Cameron Maclean

King Henry VIII of England died on this day in 1547. He’s depicted on this silver testoon that was minted in the final years of his life (1544-47). Its dull grey colour is a result of the Great Debasement, during which the coins' silver content was lowered at a massive profit. From the Hunterian.

Their combined face value comes to £2 1 shilling.

James's royal arms appear on the reverses. From top to bottom, left to right: Unite (£1), shilling, Britain crown, gold halfcrown, silver halfcrown & double crown.

A few gold and silver coins of King James VI & I. They were minted at the Tower of London sometime between 1604 & 1607. From the Hunterian collection.

A Metal Detectorist Discovered the Earliest Known Coin Ever Produced in a Scottish Mint Experts previously thought the first Scottish coins were minted in England, but this penny came from Edinburgh. National Museums Scotland has now acquired the historic piece of silver

I got a wee mention in this Smithsonian Magazine article on Scotland’s oldest coin. www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a...

Petronius Maximus appears on the other side, wielding a cross and the personification of Victory. He was murdered by an angry mob on 31 May 455.

This gold coin was issued by Petronius Maximus, one of the shortest reigning Roman emperors. He ruled the Western Roman Empire for just 75 days (17 March-31 May 455). This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.

Emperor Titus is shown seated on the other side. He’s surrounded by armour.

You can even see the crowd in the Colosseum.

The Roman Colosseum is depicted on this coin that was minted sometime between AD 80 & 81, soon after the building was completed. It was issued by Emperor Titus, reputedly for distribution in the arena as a mark of Imperial benevolence. This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.

The reverses.

Robert the Bruce also issued a halfpenny and farthing as part of his coinage. Here's all three denominations together. They are from William Hunter's collection at the Hunterian.

Bruce's name and title appears on the penny in Latin (spread across both sides). It translates to: 'Robert, by the Grace of God, King of Scots'.

This silver penny of Robert the Bruce was minted in Berwick following its recapture from the English in 1318, 4 years after the Scottish victory at Bannockburn. Bruce’s coins were struck in small numbers so very few survive. From the Lord Stewartby collection at the Hunterian.

From top to bottom, left to right: a halfcrown of Charles II, James VII/II, William II/III & Mary II, William II/III alone, Anne, George I, George II, George III, George IV, William IV, Victoria, Edward VII, George V, George VI & Elizabeth II. All are silver except for the last.

It’s known as the ‘bull head’ portrait and was quickly replaced

Here's a coin of every monarch from Charles II to Elizabeth II (except Edward VIII). They date from 1677 to 1963 and showcase the alternating portrait tradition that began in 1662. Each monarch faces in the opposite direction from their predecessor. They are from the Hunterian collection.

One of my favourite coins from the Stewartby collection.

YouTube video by The Hunterian Friday Focus - The Lord Stewartby Collection of Scottish Coins

Lord Stewartby gifted his collection to The Hunterian in 2017. It's the largest collection of Scottish coins ever assembled by a single individual. I gave a talk on it a few months ago: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjY4...

Here's the coin alongside a transcription & translation of its Latin legends. The Latin is pretty garbled.

The coins were minted in the last 4 years of James III's reign. He was killed at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488, defeated by an army nominally headed by his own son, the future James IV. James IV would meet the same end at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

This silver groat of James III of Scotland (1484-1488) was one of the 1st coins minted in Northern Europe with a realistic portrait in the Renaissance style. This example from the Lord Stewartby Collection is one of the best preserved I've ever seen.

Some of the coins that we handled in my previous Hunterian workshops on the history of minting technology in the British Isles. They date from the 6th century BC to 1820. The oldest is a half stater of Lydia (oval coin in the top left) and the most recent is a £5 of George III (bottom left corner).

The medal was possibly designed by Sir James Balfour. As the Lord Lyon King of Arms, he was Scotland's highest heraldic authority and played a central role in the coronation ceremony.

This gold medal was made to celebrate the Scottish coronation of King Charles II, which occurred at Scone Palace on this day in 1651. It was the last coronation to ever take place in Scotland. This gold specimen from the Hunterian is exceedingly rare, most were cast in silver.

Earliest coin minted in Scotland saved for the nation after 900 years The medieval David I silver coin, discovered in a wooded area in Midlothian, has been dated to the second half of the 1130s.

The earliest known coin to be minted in Scotland has been found. The penny of David I was struck in Edinburgh in the 1130s. The coin has been acquired by the National Museum of Scotland through Treasure Trove and will hopefully go on display in the future. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Perhaps it was a way of salvaging a bit of prestige on David's part through paying the ransom in his own coins?

The king and Scottish mint would have also gained seigniorage from minting the gold into coins.

No

Of the four surviving coins, this is the only one with a known find spot. It was found under the floor of Fenwick Tower in the north of England on or around 10 June 1775. William Hunter purchased it for £21 on 10 March 1780. Here's the entry in his purchase ledger.

David II was captured at the Battle of Neville's Cross on 17 October 1346. He pledged to pay a massive ransom of just over £66,666 to secure his release in 1357. If minted to pay this, it'd explain why so few nobles survive as they'd have been melted down once received in England.