l etters on the p iece thus struck over being visible on

the bust on th is coi n, with a port ion of the cross from the reverse of the

earl ier impress ion sti l l remain ing to the right of the head on the new im

pression,as i f the obverse of the one coi n had been struck over the reverse

of the other.

Several Perth groats of Robert III. i n the Fortrose hoard were struck

upon groats of Robert and th is occurred in connection wi th al l the styles

of head met with on the Perth groats of Robert I I I . An excellent i llustra

t ion of one coi n thus struck over another coin i s afforded by the Perth round

faced groat F ig. 3 76A, formerly in the Ta ap cabinet, now in the S.S.A . F ig . 3 76A.

col lection . O n th i s piece the superimposed impression on the reverse has not

been struck with such sufficient force as whol ly to obl i terate the earl ier

impression ; thefive -pointed mullets , with the c inquefoi ls i n the cen tres, of

the earl ier die , are st il l d ist inctly vis ible i n three of the quarters of the

cross on th is piece , and also LLK GID, i n large letters, a port ion of the

legend of the i nner c ircle on the reverse of the Robert l l . Edinburgh

groat over wh ich th is Perth groat of Robert I I I . has been struck . An

example of a Perth half-groat of Robert I I I . struck over a half-groat of

the preced ing reign is furn ished by the coin , Fig. 3 76 , i n the F e rgusl ie col

lection,where the Robert I I . profi le with the sceptre to the left stands out

unmistakeably,with l i ttle appearance of the superimposed type . Further

detai ls relating to these re -strikes wi l l be found in my Notice of the Coins

of the Fortrose Hoard, pp . 203-

4-

5 , vol . i i . New Series P roceeding s

of til e Socie ty of A nt iqua ries of Scotla nd.

EDINBURGH.

Considerable interchanges of d ies in connection with the Edinburgh

mint occur between the groats of the three -pel let - pointed tressure series

and the groats of the trefoi l-pointed tressure series .

I n th is un ion of the obverses and reverses of two totally d ifferent

series,the obverses

,with very few except ions, appear to be confined to the


trefoi l - pointed tressure series , and the reverses to the three-pellet-pointed

tressure series.

I t is further to be observed that i t i s only i n relation to the obverses

of the trefoil-pointed tressure groats with the round face that these inter

changes with the reverses of the three-pellet-pointed tressure groats seem to

occur ; and that in no case, apparently, are these i nterchanges connected

with the ea rl ier i ssues of the round—face groats as disti ngu ished by the larger

style of lettering and by the words on the obverse e ither being not div ided

at al l or div ided by trefoils .

I n the same way the reverses of the groats of the three - pellet

po inted tressure series, on which these interchanges occur, appear to be

wholly confined to the la ter varieties, as shown by the small top - heavy n,

which entirely supplants— as we have seen— on these later issues of the

three - pellet - pointed tressure series the large Robert I I . 7T, with the plain

top of the ea rl ier i ssues .

The groats of the trefoi l - pointed tressure series of the Edinburgh

mint also interchange obverses and reverses among themselves. This

occurs,apparently

,only i n connection with the groats wi th the round - face

style of head .

TREFOIL - POINTED TRESSURE.

HOMOGENEO US CO I NAGES.

Round face .Tée Roa na

’ F a ce Groa ts .

Tressure of n ine arcs al l round the bust the words div ided by salt ires

and pellets ; a trefoi l on the breast .

Fig. 3 7013 .

0.>I<ROBEIRTVS Da I z GR7Y 5 m x 5 SCIOTTORVIII

EIDRS ‘f rP Ta aTOR IrLIB KTORmS 4 1 grs .

VILL 7: rem I InBv RGh

This i s the only spec imen which I have seen of an Edinburgh groat

with the words on both sides d iv ided by saltires and pellets . I t is i n the

S.S.A . collect ion , from the Fortrose find .

Tre fo i l-po intedtre ssure obverse .

Round face .


NON-HOMOGENEOUS CO I NAGES.

THE O BVERSE FROM THE THREE-PELLET- POINTED TRESSURE SERIES ;

THE REVERSE FROM THE TREFOIL- POINTED TRESSURE SERIES.

Tressure of n i ne arcs extending round the bust ; the words on the

obverse div ided by two saltires, on the reverse by sal tires and pellets .

F ig. 3SSA.

3 5a . 0. EROBEIRTVS 3:DGI GRK RX ISGOTORVIII

BDRS 4) 5 TGICITOR rxs LIB 44 grs.

VILL K a (1D IIIBV

I n the collection of Sheriff Mackenz ie . The obverse of th is p iece is

from the same die as the last described Of the three-pel let-pointed tressure

groats, No. I5 , Fig . 3 58 ; the reverse is from the same die as the non

homogeneous groat, No. 39d, Fig. 382A. I have not met wi th any other

i nstance of an obverse of the three -pellet -pointed tressure series united to a

reverse of the trefoi l -pointed tressure series.

THE O BVERSES FROM THE TREFOIL-POINTED TRESSURE SERIES ;

THE REVERSES FROM THE THREE-PELLET-POINTED TRESSURE SERIES.

Tl ie Round F ace Groa ts.

Tressure of n ine arcs extending across the bust ; the words on the

obverse d iv ided by salt ires and pellets,on the reverse by fleurs-de- l is and

crescents.Fig. 3 70C.

3 55. O. EIBOBGRTVS D3 1 5 GRK a: BEIX e sa OTTORvm

IF DIISIP I THGTOR I ms 3 LIB I KTORmS 4 23 grs.

VILL 7I: 6 D I IRBV I RGh t

This and the fol lowing piece are in the S.S.A. collection , from the

Fortrose hoard .


Tressure of nine arcs extending across the bust ; the words on the Robert 111.

obverse d ivided by saltires and pellets, on the reverse by large fleurs-deGroa ts

l l S. Trefo i l-pomtedtressure .

Fig. 3 70D.

3 56 . O .PB BOBHBTVS DEII GBK BEIX SGOTTRVIR

HGTOR ms TLIB 4 3 grs .

VILL K t GD IRBV RGI‘

I


obverse div ided by saltires and pellets,on the reverse by two saltires a

trefoi l on the breast .Fig. 3 7 1 .

36 . O.tI‘ROBG

’

IQTVS DGI GRK RGX 3 SGOTTORVIII

FF DIIS TGGTOR ms x TLIB KTORmS 39§grs.VILL fl GD IRBV RGI

’

]

The reverses of th is and of the following piece are from dies of the

latest described of the three -pellet -pointed tressure co inag es, No. 1 5 ,

Fig. 3 58.


obverse div ided by two pel lets, on the reverse by two sal tires .

Fig. 381 .

O.rF ROBSIRTvs DEII GRK Ra x SCIOTTORvm

EIDIIS§P Te a TOR mS§T§LIB 36 grs.


THE O BVERSES AND THE REVERSES FROM DIFFERENT VARIETIES

OF THE TREFOIL-POINTED TRESSURE SERIES.

Tfie Round F a ce Groa ts.

Tressure of nine arcs extending across the bust ; the words on the

obverse d ivided by sal ti res and pellets, on the reverse by saltires, pellets , and

crescents variously combined ; a trefoi l on the breast.

Fig. 3 7 IA.

3 7a . 0.IP ROBHRTVS GRK RGX SCIOTTORVIII

PEDDS 2 THCIT 44} grs.3 “ VILL 7s a D InBv RGh x

I n the S.S.A . col lect ion , from the Fortrose hoard .

Tressure of n ine arcs e xtend ing across the bust ; the words on the

Obverse div ided by salt ires and pel lets , on the reverse by two pellets ; a

trefoi l on the breast.

Fig. 3 72 .

38. 0.vF ROBHRTVS DHI GR7Y 5 Re x SCIOTTRVm

FF DIIS LP TGGTOR 4 1§grs .

VILL I 7rz HD IRBV


obverse div ided by sal t ires and pellets , on the reverse by three pellets ; a

trefoil on the breast.

Fig . 3 73 .

39. 0. EiROBGIRTVS e Da l GRI: 5 Re x SIIOTTRvm

EIDIIS I) ; TEICITOR I 5 LI KTORmS 4 33, grs.

Round face .


Tressure of seven arcs not extend ing across the bust ; the words on

the obverse div ided by two pel lets, on the reverse by salt ires and pel lets

a trefoi l on the breast.Fig. 382A.

39d. 0. Q ROBGRTVS DGII GRK REIX SCIOTTORv I

vB DRS rx5 LIB S 44 grs .

VILL K GD I

Tressure of seven arcs not extend ing across the bust ; the words on

the obverse d ivided by two pel lets, on the reverse by sal ti res, crescents , and

pellets variously combined ; a trefoi l on the breast. From the same reverse

die as the non -homogeneous groat wi th the three-pellet-pointed tressure

obverse, No. 3 5a , Fig. 3SSA.

Fig. 3S2 B.

39g . 0. EIROBGIRTVS DGI GRII Ra x SCIOTTORv

rBDRS HcITOR mS§¥ LIB KTORmS“

4 5-Igrs.

VILL x GD IRBV

Tressure of seven arcs not extend ing across the bust ; the

the obverse divided by two pel lets, on the reverse partly by three ,

two pellets a trefoi l on the breast.

Fig. 3S2C.

O .>I4ROBGRTVS DGI GRA RGX SGOTTORVIIIG

EDRS i fp i I Te a TOR I ms II z LIB KTORmS 44g grs.

VILL K HD InBv I RGh I

The preceding three coins are from the same Obverse die.


the obverse div ided by two pellets, on the reverse by two annulets ; a tre

foi l ou the breast. Fig. 384A.

39g . 0. EBROBGRTVS DGI2 GRKGIK 2 RGX 2 SGOTORV

IF DIIS 8 P 8 TGGTOR 8TLD KTORS 4 1% grs.

THE CO INAGE O F SCOTLAND.


the obverse d ivided by two annulets, on the reverse by two pellets.

Fig. 3S8E.

3911. 0.PF ROBGRTVS 8DGI8 GRK 8 RGX 8 SCIOTTORVIII

EIDIIS 2 IP 2 TGGT i 2 LI KTORmS 44g grs .

VILL IRBV

Very few interchanges of the obverses and reverses of different coinages,

as we have seen , occur in connect ion with the Perth m int , and these

are al l of a m inor character. Those in relation to the m int of Edinburgh

are considerable , and they assist us materially in determining the order of

the several s i lver i ssues of Robert III coming i n as they do just about the

close of that rema rkable series of groats on wh ich the points of the tressure

are ornamented with three pel lets .

The round - face Edinburgh groats wi th the words d ivided by salt i res

and pellets Of the trefoil -pointed tressure series had the i r reverses, as shown

by the preced ing l i st,ch iefly from three several varieties of the groats of

the three -pel let-pointed series— Ist , From those with the words d ivided by

fleurs-de- l i s and crescents 2d, From those with the words d iv ided by

large fleurs-de- l i s 3d, From those with the words d ivided by two salt ires .

All the reverses had the small top-heavy n.

The round - face Edinburgh groats wi th the words div ided by two

pellets of the trefoi l -pointed tressure series had their reverses from the last

described groats of the three-pellet-pointed tressure series wi th the words

d iv ided by two salt ires and with the sma l l top-heavy n.

The round- face Edinburgh groats wi th the words div ided by two

annulets of the trefoil-pointed tressure series took their reverses, where these

were different from their obverses, from other variet ies Of the trefoil -pointed

tressure series .

O f these unions of the reverses of one series with the obverses of

another series,the Fortrose hoard, so far as examined by me , contained as

fol lows


I . Obverse : trefoi l-poi nted tressure series,round face

,the words

d ivided by sal t ires and pellets . Reverse : three - pel le t - pointed tressure

series, the words divided by fleurs-de- l i s and pellets— 3 coins.

I I . O bverse as above . Reverse : th'

ree -pel let - pointed tressure series,

the words div ided by la rge fleurs-de-l is,without crescents—

5 coi ns.

I I I . O bverse as above. Reverse : three -pellet-pointed tressure series,

the words div ided by two salti res—4. coins.

I V. O bverse as above, but the words d iv ided by two pelle ts . Reverse

three-pel let-pointed tressure series, the words d ivided by two sal tires— 16

coins.

O f the i nterchanges , as among themselves, of obverses and reverses of

the round - face groats of Edinburgh of the trefoi l-pointed tressure coinages ,

the Fortrose hoa rd contai ned as follows

I . Obverses the words d ivided by salt i res and pellets.

Reverses .

1 . The words d iv ided by sal t ires, pellets, and cres cents variously com

b ined— 2 coins.

The words d iv ided by two pel lets— 3 coi ns.

The words d iv ided by three pel lets— 2 coins.

The words d iv ided partly by two, partly by three pellets— 2 coins.

The words d ivided by two annulets— 3 coins .

I I . O bverses the Words d ivided by two pellets.

Reverses .

The words d iv ided by sal t ires and pellets— 1 coin .

The words div ide d by sal tires, pel lets , and crescents— 3 coins.

The words div ided by three and by two pel lets— 3 coins.

The words div ided by two annulets— 2 coi ns.

Aqui l ine face .


4 1 . 0. F rom the same die .

4 38 grs .

VILL K 8 GD IIIBV RGh 8

O n some of these groats, i n the Fortrose hoard , the lower arc of the

tressure to the left was carried hal f-way across the bust ; on others the

pointed spaces of the crown were ornamented with pellets . A specimen in

the col lect ion of Sheriff Mackenz ie , with the reverse from the same die as

the first of the fol lowing groats wi th the aqui l ine face,N0 . 4 1a ,

Fig. 39 1A,

had DmS for DRS ; another p iece , double struck, in the same collection ,

had ROBBGRTVS and GOTTORVIII.

The Edinburgh groats with the aqui l i ne face of the trefoi l-pointed

tressure series are not as yet represented i n the F erg usl ie cabinet ; but i n

the S.S.A. col lection , from the Fortrose hoard,are the following

,having the

words d iv ided by two annulets and with annulets in the angles of the

tressure .

Tlie A qu i l ine F a ce Groa ts .

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust, annulets in the

angles ; the words div ided by two annulets a trefoi l on the breast .

Fig. 39 1A.

4 14 . O. E‘ROBERTVS 8DGI8 GR“ 8RGX 8 SCIOTTRVIII

IF DmS 8 TGTOR 8 8 LLID KTORmS 3 6k grs .

This piece has a pellet on each of the pointed Spaces of the crown

between the fleurs-de - l is. Another spec imen from the Fortrose hoard , with

the same obverse,but wi th a sl ightly di fferent reverse , weighed 43 grs.

Tressure of seven arcs not extend ing across the bust, annulets i n the

angles ; the words div ided by two annulets ; the breas t plain .

Fig . 39 1B.

4 16. O .tI‘IROBGRTVS 8DGI GRK 8RGX 8 SGOTTORVIII

BIF DIIS 8T8 TDTOR 8 KTORmS 4 25 grs .


Tressure of seven arcs not extend ing across the bust, annulets i n the

angles the words d ivided by two annulets ; a cross or l i s on the breast.

Fig . 39 1C.

4 xc. O.IEROBGRT 8DEII GRK 8 RGIX 8 SGOTTORVIR 8 8 Aqui line face .

vBDRS 8 I 8 TDTOR 8 ms 8 1 LI KTORmS 4 32} g rs .

VILL K 8 GD I IIIBV BGh

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust,the angles plain

the words on the obverse d ivided by two annulets,two crosses after some

of the words on the reverse the breast plain .

Fig. 398B .

4 1d. 0. E ROBGRTVS 8DG (I8GRA 8 )RGX 8 SCIOTTOR

B‘

8 DIIS I OTORI ms 2 LI ORm I 3 3% g rs.

AGD IIIBV

I n the collection of Sheriff Mackenz ie smal l un iform lettering on the

obverse ; rude irregular lettering, of a larger character, on the reverse the

edge broken .

The fol lowing two pieces,from the Fortrose hoard, i n the S.S.A.

collection,correspond with the later Perth groats with the aqui l ine face,

Nos . 3 2c, 3 2d, Figs . 398F , 3980 , having the execution of the same coarse

character.

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust, trefoi ls on the

points, the angles plain no d ivis ions between the words on the obverse, two

crosses between some of the words on the reverse ; a trefoil on the breast.

Fig. 39811 .

4 16 . O.rF ROBGRTVS DGI GRKGIK RGX SGOTORVIII

R>F DIIS P I I TGGTOR I ms ILI I RKTORm 4 2} grs .

VILL I 7:a I mRv RGh


Tressure of n ine arcs not extend ing across the bust ; divisions

between the words on ei ther side ; a trefoi l on the breast.

Fig . 3 981.

O. EIROBGRTVS DGI GER DIN RG SDO

>F DRS PIGCI “ Igrs .

VIL m e

A spec imen from the same dies is i n the col lect ion of SheriffMackenz ie .

The fol lowing grossly blundered coin , of uncertai n attribution , corre

sponding i n the style of the work to the Perth groats F igs. 398F , 3980,

and to the Edinburgh groats F igs . 398H, 3981, has been improperly a t tri

buted to Roxburgh by Lindsay and W i ngate , and is figured as such L

Pl . V . 1 19 , and W. , Pl . XIV. 4 . I t is now in the col lection of Mr. Adam

Black Richardson .

Tressure of n ine arcs nea rly al l round the bust, the points unornamented

no divis ions between the words on the Obverse , two salt ires after some of

the words on the reverse a trefoi l on the breast.

Fig.

4 1g . 0.PF ROBGRTVS III GRKGmfl RGX 5 8 0

$ 5 11! nul s mI§R LSII 4 51, g rs .

VILL EGG mLX SGK

Lindsay and W ingate , i n thei r descriptive catalogue s , describe the first

three letters after VILL as ROC, and they are made to appear as such in

W i ngate ’s plate,but i n Lindsay

’

s plate these characters are represented

exactly as on the coin i tself.

4 112. 0. From the same die .

BEIDIISra t I TOTORI I mSRLI I m oum 4 5 grs .

VILL 71am. IRBV I BGh

I n the collect ion of SheriffMackenz ie .


tressure, corresponding to the Edinburgh groats F igs. 39 1A, 39 13 , 39 10,pp . 3 14

- 1 5 , and the Perth groat, Fig . 392 , p . 299.

l e A qui l ine F a ce Groa ts.

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust,annulets i n the

angles the words divided by two crescents ; a trefoi l on the breast .

Fig. 393 .

4 2 .

'

o.>1<ROBaRTvs 8DGI GR7Y8Re x 8 scIOTTORvm 8m

I DES 8 T8 TcITOR 8 ms 8TLID RTORm 34g; g rs.

VILL 7s8KB IRD GHG

Fig. 393A.

4 2a . 0. B ROBHRTVS8DEIIGRK 8RGX 8 sa OTTORvm8B

I DES 8T8 8 TLID KTORm 4 1 g rs.

VILL IRD a na

I n the SheriffMackenz ie col lect ion . Notwithstand ing the difference of

appearance as presented on the heads of Figs. 393 , 393A, a close examina

t ion convinces me that the Obverses of both p ieces are from the same die .

Tressure of seven arcs not extending across the bust,the angles

plain ; the words d iv ided by s ingle crescents ; the pointed spaces of the

crown ornamented with pellets .

Fig. 398.

43 . o. EROBHRTVS Da l GRR Rax u SCIOTTORVIII

EIDIIS Lw TCITOR ms TLID 71T0Rms 4 2 grs.

44 . o.>F ROBcIRTvs u DEII GRK v Ra x u suorTORvm


The same as the preceding,but the words on the obverse divided by

two crescents, on the reverse by s ingle crescents ; a trefoi l on the breast.

Fig. 398A.

44a . 0. I RO BaRTvs 8DHI GR71 8 Re x 8 SCIOTORVII!

IF DRS u I. u TcITOR ETORms 4 15 grs .

VILL I 3 3 81 Ed i t

I n the col lect ion of Sheriff Mackenz ie . A similar piece i n the sam e

col lect ion has SGOTTORVIIIand LDKTORm.

The fol lowing piece shows a di fferent style of head, the face be ing La ter issues.

apparently put i n from an old puncheon of the Edinburgh three-pel let-pointed

tressure groats, but with the curls, crown, and bust after the manner of the

groats of the trefoi l - pointed tressure coinages. Compare with the Perth

groat N o . 3 2e , Fig. 400A.

Tressure of eight arcs not extending below the bust,the points un

ornamented ; no divis ions between the words.

Fig. 400 .

45 . O. HROBHRTVS DHI GRm m Ra x scr(0)

rP DOInI EVSPR ORmaV 4 3 grs.

VILL

A spec imen from the same obverse d ie as the above , kindly sent to

me for i nspection by Sheriff Mackenz ie, has on the reverse DomID. I VSPRO I TGCITO Rmavs and VILL I 7: DH I 713 13 DHE. This last piece

is struck over a groat of Robert I I .

A st il l d ifferent head ; tressure of seven arcs, trefoi led, extending

below the bust the words d iv ided by two crescents .

Fig. 40 1 .

46 . O .PF ROBGRTVS 8DGI8 GRK 8 RGX 8 SGOTTOR

>I4DIIS 8 P I Te aTOR 8 I mS 8’

i LIB I KTORmS 398 grs .

VILL I 3 8 DG 8 I EBHR I DGRQ¢


0. F rom the same die .

rF DRS 8 P 8 I TGGTOR IRS 8 I8 II I BKTRmS 40 grs .

B“ VILL I K 8D€I KBGR I Da na

4 7a . 0. F rom the same die .

>I4DIIS8 P THOT0R 8 I ms “ LIB I ToRms 39 grs .

3 “ VILL I 71 8De: I KBGR D€R8

No. 47 i s unfortunately much double struck on the reverse ; but a

groat , from the same dies, in the S.S.A. col lect ion , from the Fortrose

hoard , gives the inscript ions on the reverse very legibly. N0 . 47a i s i n the

Guthrie Lornie collect ion . Two Edinburgh groats,Fig. 40 1 3 , with the

Obverses from the same die as Fig. 40 1 , are noticed , Nos. 4 1 8,

The fol lowing p iece with the same obverse as the above the words

on the reverse div ided by three pel lets .

Fig. 40 1A.

4 75. O.rF ROBGRTVS 8DGI8 GRK 8 RGX 8 SGOTTOR

>I<DRS IP THCITOR I II ILI 49 g rs .

VILL K 5 DG 7YBGR DGIIQ¢~

I n the S.S.A. collection , from the Fortrose hoard .

A pecul iar head,apparently im i tated from that on the round face groats

of Perth and Edinburgh tressure of seven arcs and two segments meeting

the bust,trefoi ls on the points the lettering as on the groats last described ;

the words d ivided by two crescents .

Fig. 40 10.

47c. O. B ROBEIR’

I‘

VS 8DHI8 GRK 8 Re x 8 SOOTORVIE

I LIB 8 KTORmS 4 : g rs .

I n the collection of Sheriff Mackenz i e . I have not seen any other

spec imen of th is very rare variety .


The same style of head as the above ; tressure of e ight arcs , trefoi led,

not extending below the bust ; the words not divided.

Fig. 402A.

494 . O. EROBGRTVS DEII GRK REIX SGOTOR’

EiDomI BMW 44 grs.

VILL I nDa 7tBI RDet

I n the col lection of Sheriff Mackenz ie . The reverse is the same

die as N o . 4 5 , Fig. 400 .

The same style of head as the above tressure of seven arcs, the lower

arc to the right extending partly across the bust, the points plai n the words

d iv ided ch iefly by three pellets, two crescents after VILL7Y.

Fig. 40 2B.

495 . O. fiROBEIRTVS i DGI i GRK i RGX i SCIOTORV

vBDns r I Te aTOR I i LIB7t I ToRms 394 g rs.

VILL I 7t 8Da I nBa R I Dam e,»

495 . 0. F rom the same die .

B.

Bm o 3 5 43. 348 gmVILL 7: w e

The first of these two pieces i s i n the Polle xfe n collection ; the second

is i n the collect ion of Mr. Guthr ie Lornie , and i s represented also i n that

of SheriffMackenz i e.

The same head ; tressure of eight arcs, trefoi led , not extend ing below

the bust ; the words d ivided by crescents disposed above two pel lets .

Fig . 40 20.

494. 0. x ROBGRTVSrDGII2GM 8Re x rSGOTTORVm

t Dns P r Ta aTOR r I ms“

5 xYLIB 7tT0RmS 3 5 g rs.

I n the collect ion of SheriffMackenz ie.


The sam e head ; tressure of eight arcs, trefoi led , the lower arc to the

left extending partly below the bust ; the words on the obverse d iv ided by

three pelle ts, on the reverse by crescents disposed above two pellets.

Fig . 4020 .

498. O. $ROB€RTVS DEII GR7I1REIX SCIOTTORVIII

81Bus 8 TGICITOR I ms 8xrLIB n onms 3 94 g rs.

VILL 7K3”D8 KBEIR DHIMk

This and the following piece are i n the S.S.A. col lect ion, from the

Fortrose hoard .

The same head, but smaller ; a tressure of seven arcs , part ial ly trefoi led ,not extend ing below the bust ; the words on the obverse not divided, on the

reverse d ivided by two pellets .

Fig. 40 2 13.

49fiO . EROBHRTVS DGI GRK SRGX SCIOTORVIII

GGTO ms ILIB KTORm 3 7i g rs .

The last described two coi ns were probably the latest groats of

Aberdeen in the Fortrose hoard ; having the lettering simi lar to that on the

two l ight groats of Aberdeen, Figs . 40 7, 408, i n the Fe rg usl ie collection .

L IGHT GROATS. Light groa ts.

At some time not recorded a cons iderable d iminution was made in the

weights both of the s ilver and of the gold coins of Robert I I I and a corre

sponding diminut ion took place in the modules , or siz es, of the several

pieces.This occurred probably some short t ime after the Fortrose hoard

was deposited . I t could scarcely have happened before , as among al l the

coi ns of Robert I I I . in that hoard examined by me I did not meet with

a single l ight groat . These l ight groats are not to be confounded with

the occas ionally l ight spec imens of the heavy coinages . These presen t

special characterist ics,by which they may readily be disti nguished from the

heavy coinages even without the test of the scales.

Edmburgb .


From the circumstance that no l ight groats of Perth are known , while

now for the first time the Dumbarton mint comes into operat ion under

Robert I I I . i n connect ion with these l ight coinages, i t would appear that

the Perth mi nt had for a t ime stopped working,and that the Dumbarton

mint had taken its place .

After the reign of Alexander I I I . , i t was not the practice i n Scotland

to employ many mints , so that the openi ng of one mint sometimes meant the

clos ing of another. I n England under Edward I as we have seen , the

mint of St . Edmundsbury , shortly after i t began working, seems to have

superseded the mi nts of Br istol and York ; and, i n turn , at the end of the

reign of Edward I I . or at the beginn ing of that of Edward I I I . , when the

mint of York resumed Operations,the St . Edm undsbury mint was closed .

G roats of the l ight coinages of Robert I I I . were struck at Edinburgh ,

Aberdeen , and Dumbarton . All the l ight groats are very rare.

EDINBURGH.

The few spec imens of the l ight groats of Edinburgh that I have seen

have the aquil ine head . Even where the lettering on these pieces is very

sharp, the face usually presents a much blurred appearance , as if from having

been put i n from worn - out punches of the heavy coinages . The points of

the tressure are ornamented with a s ingle pel let,instead of by triple pel lets

or by trefoi ls,the tressure in th is respect diffe ring ‘

in a marked manner from

the tressure round the bust on the heav ier groats . The number of the

arcs, so far as I have had the opportun ity of observ ing, i s sometimes

eight,sometimes twelve .

Tressure of twelve arcs surround ing the bust , pointed with single

pe l lets the words not d ivided, but with three pellets after DDS.

F ig. 4 1 7.

50 . O . EROBGRTVS DGII GR7I RGX SGOTOR

8 0 115 i P I TEICITO (R) I (m5 ) ; LIB I GRKTOI 2 8g grs.

B" VILL I 7I€ID I IIIBV I RGh

Robert III.

( 1390-1406 )

Light groa ts.Aberdeen.

Dumbarton.


Tressure of ni ne arcs surrounding the bust,pointed with single

pellets ; the words on the obverse divided by trefoi l - l ike ornaments, but

wh ich may be fleurs - de - l i s, with a pellet below ; on the reverse divided

by the trefoi l- l ike ornaments only.

Fig. 40 7.

5 2 . O. +ROB€RTVS 1' DGI G ‘

2’ RGX 1” SCITORVIII

+DIIS t R ms ILIB KTORmS 2 7 :11y g rs.

VILL DGI ARR

Tressure of n ine arcs surround ing the bust,the poi nts plain ; the

words on the obverse div ided by large trefoils,but which may be fleurs

de- l i s on the reverse not divided .

Fig. 408.

53 . o. ROBGRTVS 13 3 1 GRK mm sororoav

B+DRS P I TGCITOR I mSILIB I KTORIIIS z g i grs.

VILL I KDEI TIBR I Da n

5 34 . o. ROBGRTVS Da l GRK Ba x sa oroav

7IDG£ KBR DEIII. 4 VILL

The coi n 534 i s i n the Pol lexfe n collection .

DUMBARTON .

As possessing a royal fortress from a very early period,and as having

been erected into a royal burgh under Alexander I I .,Dumbarton may put

i n a strong claim to have been the place where the long double cross Alex

ander sterl i ngs reading WKLTEIR ON DVN,WELTQ R DVN

,TILGITEIR ON

DVN,and WILA ON DVN

,were minted . The only coins

,however

,that

can pos itively be attributed to Dumbarton are the l ight front- face groats

with the name of Robert. These, i n the style of the obverse , show a con

s ide rab ly greater variety than the l ight groats of Edinburgh or of Aberdeen .


Tressure of five arcs not extending below the bust, pointed with single

pel lets the words on the obverse d ivided by two pelle ts .

Fig . 4 1 2 .

54. O .IF ROBEIRTVS DGI GRK RGX : SCIOTORV

HFB : DIIS P (ICITOR ms : LIB KTOR : m 30 grs.

54a . 0.

2 3g grs.BGIR I TRIM

The second of these pieces,which is i n the Pollexfe n collection , has three

pellets at the end of the tressure to the left of the head , and the same

apparently to the right of the head, but not so wel l brought out.

Tressure of seven arcs surrounding the bust, pointed with s ingle pel lets

the words div ided by two pellets .

Fig . 4 1 2A.

545 . o.rB ROBEIRTVS Da l GR7I REIX SGOTR

vBDns P TauTOR 7tT0RmsB"

VIL L7UD vnBer am

This p iece is in the Bri tish Mus eum .

Tressure of seven arcs surrounding the bust, the points unornamented ;

the words d ivided by two pelle ts.

Fig. 4 1 3 .

5 5 . O. 8 :ROBEIRTVS DEI GRKCIITI RGX SOIO

EDDS OR ms LIB KTOR z m 3 1 grs.


Tressure of seven arcs surrounding the bust,pointed with three pellets

words divided by la rge fleurs-de- l is formed l ike sl ipped trefoils.

Fig. 4 14.

O.PF ROBGRTVS DGI GRK RGX S(IOTORV x

FBDRS IRS LIB KTOR m GVSTH 2 5 grs .

B" V ILL 7I DV BBQ RTK

Tressure of seven arcs surrounding the bust,pointed with s ingle

pellets the words divided by large fieurs-de- l i s formed l ike sl ipped trefoil s .

Fig. 4 15 .

57. 0.IF ROBGRTVS S DHI GR7I RGX S(IOTORV

'I<DIIS Ta aTOR ms x LIB TOR x m x 2 74 grs .

VILL 7Kx DV RBGR TRIP.

Tressure of seven arcs surround ing the bust, pointed with three pellets

the words on the obverse d iv ided by one and by two pellets, on the reverse

d iv ided by fleurs-de-l i s formed l ike sl ipped trefoi ls.

Fig.

5 7a . 0.PF ROBGIRTVS DGI GRK 3 RGX 3 S(IOTOVIII

tF DIlS CITOR ms LI KTOR 2 94g grs .

7ID BGR x TAR VILL

I n the Pollexfe n collect ion . The style of the head and of the crown

on this piece resembles the style of the head and of the crown on the

J ames I . groats of the smoother surface. The letter R i s formed in the

same way as the letter B on the following p iece.


vol . i v. p. 200 ,No. 6 3 , Sheriff Mackenz ie describes th i s coi n as hav ing a

tressure of “six arcs meeting the bust.

"

U ndoubtedly, however, the raised

curvature on the lower part of the bust i s a conti nuation of the tressure,

and consists of two additi onal arcs, although , from the manner in which

the coin i s s truck, these have much the appearance of one long s ingle arc .

THREE PELLETS ON THE POINTS OF THE TRESSURE.

Tressure Of seven arcs surrounding the bust, as on all the following

with the three pellets on the points of the tressure .

The words on the Obverse divided by three pel lets,on the reverse by

sal t ires.F ig . 345 .

I. O. ROBGRTVS DGIi GRA i RGX 3 SCIOTO I

BI DES P Ta aTo Ems LIMIT 2 34 grs.

2 . O. EROBGIRTVS DGI GRA i RGX i S(IOTO

Eons P Te am LIMIT 1 78 grs.

B" VILL I M D I InEv IBGh

O n the Obverse of the first of these two pieces the fina l 0 i n S(IOTO

and the three pel lets wh ich fol low i t have completely suppressed the initi

a tory cross . The same pecul iar B superseding occurs on the reverses of

these coins as on the obverse and the reverse Of the groat Fig. 3 3 7.

IIIROBGRTVS DEII

IF DIIS§P TGCITO 2 2} grs.

AGD

IF ROBGRTVS DEIII rs.

The same as No. 3 .

9i g

Fig. 346 .

l G i IKD( §SGOTOR

Rm TI.

IRBV RGh

i GRfl i RGX ISGOTO !


5 . 0. The same as NO 4 .

BvBDRS x P I Ta ozTO I Rm T x L I IB7tTOVILL I KGD I InBV I RGh

6 . O . The same as No . 4 .

BaIBDIIS P I THGTO I RIIIS x T ! L I IBKTO grs.

VILL I new I [BE IVRG

There are other minor varieties of these pieces words

divided as above a hal f-groat i n the Bri tish Museum has

The words d iv ided by fleurs-de- l i s and crescents — Fig. 3 54.

7. O.>I<ROB€IRTVS Da l G 1 Re x t SCIOTO

IF DIISI S x'

IL BKTO

R

8. 0. As No. 7 , with S(IOTOR.

IF DIIS P I THCITO I RIBS x'

i I LIBKT 2 1 grs.

VIL I n z aD IIIB I VRG

NO . 7 i s the coinfigured in W ingate , Pl . X IV. 6 , where i t i s made to

appear as i f reading GR and LIIRVO . NO . 8 i s the half-groat figured i n

W i ngate, Pl. X IV. 5 , and erroneously represented as hav ing the words on

the Obverse d iv ided by crosses .

The words d iv ided by large fleurs-de- l i s. —Fig. 3 5 7A.

8 a . O.IF ROBGRTVS t DGI GR7I RGX S(IOTOR

IEDIIS1 OR ms '

I Ig i grs.VILL K 'I‘ a DIR

I n the Pol le xfe n col lect ion . Very rare I have not met with any other

spec imen of th is variety.

The face and the crown on the hal f-groats with the words divided by

fleurs-de- l i s and crescents, and on the half-groats with the words div ided

by fleurs-de- l i s are perceptibly smaller than on those having the words on

the Obverse d ivided by three pellets— in th i s respect fol lowing the groats

of the corresponding coinages.

Perth.


TREFOILS ON THE POINTS OF THE TRESSURE ; SOMETIMES WITH

THE POINTS PLAIN.

I n the style of the head and of the lettering, the half-groats of th is

series agree with the trefoil-pointed tressure groats wi th the round face ;

but the points of the tressure on the half-groats are quite as frequently

plain as ornamented with trefoils .

PERTH.

‘

Tressure of seven arcs, the points plain , the lower arc to the right

extending partial ly across the bust ; the words div ided by sal ti res and

pellets .

Fig. 36 3 .

9 . O.IF BOBGTVS DGII GBR BHX S(IOTTO

I DES TEIGTOR ms I BKTORIII

VILL 7K D6 PGR Th 44?

The larger lettering on the reverse .

Tressure of eight arcs, trefoiled, extending across the bus t ; the words

d ivided by sal ti res and pel lets .

Fig. 36 7.

10 . O.IBROBGIRTVS ID G RGX S(IOTORVIII

rBDIIS PROT GGTO 2 13, 1 gg grs.

Smal l strokes between the pellets on the reverse.

Pennies .


EDINBURGH.

Tressure of seven arcs surroun ding the bust,the points plain ; the

words d iv ided by two annulets ; an annulet on the breas t.

Fig. 386 .

I4. 0.FPROBHRTVS 8D 8 G 8RGX 8 S(IOTRVm

IF DIIS 8 P TGCITOR ms 8 I8 LI BKTORIII I8% grs.

VILL 7T8 6 D IRBV RGI‘

I

Tressure of seven arcs surrounding the bust, the poi nts plai n ; the

words on the obverse d ivided by two annulets,on the reverse by two

pellets an annulet on the breast.

Fig. 387.

1 5 . O.II'IROBHRTVS 8D 8G 8RHXX 8 SCIORVIII

a D115 TQ CITOR

VILL K GD

Double struck , and the inscriptions incomplete .

W i th these round face pieces the hal f-groat series Of Robert III. seems

to have terminated . This may explai n how it i s that Aberdeen i s not

represented on the hal f-groats that m int, apparently, not hav ing come

i nto operation under Robert I I I . t i l l the i ntroduction of the aquil ine face

on the groats of the trefoi l-po i nted tressure ser ies .

PENN IES.

I n my introductory observations to the s i lver coinages Of th is reign ,

pages 2 85 -6 , I have stated the standard weigh t and qual ity of the penn ies .

The mints at wh ich these pieces were struck are Edinburgh , Perth , and

Aberdeen . The pe nny of I nverness attributed to Robert III. by Lindsay

and W i ngate belongs to James I . Thi s identical piece is now in the

F ergus l ie collection , and is here described in connect ion with the bil lon


coins Of that re ign . Certain pennies of Robert I I I . without the name of Robert 111.

the mint on the reverse,from their style of bust

,lettering and ornam enta gjflzz

w )’

t ion, appear to me to have been minted at Aberdeen.

EDINBURGH Edinburgh.

NO d ivisions between the words — Fig. 338.

I. O . E4 ROBGRTVS BEIX S(IOTI4 grs .

B . VILL I m 1) IRBV I BGh

Fig. 3 39.

2 . 0.IF ROBGRTVS RGX S(IOTOB

B. VILL I na n I Innv EGh

These two pieces are of the same coinage as the Edi nburgh groat

NO . I, Fig. 3 3 7, having the same pecul iar B superseding the B. The penny

No. 1 was formerly in the W ingate col lection,and is figured in W ingate ,

Pl . XIV. 10 ; the penny No. 2 was formerly i n the Mart in and Hast ingscol lections , and is figured i n Lindsay, Pl . V I . No . 1 2 5 . A Specimen from

the same dies as No. 2 i s i n the S.S.A. col lect ion .

The words on the Obverse d iv ided by two annulets, on the reverse by

two pelle ts .

Fig . 388.

3 . 0.*14 ROBGRTVS 8DGI8 GRK RGX 8SCI

I

B. VILL I m a n I InBv I RGhSIgrs

An annulet after ROBGRTVS only ; the words on the reverse not

d iv ided.

Fig. 3SSA.

342. o. a ROBGRTVS o DGIGR7YRa x SCI

B. VILL I M D I IRBV I RGhThis p iece, which is i n the Pol lexfe n collection , has the lettering on

1 15 grs .

the reverse of a m ixed description, as on the corresponding Edinburgh

Perth.

Aberdeen.


groat, No. 3 5 Fig. 385— small top - heavy n and diminutive curved 14. O n

the Obverse i t has an of the straight Slender character proper to the later

trefoi l-pointed tressure groat issues . This i s precisely the reverse of what

occurs on the immediately preceding piece, which has the small top—heavy

n on the obverse and the straight slender It on the reverse.

No divis ions between the words .—Fig. 399.

4 . O.»I4 ROBERTVS DI (IBM

VILL I M D IRRV I EGI

From the style of the lettering thi s coin has ev idently been struck

about the same time as the lat e Edinburgh groats, Figs . 3980, 3QSH, pages

302 and 3 15 .

PERTH.

The words div ided by two crosses — Fig . 3 76B .

4a . 0. a ROBGRTVS 1max 1 sa OTORvm51

I grs.

E VILL IM DHI IIPHR ITh sg

This piece is i n the S.S.A. co l lect ion . I t is figured i n Lindsay’

s Ist

Sup. Pl . I . NO . 20 . The only other known Perth penny Of Robert I I I .

i s i n the Cochran-Patrick collection .

ABERDEEN.

The words on the Obverse d iv ided by two pel lets , on the reverse not

d iv ided.

Fig. 403 .

5 . o. as ROBERTvs ma i z cnm a a1 I}; grs.

B.. v1LL I7t De I7IBR I Da n s

This piece,which was purchased at the W ingate sale for the F e rgusl ie

col lection,i s figured i n Li ndsay

,Ist Sup. Pl . I I I . N0 . 2 , and in W i ngate ,

Pl . X I V . No . 1 2 , i n both cases as a penny of Edinburgh . Neither

Lindsay nor W ingate had Observed the cross at the end Of the legend in

Ha lfpe nnies .


The words on the Obverse divided by two crescents,on the reverse not

div ided .

Fig. 404.

6 . O . a ROBGRTVS 8 ne w GRK 81 2

max I S(IO I TOR I vm sgrs

This i s the penny, formerly i n the Martin and Hastings col lections,

figured i n Li ndsay, Pl . VI . NO . 1 2 3 . There is not a “ T and star at the

right side of the neck, as described i n the Marti n and Hast ings sale catalognes . The Obverse is s imply mis- struck.

The words div ided by three pel lets .—Figs. 405 , 405A.

7 and 7a . O . T ROBa BTVS DEIIIRa x sSCIOm i , 14% grs .

ROB I sDa Is I GR7II§R€IX

The penny N0 . 7 (Fig . 405) was purchased for the F e rgusl ie collection

at the W i ngate sale , and i s figured i n Lindsay, Ist Sup. Pl . I . 19, and i n

W i ngate , Pl . X I V. 9 ; i n both cases It Is represented as a penny Of Aber

deen . I t i s much double - struck on the reverse,but the penny from the

same dies i n the S.S.A. col lect ion, NO . 7a (Fig . 405A), Shows sat isfactori ly

the correct reading .

HALFPENN IES.

The halfpennies of Robert I I I . are of the same qual i ty as the penn ies ;

thei r weights should therefore hold the same proportion , giving 8%%g grs .

as the standard . The only mints known are Edinburgh and Perth . A half

penny hav ing On the reverse REIX S(IOTORVIII i s mentioned i n Lindsay ’s

Descript ive Ca ta logu e , NO . 308, with reference to Ca rdonne l , Pl . IV. NO . 2 ,

a piece borrowed from Snell ing , Pl . I I . 1, where a drawing i s given Of a

coin with what purports to be RGX i n one compartment, the next two com

pa rtm e nts blank , and the letters vm faintly traced i n the remain ing com

partm e nt . From the evidently very poor condit ion of the coin there

represented , i t i s o pen to question whether the few remain i ng letters of the


i nscription on the reverse have been correctly rendered . No halfpenny of Robe rt 111.

Robert I I I . with REIX S(IOTORVm appears now to be known .

Ha lfpenm es.


The words on the obverse not d ivided ; two sal tires after VILLK on

the reverse .

Fig. 347

1 . o. a ROBaTvs Ra x S(IOTO

B. VIL I Ln I am I nBv

This piece from the style Of the bust and the lettering evidently belongs

to the earl ier issues Of the three-pellet-pointed tressure series .

The words on the Obverse div ided by two pellets, on the reverse not

div ided .

Fig. 382 .

2 . O. EI ROBGRTVS RGX S(IOT

B . (VIL) I L7H DIR I (BVR ? )

From a pecul iari ty in the striking, the head on th is hal fpenny presents

the appearance of looking Sl ightly towards the left. The lettering on the

reverse,l ike that on the Edinburgh trefoi l - pointed tressure groat, NO . 3 7 ,

Fig. 38 1 , i s of a diHe rent character from that on the obverse ; both pieces

apparently relate to the same coinage .

The words not d ivided— Fig. 399A.

2a . 0.~1< ROBERTVS Den GRNIRK

B. VILL new I InB VEG

I n the Pol le xfen col lection . From the style of the letteri ng

penny appears to be of very late issue.


PERTH.

The words div ided by sal t ires and pellets — Fig . 369.

3 . O. E4 ROBa R VILL7Iz DX S(I

B. ROBa RTVS L Da Pa B

Double struck ; the inscr ipt ions intermixed . This piece is of corre

sponding i ssue with the Perth groats hav ing the words d ivided by salt ires

and pellets.

Two crosses after ROBGRTEIVS.-Fig. 3 76C.

3a . 0.r14 ROBGRTEIVSIDGIIGRIt

6

B. VILL KDt—I I PEIR I TIIQ¢Igrs

I n the Richardson collection , formerly i n the W i ngate and Addington

cabinets ; of correspond ing issue with the Perth round - face groats wi th

the words divided by two crosses.

The words d iv ided by salt i res .— Fig . 398B .

36. O .>I< ROBHRTVS x Da I GRII

B. VILL I 7t x De I(PEIR) I TIN¢

I n the Pol lexfe n col lection ; th is hal fpenny appears to

issue with the Perth groat , Fig. 3980, N0 . 3 2a .

Gold Coinag e . GO LD CO I NAGE.

Reference has been made to the Em a [a Coa ronne of France,as

having been the original of the Scottish Crown , or Lion , now usual ly called

the St . Andrew . The Em s a l a Courom ze , states Le Blanc , were so cal led

because of the crown that wa s above the Em , or sh ield— in Latin Sm tum .

The Em s of gold were n ot new in France ; having had great course in the

reigns of Ph i l ip of Valo is and of h is son , but these earl ier coinages were

made in a different manner from the Em s a [a Courom ze .


been only 2 2 carats fine, which i s to 2 3 carats 3I~ grs. as 1 76 i s to 19 1 ,

ought to have been withi n a fraction of 6 7 grs .

AS the standard weight of the Engl ish noble was I20 grs. Troy , and i ts

value i n Scotti sh penn ies was nine sh i l l ings and Sixpence, or 1 14 Scottish

penn ies, i t follows that each Of these pennies was est imated as worth 1115

grains of gold of the fineness Of the Engl ish noble,so that the aggregate

weight of two Scottish l ions Of th is qual i ty,intrinsically worth 1 I7 Scott ish

penn ies, would be 1 2 3135 grs. Troy, giv ing to each a Standard weight O f

6 1I~§or 6 1“

58 grs. Troy, a remarkably close approximation to the standard

weight of the French crown, which at th is period was Of fine gold .

The “ syde coat l ions, as these pieces were cal led from the long gown

of the saint on the reverse, continued , with some intermiss ion, to be struck

ti l l some time in the reign of James IV. Among other gold coins they are

mentioned in the Contract anent the Cunyie at August 1596 , as having

been rece ived at the m int as bull ion , bu t thei r qual i ty then was rated at

only 2 2 caratsfine .

1

I t i s not at al l l ikely, however, that the “ syde coi t lyonne s referred

to i n that “ Contract could have consti tuted any port ion of the gold coin

ages Of Robert I I I . , which do not appear to have remained long in circu

lation after the introduct ion of the Jacobus gold m intages . There i s no

reference to the Robert I I I . gold money in any of the proclamations i ssued

i n the subsequent re igns,spec i fying the rates at which the coins then curren t

were to be received . I n these regulations we find the heavier Engl ish

noble of 1 20 grs . Troy carefully di stinguished from the l ighter Engl ish noble

of 108 grs . but no ment ion is made of any d i fference of val ue i n the “ syde

coat l ions , notwi thstanding that, apart from what seems to have been thei r

lower qual i ty under the J ameses,their standard weight was reduced to

54 grs . Troy, or half the weight Of the l ighter Engl ish noble , and their

actual average weight was only about 5 1 grs . ; while under Robert I I I .

the ir average weight , for some considerable t ime at least , fully corresponded

with that usually given by the heav ier Engl i sh hal f - nobles of the standard

weight of 60 grs . Troy, to wh ich coins thei r qual i ty should also have corre

1 Cochran-Pa tri ck’s Records of Ike Coinag e of Scot la nd, vol . i. p. 2 6 7 .


sponded. Another consideration to be kept in view is the d isorganised Robert 111.

condi tion into which the gold coinages bearing the name of Robert subseLi ons, orScot

quently fell, naturally necessi tat ing their wi thdrawal from circulation . tish crowns .

L IO NS, SCOTT ISH CROWNS OR“ ST. ANDREWS.

These pieces, on the obverse, have a crowned escutcheon of the same

shape as on the French crown,but charged wi th the Scottish l ion , whi le on

the French crown the sh ield bears the arms of France , three fieurs-de- l i s .

O n the reverse , the F rench Em s a l a Couronne , for principal type , with

cons iderable variations of detai l , had a cross fienrie ; on the Scottish

l ions or crowns under Robert I I I ., and under J ames I I . I I I . I V . , the type

of the reverse was the national saint upon h is cross .

W i th the except ion of an interval under Robert I I I . , i n connect ion with

the marked reduction of the weights of the gold coinages, following that

of the s i lver coinages,the inscription on the reverse of the Scottish crown

was the same as on the French crown , XP(I VIRGIT XPCI RGIGIUIT

XPCI ImPEIRKT, Cfirz'st conquers, Clzrz'

st re igns , Cnrz'

st comma nds ; save

that on the Scottish crowns the REIGRKT was improperly put before the

VIRGIT. This was a favourite inscription on French coins,having been

,

states Le Blanc , quoting from Foulcher, the “m ot de l ’a rmée ” of the

Christ ians i n a battle with the Saracens in the reign of Ph il ip I .

So far as the Scottish Records Show , the name commonly given to these

pieces when thev were current coins was l ions or Scotti sh crowns . I am

not aware that the name of St . Andrews, now generally appl ied to them ,

occurs i n contemporary documents . I n the old Scottish Acts what are

now incorrectly called l ions are described as hal f- l ions, as i n the Act 2 2d

Apri l 1398 of Robert I I I . , where i t is ordered that“ no gold shal l have

course in our K ingdom except Lions , Half L ions (le onibus, dim idiis

l e onibus) , Nobles of Flanders and Of England , and Crowns O f France.

”

The only gold pieces wi th the name ofRobert that can possibly represent

the demi - l ions described i n th is Act of Apri l 1398 are the smal l gold coins


with the uncrowned Scottish escutcheon on the obverse and the St . Andrew ’s

cross without the figure of the saint on the reverse . The several coi nages

of these pieces answer to the several coinages of the l ions— or the larger

gold coi ns wi th the name of Robert, hav ing the crowned escutcheon on the

Obverse and the figure of the saint upon his cross on the reverse —in the

same way as the several half—groat and groat coinages of Robert I I I . answer

to each other,or as the quarter - nobles of the Edwards and the Henries

correspond to the nobles and the hal f—nobles.

This fact appears to have been always recogn ised by the Scotti sh

numismatic writers,until Ca rdonne l , without assigning any reasons, attributed

the halves of the (IHRISTVS REIGNKT l ions, with the name of Robert,

to Robert and the l ions themselves to Robert I I I . The l ions wi th

the DOIIIIRVS PROTGCITOR legend , i n common with h is predecessors , he

assigned to Robert al though these pieces, as corresponding in lettering

and ornamentation with the very l ight front face groats, are real ly the latest

gold issues of Robert I I I . Ca rdonne l was not aware of the existence

of the half- l ion wi th the DOHIIIIVS PROTEIGTOR i nscript ion .

The several gold coi nages of Robert I I I . , both Of the l ions and the

half- l ions,wil l be found

,i n respect of the lettering and the ornamentation

between the words,to correspond to the several groat coinages . The l ions

have a fleur-de- l i s at each s ide of the figure of St . Andrew on the reverse .

Long cross l ions. THE LO NG CROSS L IO NS.

THE LETTERING AS ON THE THREE- PELLET - POINTED TRESSURE GROATS.

The words d ivided by three pel lets a sharp angular B.

- Fig.

1 . 0.IF BOBHTVS i DEII i GBK i RGX i S(ITTOBVII!i

5 5 grs.

R. XPCIBGZ I GRKTXPCIE I VIHGI I TXPa ImPK

2 . 0.IF ROBGRTVS i DG( IEGBK i BEIX i S(IOTOBVIIIi

IL From the same die as NO . I.


3c. 0.IF ROB6 RTVS 2D6 1 3:GR7I i R6 X t S(IOTORVIII

‘

8 rs .

F rom the same die as the pre ceding .

59 g

These two pieces are in the Bri t ish Museum collection . The reverse

of both are from the same die as the reverse of the l ion , No. I, Fig. 34 1 .

The crowned escutcheons on the Obverses are i n the same style as on the

l ions Nos. 1 , 2 , 3 .

The words on the obverse div ided partly by three pel lets,partly by

fleurs - de - l i s and crescents ; on the reverse d ivided by fleurs - de - l is and

crescents .

F'

1g . 3 5 1 .

4 . O .>I4 ROB6 RTVS D6 1 GR7I R6 X t S(IOTORVJII2 t

6 O rs.R. XPa t R6 I GRKTXPCI: I VITICI IT : XPGImP

g

5 . 0.III ROB6 RTVS 5 D6 I: GRK i R6 X it S(IOTORVIII

8%5 g rs .

3 . m a : R6 Gnns m V I 11111 1 I s pa imp z

These have the same style of crowned escutcheon as on the l ions Nos.

1 , 2 , 3 , and the saint has the same broad , beardless face , without the n imbus,

as on the l ion N o. 3a , Fig. 349B. No hair - l i ne i nner c ircles. The letter

ing corresponds with that on the Edinburgh groats, N OS. 8, 9, Fig . 3 50 , on

which pieces the words are s imilarly d iv ided . A smal l top -heavy 11 occurs

on the reverse of the l ion No. 4 . W i th the same Obverse die as the pre

ceding, a l ion i n the Bri tish Museum has the inscription on the reverse

difiere ntly distributed : XPtI : R I 6 GII7IT : XP6 VIIICI I IT 2 XPGIm Lt

The words d iv ided by fleurs-de - l i s and crescents — Fig. 3 56 .

6 . 0.IF ROB6 RTVS D6 I1 GR7It R6 X t SCIOTORVIII

B . XP6 t R I 6 GB7IT 2XP6 I VITICI I IT t XPGIm 2

7. 0. From the same die .

E xra : R I 6 GII7ITXPCI I VIII I a iTXPa lmThese have the same types of obverse and of reverse as the l ions Nos.

598 grs .

59% g rs .

4 , 5 . No inner circles . The lettering i s the same as on the Edinburgh

groats, on wh ich the words are s imi larly div ided, NO . 10, Fig. 3 53 , and No.

1 3 , Fig. 3 55 .

‘A smal l top-heavy n on both s ides .


The words on the obverse div ided by two sal t ires, on the reverse not Robe rt 111.

ClIV lded.

( 1390

L 1 l iF lg . 3 59.

ong c oss ons

8. O . E4 ROB6 RTS D6 Ii GR7I5 R6 X iS.

R XPCIR I a onm xpa I VIna I ITXPnimPg ’

The same types as on the la st pieces. A hai r - l ine i nner c ircle on

the Obverse , but not on the reverse . The lettering is the same as on the

Edinburgh groats , with the words d ivided by two salt ires, NO . 1 5 , Fig. 3 58.

A smal l top-heavy n on bo th s ides .

The fol lowing s ingul ar piece,i n the S.S.A. collection , although i t has

the words on the Obverse divided by salt i res and pel lets as on some of

the groats of the trefoi l—pointed tressure series, has the lettering on both

s ides,and also the crowned escutcheon on the obverse and the figu re of the

sa i nt on the reverse, i n the style pecul iar to the l ions corresponding wi th

the groats of the three -pel let -pointed tressure series , Figs . 3 5 1 , 3 56 , 3 59 .

No divis ions between the words on the reverse . A hair- l ine inner c i rcle on

the obverse . The small top-heavy n on both sides .

Fig. 3 59A.

84 . O. a ROBaRTVS Da I GRK 8 Re x rS(IOTTORVm591g r

B. XPuR I (IGImTXPCI I vma I ITXPcIImP2

THE SHORT CROSS L IONS. Short cross l ions .

THE LETTERING As ON THE TREFOIL - POINTED TRESSURE GROATS.

The words d ivided by two crosses — Fig. 3 77.

9 . 0. El ROB6 RTVS 1D6 I1 GRJXCIIK 1R6 X 1 SCIOTTORVIII59 g rs

E.IIIXPCI1 R6 GII7¥T 1XP6 1VIIICIIT 1 XP6 1 IIIIP6 R71T

Trefoi ls between the fleurs - de - l i s of the crown. The Sh ield smaller

than on the preceding l ions,and with a beaded border. The head of the


sa int i s small , with a forked beard , loose curls , and n imbus. The outer

l i nes of the cross are beaded . Hair- l ine inner c ircles,wh ich are wel l with in

the beaded inner c i rcles . The same letteri ng as on the Perth groats wi th

the words d ivided by two crosses .

THE LETTERING ON THE O BVERSE As ON TIIE THREE- PELLET - POINTED

TRESSURE GROATS, ON THE REVERSE AS ON THE TREFOIL- POINTED

TRESSURE GROATS.

The words d iv ided by three pel lets — Fig. 383 .

10 . 0.IF ROB6 RTVS 5D6 1 5 GRNIIK i R6 X ESGOTTORV :

64 XPCI i IIIIP6 R71T §

The same types as on the preceding l ion , but wi th a sl ight difference

i n the treatment of the sa int’

s head , which is wi thout the n imbus. A cord

round the saint's waist,with a long end hanging down in front . The l ines

of the cross not beaded . Hair- l i ne i nner c i rcles as on the last. Except

that the 71 i s barred across the middle , the letteri ng on the obverse corre

sponds with that on the Obverse of the l ion No . 5 ; and on the reverse

corresponds with that on the obverse and the reverse of the preceding

short cross l ion,being the same as on the Edinburgh trefoi l -pointed tressure

groats with the words div ided by two pellets .

Fig. 384.

1 1 . O.114 ROB6 RTVS 3D6 IEGRECIIK i R6 X SCIOTTORV

I'

S.

R XP (I sR6 GR7IT sXPCI 1VIncIIT sXP (I IImPa RnT57 g

The obverse i s from the same d ie as No. 10 . The reverse has the

saint represented with the n imbus as on NO . 9 ,but with the l i nes of the

cross not beaded . All the other short cross l ions having the words div ided

by three pelle ts that I have met wi th are wi thout the n imbus . Formerly in

the Carfra e col lec tion.


I t wi l l be Observed that the l ight l ion , Fig. 409, has undoubtedly the

cross supporting the saint on the reverse,but i t i s confined with i n the inner

ci rcle, while the saint’s hands and feet extend into the legendary c ircle .

The saint ’s head is large and beardless , with long flowing curls . A hair- l ine

inner c i rcle i s on the reverse, but not on the Obverse . From the circum

stance that the fleurs-de- l i s ornamenting the tressure of the escutcheon on

this p iece so closely resemble trefoils , i t i s probable that the similar orna

ments dividi ng the words may also have been i ntended for fleurs-de- l i s.

The sal t i re cross before the legend on the Obverse is of the same form as

the letter x i n the body of the i nscriptions .

The words d ivided by pellets — Fig. 4O9A.

1 2 4 . O. 14 ROB6 RTVS 2 DHI GRK RGX SCIOTOR’

2

B. XPCt -R | a GmtT -xpozwlm GIT -XPa -m I3 5 g “

This p iece is i n the Richardson col lection . The saint has a beardless

head , and i s without the cross . The form of the crown above the escutcheon

is the same as on the preced ing piece . I nner c i rcles on both s ides .

The very pe cul iar 'I' on the two l ight l ions above described does not

occur, so far as I have Observed, on any of the groats except on the l ight

groats of Aberdeen . I t i s met wi th also,however, on the J ames I . bi llon

pe nn ies of Aberdeen , apparently struck at the same period as these l ight

Aberdeen groats of Robert I I I . , and seems to be pecul iar to Aberdeen . I n

al l probab il i ty,therefore

,these two l ight l ions, and some Of the l ight demi

l ions wi th the same pecul iarit ies of lettering, were also struck at Aberdeen .

Fleurs-de - l i s i n the legend on the obverse ; pel lets i n the legend on

the reverse .

Fig. 4 ISA.

1 25. O. E fl ROBGRTVS DGI GRKGIfl x RGX S(IO ’

4 2 grs.

E. EXP a Ra Gnm x PCI 1m PGRKT

I n the S.S.A. col lection . I n my reference to th is piece i n the Notice

of the Coins i n the Fortrose Hoard "

(P roceeding s of the Society of A nti

THE COINAGE OF SCOTLAND. 3SI

quarries of Scot la nd, vol . New Series, No. 2 1 , page i t was inadve rt

ently stated that the figure of the St . Andrew was without the cross . The

upper l imbs of the cross,to wh ich the saint’s arms are attached , are dis

t inctly marked , and extend to the edge of the coin the lower l imbs of the

cross extend only to the i nner c ircle,and are ind icated by two narrow l ines

qui te outside the body of the saint. The saint has a smal l head and forked

beard , with short curly hair close to the head. The escutcheon has a

beaded border, surmounted by a crown of a very rude character. The

lettering i s the same as on the Dumbarton groat No. 5 7, Fig. 4 15 curved

topped 11, slender B,

twisted s , and curule - chair - shaped 8 . This 6 and

th is 8 seem to be pecul iar to the Dumbarton groats. The Heurs-de- l is

before ROB6 RTVS and after GRKCIIK and 5 6 0 are also identical with

those on the Dumbarton groat No. 5 7, Fig. 4 1 5 . NO hair- l ine inner ci rcles .

Fleurs-de- l i s i n the legend on the obverse ; pellets i n the legend on the

reverse.

Fig. 4 1 6 .

1 3 . 0. From the same die as No. 1 2 6, F ig . 4 ISA.

34} grsB. m om GM TXPOV -m a iTxpa

The saint with a small head and forked beard , exactly

last described,but wi thout the cross ; the same lettering

No hair- l i ne i nner ci rcles.

Fleurs-de- l is between the words on the obverse ; a pellet and a l is i n

the legend on the reverse.

Fig. 4 16A.

1 3a . 0. 8 ROBGRTVS DEII1‘ GRKCIIK REIX 1‘ SCIOTmV3 7 grs .

B . a xm REIGRKTXP (IVI no Gxa x

I n the Brit ish Museum . The saint has a small head and forked beard

as on N O . 1 3 , Fig . 4 16 , but w ithout the cross . The lettering as on the

Dumbarton groat, NO . 546, Fig. 4 1 2A, having t he B of a broader and more


ornate character than on the two l ions last described. Hair- l i ne inner

c i rcles . The escutcheon with a beaded border ; hav ing a neatly executed

crown wi th trefoi l s between the fleurs-de- l i s . This i s the coi n figured i n

Cochran- Patrick ’s Records of flu: Coinag e of Scoflam z’

, Pl . II. No . 18, and

by mistake represented as havi ng been i n the W ingate col lection .

The words on the Obverse d iv ided by two fleurs-de- l i s or trefoi l s

opposed two pellets after DI!on the reverse .

Fig. 4 16 13.

135 . 0. asROBHTVS e DEII¢GE71 REIX S(IOTORVm x

8 Dn : SPTCITOR 1ms XLIBKTOR

I n the S.S.A. collection . The saint w ith a small head and forked

beard , exactly as on the preceding two l ions wi th the XP(I RGIGRKT inscrip

3 22; g rs .

t ion and w ithout the cross. The same style of K and other lettering as

on the l ion last described ; the same form of crown above the escu tcheon ,

but the border of the escutcheon i s not beaded . Hair- l i ne i nner c i rc les .

The fleurs -de- l i s wi th i n the tressure of the escutcheon are of the same form

as the Opposed fleurs-de—l i s, or trefoi ls, between the words on the Obverse .

This piece is Of remarkably beauti ful execut ion, and i s probably the earl iest

of the DRS PTEIGTOR l ions .

The words on the obverse divided by three pel lets,on the reverse by

two pel lets .

Fig. 4 18A.

1 3c. O . B ROB6 RTVS i DGI GRKCIIK i RGX 5 S(ITO

R. mDItS PTHOTO R : ms u z u g .

39 gm

I n the E.M. col lection . The saint wi th a large beardless face. This

piece has the cross, which i s expressed by beaded l ines . A plain e scu t

cheon . The same accentuated style of It, It, 8 , x,and other lettering as on

the Dumbarton groat NO . 5 76, Fig. 4 16E, and as on the l ight Edinburgh

groat No. 50 ,Fig. 4 1 7. NO hair- l i ne i nner c ircles .


The words d ivided as above — Fig. 42 1 .

19 . O . x ROBGRTVS 1 DEII GRm m 1 Re x S(IOT I

E.»1 Dns s Ta dTORm VS is 1 s:LIBGRK

This piece corresponds i n a l l respects with the l ions F ig. 4 20 ,except

34% g rs

that the head of the saint presents a sl ightly bearded appearance , and is

somewhat differently treated. The obverse is from the same die as the

obverses of the l ions Fig. 4 20 .

The words div ided as above — Fig. 42 IA.

19a . 0. x ROBGRTVS x D611 : 011m m 1 Re x SCIOTO

3 8. 3 8k g rs .

x Dns PTa aTORm V t ; L IBGRKTV I

Two specimens from the same dies,in the S.S.A. and B.M. col lections

respect ively. The head of the saint i s very s imilar to that on the l ion

las t described, but without the bearded appearance. The escutcheon is i n

the same style as on that p iece, but wi th the pellets on the spaces of the

crown larger. The same style of lettering, but the R with a lopped tai l .

The same ornaments between the words,but those on the Obverse resem

bl ing regularly formed crosses rather than rude fleurs - de - l i s. Hair - l i ne

i nner c ircles . A cross fourchée be fore the i nscript ions on both sides.

THE DEMI - L IONS OR DEMIES.

These pieces , s ince the publ icat ion by Lindsay of h is Vfew of the Coin

ag e of Scot l a nd, are i ncorrectly named l ions. For the type of the obverse

they have an escutcheon of the same form as on the l ions properly so called,

but wi thout the crown above . For the type. of the reverse they have a St .

Andrew’

s cross, without the figure of the sai nt, with a l is i n each of the s ide

compartments and a trefoi l i n the upper and lower d iv is ions .

In the fol lowing arrangement of the demi - l ions, or demies, of Robert

I I I . , the same method has been pursued as in describing the l ions . The

several variet ies of these pieces, so far as known to me , have been asso

c ia ted so far as possible wi th the corresponding si lver issues,as dist ingu ished


by the same letteri ng and by the same style of ornamentation between the

words . Whi le i n some ca ses the connection between these half- l ions and

their respect ive wholes i s very apparent,in other cases the half- l ions show

styles of lettering and ornamentation not met with on any of the hi therto

known varieties of the larger denominations,but having thei r counterparts

on the s i lver coinages . Probably there may have been occasional i ssues

of the half- l ions, while no corresponding coi nage of pieces of the larger

denomination took place.

THE HEAVY DEML LIONS'

OR DEMIES.

The l ion series has here been commenced with certai n pieces on wh ich a

pecul iar B superseding the B occurs in ROBGRTVS and other words , Figs .

340 , 34 1 . I am not aware of any demi - l ions of th is particular variety .

The nearest approach to i t, so far as has come under my notice , i s the demi

l ion with the tressure , No. 1a , Fig. 342A, which has on the obverse a similar

style of R, but without supersedi ng the B . This piece is of larger module

than any of the other demi - l ions , and has on the obverse the large N of the

earl ier three-pellet-pointed tressure groat coinages . I t m ay consequently

be regarded as one of the very earl iest issues of the demi- l ion series. I ts

reverse connects i t also with the earl ier groats of the trefoi l - pointed tres

sure coinages , having the lettering and the ornamentat ion between the

words the same as on these pieces, thus rendering i t the more probable

that the three-pel let-pointed tressure groat i ssues and the trefoi l - pointed

tressure groat issues were to some extent concurrent coinages.

O bverse : the lettering as on the three -pellet-pointed tressure groats ;the words divided by two sal tires . Reverse the lettering as on the trefoil

pointed tressure groats the words divided by sal tires and pellets .

Fig. 34 2A.

14 . O. E4 ROBGRTVS i DG1 5 GRKGIK 32RGX

R.P14 X PG §RGIG RKT I XPCI’f VIR

Heavy dem ies .


A tressure of e ight arcs surrounds the escutcheon on the obverse of

Fig. 342A. None of the other demies have a tressure round the escutcheon .

The trefoi ls i n the upper and lower compartments of the salti re cross

on the reverse are very small , with the leaves sharply cut and meet ing

at a point in the centre— A . This almost un ique coin i s i n the S.S.A.

collection ; the only other spec imen known is i n the Cochran - Patrick

cabinet.

O bverse : the lettering as on the three-pellet-pointed tressure groats ;

the words divided by two salt ires . Reverse : the lettering as on the trefoi l

pointed tressure groats the words divided by saltires and pellets.

Fig. 343 .

I. O. ROBGRTVS 32RGX i SCIOTORVIII2 7 g rs .

3 . se x Pa rRa G 1171T | xm w m

The cross before the legend on the obverse i s suppressed by the m i n

SGOTORVIII. This p iece is from the same reverse die as the reverse of

the demi -l ion wi th the tressure , Fig. 342A. The lettering on the obverse

however,i s of a later character than the lettering on the obverse of that

coi n,al though the words are d ivided i n the same manner, that is, by

two salt ires.

The lettering on both sides as on the three -pel let - pointed tressure

groats the words d iv ided by three pel lets .

F ig 349

2 . O.>I4 ROBGRTVS DGI G REIX S(IOTO 2

30 grs.

m a r Vi ndT i x Pa i R (1011s

Large trefoil s i n the upper and lower compartments of the salt i re cross

on the reverse , with hollow spaces in the centres— A . These large open

Light dem ies.

Chnstus Regna t.


The escutcheon has a beaded border. This i s the coin of which'

the

reverse die has been used i n striking the reverses of the demi - l ions F igs.

342A and 343 ,_

and of the fol lowing piece, a very rare and hitherto un

publ ished demi—l ion i n the Ri chardson collection .

The same lettering as on the trefoil -pointed tressure groats the words

on the obverse div ided by three pel lets, on the reverse by sal tires and pel lets .

Fig . 3 70A.

6a . 0.if ROB6 RTVS i REIX i S(IOTTORVIII

2 6it s“

The escutcheon has a plai n border.

The same lettering as on the trefoi l -pointed tressure groats the words

on the obverse d iv ided by two crosses, three pellets after D ; the words

on the reverse div ided by three pellets, a s ingle pel le t after the XPCI, none

after the second .

Fig . 3 78.

7 . O . E‘ ROBGRTVS i D i G 1 REIX i S(IOTOR2 7 g rs.

R. XP(I VIIICIIT i XPCI I REIGIIKT i

The escutcheon with a beaded border. Small close trefoi ls on the

reverse as on the demi - l ions with the words div ided by saltires and pellets.

The small beaded escutcheons on these pieces so closely resemble,i n s iz e

and other respects , the escutcheons on the short cross l ions as to suggest

that the same puncheons may probably i n some instances have been

employed for both .

THE L IGHT DEMI L IO NS OR DEMIES.

I n the sty le of the lettering and of the ornamentation between the

words these pieces difie r from the heavy demi - l ions. Thei r weights show


that they are a late comage,but in seve ral i nstances they give too heavy

a weight to be regarded as the halves of any of the known specimens

of the l ight l ions. Some , apparently, must have been struck prior to the

i ntroduct ion of the l igh t l ions . These heav ier pieces seem to fit i n with the

period when the heavier groat coinages were coming to a close , and just

before the l ighter groat coinages were commenced . I n the letteri ng and

the ornamentation between the words they bear an affini ty partly to those

which appear to be the latest of the heavy groats of Aberdeen and partly to

the l ight groats of Aberdeen . Their period of issue probably coinc ided with

that at wh ich the pennies without the names of the mints were be ing struck .

A lis after ROBGRTVS on the obverse , and after D i n DGII on the

reverse .

Fig 406 .

8. 0.PI4 ROBGRTVS J‘ DGI GRK RGX SCIOTT

2 0

R : bB R OBa RTv 5 0 4. (IIGRK2“ grs

The escutcheon with a beaded border. Small close trefoi ls (A ) i n the

upper and lower compartments of the sal ti re cross on the reverse . A cross

pa tée before the inscript ion on the obverse, and a cross sl ightly fourchée

before that on the reverse . This i s the only example h itherto publ ished

with ROBGRTVS on both sides. Compare with the corresponding pennies

Nos. 7, 7a ,Figs . 405 , 4OSA, page 338.

The words on the obverse div ided by two pellets ; a l is, or trefoi l above

a pellet after the last two words on the reverse .

Fig. 4064 .

8d 0. ROBGRTVS D G RGX S(IO2 l

B. XPCI RGGRKT TX PCITVII H54 grs

I n the S.S.A. collection . A plain escutcheon small open trefoil s (A)


on the reverse . The manner of divid ing the words by fieurs - de - l i s,or

trefoi ls, with the pellets below, as on the reverse of th is p iece, seems

pecul iar to Aberdeen . The lettering and the ornamentation on the reverse ,

except in the different style of the T, are the same as on the Aberdeen l ight

groat N o . 5 2 , Fig. 407 . From its weight— wh ich is considerably more

than hal f the weight of the heaviest of the l igh t l ions— it i s probable that

th is coin was of a somewhat earl ier issue than the l ight groats, or than the

l ight l ions i n general with the XPa REIGIUYT i nscription .

The words on both sides div ided by fleurs - de - l i s, or trefoils, with

pellets below .

Fig. 406 13 .

86. O . E ROBEIRTVS ‘

t D t G t B. SCIOTOB2 2 1 rs.

B.El 95 g

Two coins from the same dies ; the heavier spec imen i s i n the

the l ighter is i n the Richardson collect ion . A plain escutcheon . The re

verses of these pieces are struck from the same die as the reverse of the

coin F ig. 406A. The letter R on the obverse,which has a pecul iar

appearance , i s s imply a B with a pellet beh ind to make it pass for an R, a

practice of which there are frequent examples on the Perth s ilver coinages

of Robert I I I . , and resorted to apparently when the Perth moneyers fel l

short of the letter R.

A lis, or trefoil , and a pellet after ROBGRTVS a l i s,or trefoil

,after DEII.

Fig. 40913 .

8c. 0. E ROBGRTVS DGI GR SDORV2 3 g rs.

x1) Room: x1) VIRa IT

A plai n escutcheon ; sma l l open trefoi l s (A) on the reverse . I n the

S.S.A. collection .


of the salt i re cross on the reverse. The coin N o. 10a , Fig. 4 I6C, now in

the S.S.A. collection , was publ ished by N icolson i n h is Scottis/z Historica l

Liom ry when i t was i n the col lect ion ofMr. J ames Sutherland . I ts weight

i s given by N icolson as 20 grs . , goldsmiths’ weight of Edinburgh

,or 1 77 7

grs. Troy.

1 The only other known specimen of the Dommvs PROTEICITOR

demi- l ion,106, i s i n the Cochran -Patrick col lect ion

,and is publ ished

, Nam .

Cfiron New Series, vol . xv. pp. 1 5 7 - 8, figured Pl . I I I . No . 1 . I t belongs

apparently to a different issue from the coin i n the S.S.A. collect ion .

The smal l module of these pieces , wh ich would render them l iable to be

eas ily lost,may poss ibly have led to the strik ing of them having been

d iscontinued shortly after their introduction . And, i ndeed , afte r the l ions

themselves had been so greatly reduced i n weight there wa s the less need

for coins of the smaller denominat ion .

I n the Tyssen sale catal ogue, lot 2 2 7, a Robe rtus demi- l ion with XPCI

RQGIUYT i s described as “ weighing 38 grains . This sta tement has

ev idently been L indsay’s authority for the assert ion made by him that these

pieces are of almost every weight between n i neteen and th irty - e ight

grains,” from which he has inferred that “ they may be divided i nto three

Nclasses,original ly weigh ing about forty, th irty , and twenty grai ns . Lindsay

h imsel f, i n h is Descript ive Ca l a log ue , quotes no spec imen as weighing more

than 30 grains. W ingate’s heaviest example is s tated at 30 % grains. I n

the absence of any authent ic insta nce of any of these coins turning the scale

at even 3 1 grains, I have l ittle doubt that the statement i n Tyssen’s sa le

catalogue has been by misprint of 38 for 2 8 or 30 grains. An obv ious mis

print in the same catal ogue occurs at lot 2 30 , where a half-un icorn of J ames

I I I . i s described as weighing 20 i nstead of 30 grains. Both of the coins i n

1 N icolson, p. 293 Another thing whereof making our P enny weight. In we ighing of the

I am to admon ish the Reader is, tha t he wi l lfind Si lver Coins, Ihave kept to our common Eng l zlrlz

the We ight of the Go ld and Si lver (in the fol We ights ; by Ounce s, Penny-we ights, and Gra ins.

lowing Accoun t of the Co ins of both Me ta ls) The rea son of th is difi'erence is, be cause al l the

computed by different Standards. In the form er Go lden Co ins are now in the posse ss ion of Mr.

is observed tha t of the Goldsm i ths of Edinburgh j ames Sut lzerla nd,who wa s plea sed n ice ly to

who divide the ir Ounce into Sixte en Drops, and e xam ine the ir se vera l W e ights by the Standa rd

the ir Drop into 3 6 Gra ins , 2 7 of the ir Gra ins of his own Country. ”


question were purchased at the Tyssen sale by Colonel Durrant, at the sale

of whose collection no ment ion wa s made in the catalogue of there having

been anything extraordinary in the ir weights.

The Act of Robert I I I . , 2 4th O ctober 1 393 , refers to certai n gold coins

called scuta ” and mailes," which were ordered to have currency i n Scot

land at certain prescribed rates. These coins were evidently fore ign money.

They are again mentioned i n the Act of 2 2d April 1 398, when their values

were considerably reduced, much more so than would have been the case

had they been nat ive gold issues,and their currency was thenceforth e n

t i t e ly proh ib ited.

I t i s unfortunate , after the graphic description given of i t by N icolson

i n h is Scottis/z Historica l L iora ry , i n 1 70 2 , that the DRS PTEHITOR demi

l ion should have been so entirely lost s ight of by Scottish numismatists .

Sutherland’

s coins passed into the Advocates ’ collection, where th is piece

ought to have been easi ly accessible to Ca rdonne l , but no not ice is taken of

it i n h is Num isma ta Scol ice . I t was not known to Snell ing. Lindsay

ev idently doubted its existence .

‘ I t was not again brought to the front ti l l

the publication by Mr. Cochran - Patrick i n the Num isma tic Citron icl e ,

New Series,vol . xv. pp . 1 5 7- 166 , of some

“ Unpubl ished and rare Varieties

of Scott ish Coins,” and again i n h is Records of tfie Coinag e of Scotla nd,

publ i shed in 1876 .

The posit ion of th is p iece in the Scott i sh numismatic series was so far

apprec iated by N icolson that he does not disconnect i t from the larger coin

with the same inscript ion,i n the extraordinary manner that Cardonne l and

O thers have disassociated the demi- l ion with the XP(I RGGIUYT i nscription

from the corresponding l ion ; he gives the DRS PTGIGTOR pieces of the

larger and smaller denominations to Robert and the XPCI RGGIUYT

l ion and demi- l ion to Robert III. I n making these attributions N icolson

had no certain grounds for h is opinion in either case, as is tac i tly admitted by

h imself by h is prefacing the first of these attribut ions with an I suppose,

and the second with an “ I guess ; sti ll, h is guess-work had at least the

merit of consistency.

1 View of Me Coinag e of Scotl and, p. 1 2 7 .


W i thout making a careful comparison of the si lver with the gold

Rob ertus coinages , any attributions of these latter must be mere guess

work . Such an examination arid compar1son has been here attempted for

the first t ime , to the best of my abi l i ty and opportunit ies . For further

i l lustrat ion , the several variet ies of the s i lver and the gold Robertus coin

ages have also been placed s ide by s ide i n the plates,according as they

stand related to each ' other by s im ila rity

i

of the letteri ng and of the orna

mentation between the words, and by correspondence of weight and module .

The result i s to show that none of the gold coinages with the name of

Robert can be regarded as of earl ier i ssue than the front - face groats with

that name ; and that, consequently, i f none of these front - face groats can

be assigned to Robert then nei ther can any of the gold coinage be

assigned to that king .

No further quest ion need be entertained that the smaller gold ‘pieces

with the name of Robert, here described as demi - l ions, are the halves of the

larger pieces named l ions, and that they correspond with these in the in

script ions , lettering, and ornamentat ion .

G ranting that there is a probabil ity that the front- face groats and the ir

parts may first have been introduced at the end of the reign of Robert I I

i t i s clear that the gold coinages assoc iated w ith the earl ier i ssues of these

pieces are not the DHS PTEIGTOR l ions and demi - l ions, but are to be

sought i n connection wi th the XPCI RGGII‘

KT l i ons and demi - l ions as related

to these earl ier i ssues of the si lver coinages by thei r s im i lar style of letter

i ng and of ornamentat ion between the words, and by their correspondingly

good weight and module .

I t must also be evident that,as the weights and the modules of the

si lver coinages, particularly of the groat issues, were reduced, a correspond

ing reduct ion took place i n the weights and the modules of the gold coi nages .

This was only what might have been expected, unless a change had taken

place i n the ir relative values, of wh ich we find no mention .

The DDS PTEHITOR l ions and demi - l ions, i t i s further evident,

cannot be disassoc iated from the l ight groats of Robert I I I . They have no

connect ion with the Robert I I . groat coinages.

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