Legend is Salvum fac Populum tuum Dōe The like to which I have seen in Mr. Sutherland's Collection having on the other Side four IIII and a small Crown after the Word Scotorum Another instead of the four IIII has Q. T. and a third QRA all signifying the Word Quartus Half of the first of these is likewise there The only Medal as far as I yet have learn'd which was struck by this King is that which is fairly describ'd and accounted for by the Learned (q) Numism p. 88. Mr. Evelyn who observes that it was coin'd in the last and fatal Year of his Reign The other begins its first Inscription with Jacobus 4. but the Figure is undoubtedly misprinted for that of of 5 the Piece being the very same which we shall presently present the Reader with as the proper Groat of the next Reign James V. King James the Fifth as far as appears by the Statutes of his Time made no manner of Alteration in the Standard of the Coin And yet towards the End of his Reign or the Beginning of his Daughters a mighty Change did happen both in the naming of the Scottish Pieces of Money and in the Computation of their Sums as we shall see anon The eldest of his Coins Groat and Half-groat give him Side-faced with Jacobus Dei Gra. Rex Scotorum R. Cross Floree two Thistle-heads and two Spur-Rowels for they are hexagonal and pierc'd in the Center with Villa Edinburgh His later Groat gives him in Bust side-faced with short lank Hair crown'd Jacobus 5. Dei Gra. Rex Scotorum R. The Scotch Shield on a Cross circumscrib'd Oppidum Edinburgi Others which seem the elder have Villa c. W. 1 Dr. 18 Gr. Q. Mary After his Death we hear no more of any Groats Half-Groats Pennies or Half-pennies coin'd in Scotland nor any of their Names so much as once mention'd in any of the subsequent Acts of Parliament 'T is (r) Ita. RR. D. D. Archiep. Ebor. suppos'd that by this Time the Price of Silver was so risen or rather the Scots like the French had so rais'd the Accounts of their Sums that the old smaller Silver Coins which took their Denomination from Pennies grew into disuse and the Pieces that were from henceforward coin'd took theirs from Shillings and Merks Thus in France the Deniers perish'd and were forgotten and the Sols and Livres succeeded in their Room We do not indeed meet with the Name of Testoons in the publick Statutes of the Realm before the Beginning of James the Sixth's Reign But 't is more than probable that the Name was common enough in his Mother's Time that the Pieces so call'd were coin'd in Imitation of our English Shillings and that their current Value was Five Shillings Scotch Many of these and other Coins of this Reign are still to be seen in the Cabinets of the Curious And I shall give the Reader an Account of such of 'em as have com'd to my Knowledge in the same Order wherein they were minted 1. The eldest of these bears the (s) p. D. Sutherland Queen side-faced and crown'd with Maria Dei Gra. R. Scotorum R. The Shield of Scotland crown'd betwixt two Mullets and Da pacem Domine 1553. The Second bears the Letter M. crown'd and supported with two crown'd Thistles inscrib'd Maria Dei G. Scotorum Regina 1555. R. The Scotch Shield on a Cross circumscrib'd Deliciae Domini Cor bumile W. 5 Dr. 3 Gr. Half of the same 2. Another of the same Year carries her Head with Maria Dei G. Scotor Regina R. A crown'd Shield and Justus fide vivit 1555. W. 3 Dr. 13 Gr. 3. The Scotch Shield supported by the Letters M and R Maria Dei G. Scotor Regina 1556. R. A large Cross with Four less in its Quarters Virtute tua libera me W. 4 Dr. 4 Gr. 4. The Half of this of the same Year c. 5. Differs nothing from the Third excepting in its Weight and Date for 't is said to be coin'd in 1558 and weighs only 3 Dr. 20 Gr. 6. F and M in a Cypher crown'd supported with double Crosslets Fecit utraque unum 1558. R. The Arms of the Dauphine and Scotland with Franciscus Mar. D. G. R. R. Scotor D. D. Vien W. 4 Dr. 2 Gr. Immediately upon the Death of Queen Mary of England this Year King Henry the Second of France (t) Lesl Hist Sot lib. 10. p. 503. caused his Daughter-in-Law to be declar'd Queen of England Scotland and Ireland in the Parliament of Paris and order'd the Arms of England to be put on all her Plate Tapestry c. It should seem that this was her common Style ever after till the Treaty of Leith cut her short For thus runs the first (u) Lesl Hist Scot. p. 528. Article there Ut nec Franciae Rex nec ipsius Conjunx Scotiae Regina Angliae Hiberniaeve Titulos sibi deinceps usurparent Insignia Anglicana ex tota sua suppellectile delerent Diplomata in quibus Titulus Angliae Hiberniae Ipsis tribuebatur supprimi curarent 'T is much that in all this Time none of their Money bore the Arms and Title of England and yet I never saw nor read of any that did 'T is true Mr. Evelyn (x) Numism 93. mentions her assuming the Arms of England and Scotland in a Medal but that which he has given us and which he seems to think concerns the Story of our renown'd Queen Elizabeth has not a Stroke in it which looks this Way The Queen indeed pleaded for (y) Archb. Spotsey Hist of Ch. of Scotl. lib. 4. p. 177. herself afterwards that she was constrain'd to this Usurpation by her Husband and Father-in-Law and that after their Death she never practis'd any such Matter And so I suppose her suffering a Medal to be struck in the Year 1560 is to be accounted for On this we have the Arms of France Scotland and England quarterly circumscrib'd Maria D. G. Francorum Scotorum Reg. c. On the Reverse two Crowns on a Level with a Third in the Clouds inscrib'd Altamque Moratur 1566. 7. Another of the same Weight Stamp c. with the last but coin'd in 1559. One of the Articles wherewith the Lords of the Congregation this very Year charg'd the Queen-Regent was (z) B. Burnet Hist of Reform Vol. 2. p. 412. that she had embas'd the Coin to maintain her French Soldiers The last mention'd is not referr'd to in this Charge but some (a) p. ◠Sutherland baser Pieces and smaller which carry the Cypher crown'd c. but the Reverse has this Inscription on a Square Jam non sunt duo sed una caro 1558 and 1559. 8. Arms of France and Scotland crown'd on a Cross Crosslet Fra. Ma. D. G. R. R. Franc. Scotor q. R. F and M in a Cypher crown'd supported by a Flower-de-Lys and Thistle crown'd Vicit Leo de Tribu Juda 1560. W. 4 Dr. 2
Shillings were the Price of six Cows and (g) LL. Burg. cap. 121. four Pence the Worth of a Pair of Shoes In William the First 's Reign William I. Money seems to have been pretty plentiful since the Nobility of Scotland agreed to pay a (h) H. Boeth lib. 13. Fol. 272. b. Hundred thousand Pound Sterling whereof half was to be in ready Cash to our Henry the Second for the Redemption of that Prince Nor had this so far exhausted the publick Treasure but that he was able not long after to lend Two (i) Ibid. Fol. 277. a. thousand Merks to Richard the Third on his Return in Poverty and Thraldom from the Holy Land Notwithstanding his great Glut of Money which he appears to have been Master of there are not many of his Pence to be met with at this Day In some of the best (k) Penes RR. D. D. Archiep. Ebor. D. R. Ihoresbi Collections of our English Coins there 's one which has been suppos'd to belong to either the Conqueror or his Son Rufus that bears a Side-face and a Scepter and whereon the King looks finer and younger than on any of the rest This with humble Submission I should rather place amongst the Coins of Scotland and guess to belong to King William the First of that Kingdom Two more I have (k) p. D. Ja. Sutherland seen which may possibly belong to this King The one has Le Rey Willem the other Willelmus Rex and both have Walter for the Coiner's Name on the Reverse after which on one comes On Ber. which whether it be for Berwick or Perth sometimes call'd Bertha will need an Enquiry That there was Money coin'd in his Reign is pretty plainly asserted by the Chronicle of Mailros * Chron. Melross ad An. 1195. Willielmus Rex Scotorum innovavit monetam suam In Alexander the (m) Stat. Gild. capp 18.24 26. Third's Time Alex. III a good Horse for the War was valu'd at twenty Shillings a whole Carcase of Mutton the highest Rate sixteen Pence and the lowest eight Pence a Flagon of Beer better and worse Two-pence and a Penny A Couple of these Pennies of the very same Impression Size and Weight I have in my small Collection bearing the King's Head half-faced with a Scepter and Alexander Dei Gra. On the Reverse Rex Scotorum about four hexagonal Mullets or Stars W. 21 Gr. Half of the same K. John King John's is likewise Half-faced with a Crown and Scepter and Johannis Dei Gra. R. Rex Scotorum c. as before And the Weight the same His Half-penny weighs 9 Gr. Half of the same Rob. I. Money of some sort or other could not be very scarce in the Reign of Robert the Bruce who (n) H. Boeth lib. 14. fol. 308. b. agreed to pay our Edward the Third 30000 Merks in ready Money And (o) Hist Scot. lib. 7. p. 237. Lesly assures us the Merks were Sterling His Penny (p) P. D. J. Sutherland Half-penny and Farthing are to be seen Much of the some Shape with those of his Predecessors Robertus Dei Gra. R. Rex Scotorum David II In the Year 1366. the latter End of David the Second's Reign it was (q) Vid. Stat. Dav. 2. capp 38. 46. Enacted in Parliament that the Money should be equal in Goodness to that of England and the next Year the Coinage was further regulated a Pound of fine Silver making 29 s. 4 d. Et fiat says the Statute in ipsa Signum Notabile per quod possit ab omni alia prius fabricata evidenter cognosci I think he was the first King of Scotlond that coin'd Groats They give him crown'd and side-fac'd with a Scepter erect and David Dei Gratia Rex Scotorum R. Dns Protector MS. Liberator MS. on an outer Circle and Villa Edinburgh about four Mullets in an inner His half Groat has the same Inscription W. 1½ Dr. His Penny weighs 14 Gr. and has only Villa Edinburgh on the Reverse There 's (r) p. D. Sutherland another which has Villa Aberden on the Reverse And those of Edinburgh have been minted at several Times There are Half and a Third of these and Pennies of both Kinds Robert the Second's Groat is much of the same Shape Rob. II. Weight and Size with that of his Predecessor It shews the King half-faced with a Crown and Scepter erect and Robertus Dei Gra· Rex Scotorum R. Dnus Protector MS. Liberator MS. on the outer Circle and Villa de Perth about four small Stars on the inner Another of 'em has Villa Edinburgh and a Third Dundee And I have seen (s) p. Eundem Halfs of all these The first open faced Groat is that of Robert the Third Rob. III. It gives the King's Picture crown'd but without a Scepter in such a kind of Rose as we have on most of our old English Groats The Inscription is Robertus Dei Gra. Rex Scotorum On the Reverse are three Globules in each Quarter of the Cross In the inner Circle Villa Edinburgh and on the outer Dnus Protector MS. Liberator MS. W. 1½ Dr. 7 Gr. Mr. Sutherland has three other Varieties with Villa de Perth Villa de Aberd .. and Villa Dumbertan and the Half of the first of these and those of Villa Edinburgh as likewise Pennies of both kinds and Villa de Aberde In the first Year of King James the First 's Reign 't was enacted that (t) Parl. 1 Jac. 1. cap. 23. Mar. 26. 1424. our Lord the King gar mend his Money James I. and gar stryke it in like Wecht and Fineness to the Money of England A little before this the States of the Kingdom had agreed to (u) H. Boeth lib. 17. Fol. 346. pay to our K. Henry the Sixth the Sum of 100000 Merks for this King's Ransom whereof 50000 were to be paid in ready Money These tho' of such a Standard as then pass'd for (x) Vid. Lesl Hist Scot. lib. 7. cap. 261. Sterling might probably be found to carry too great an Allay when they came to be tender'd in England and this might as probably give Occasion for the foremention'd Statute His Groat is full-faced with Crown and Scepter and Jacobus Dei Gracia Rex Scot. R. In the Quarters of the Cross are two Flower-de-Lis's and twice three little Balls or Globuli countercharg'd within an anner Circle bearing Villa Edinburgh and an outer with Dnus Protector MS c. There 's (y) p RR D D Archiep Ebor. another which I take to belong likewise to this King and to be of somewhat more Age than the former whereon the Inscription is Jacobus Dei Gra. Rex-Scotorum and its Reverse in all Points agrees with that of Robert the Third The Weight of the former is 1 Dr. 9 Gr. and of this 1 Dr. 4½ Gr. There are (z) p M J Sutherland others coin'd at Perth Aberdeen
CHAP. I. Of the Medâ—â—â— and Coins of Scotland THere are not many Scotch Coins found on the Borders of the Two Kingdoms notwithstanding the frequent Conflicts that have happen'd there And one great Reason why they are more rarely met with than the English is because as our Edward the Second observ'd in his (a) J. Major Hist lib. 5. cap. 5. Speech the Kings of Scotland used not in old Time to pay their Armies but every Man follow'd at his own Expence and carry'd his own Provisions He that wrote the short Catalogue of the King 's prefix'd to H. Boethius's History I speak thus doubtingly of it because it could not be written by that Historian himself since it concludes with Queen Mary's two Husbands affirms roundly that there was no coin'd Mony in the Days of K. Reutha but that all manner of Payments of Wages or Prices were made in Corn or Beef In the (b) H. Boeth lib. 2. fol. 10. a. History it self this King is said to have order'd the Salaries of Men of different Professions in a certain and critical manner so as that a Counsellor at Law was to have the Ox's Tongue the Physician two Ribs out of each of his sides c. Bishop (c) Hist Scot. lib. â— p. 8â— Lesley indeed reports this matter much otherwise and assures us that King Reutha coin'd Mony of Leather Numum ex corio bubulo cudi jussit But long after this the Brigantes are (d) H. Boeth lib. 3. fol. 46. a. said to have been Strangers to the Use of any sort of Coin their whole Treasure in aractacus's Reign being in re pecuaria in their Stocks of Cattle Picts We are told that (e) H. Boeth Lib. 10. fol. 194. a. Brudus King of the Picts sent a considerable Sum missa ad eum ingenti pecuniae vi to the Saxon King Edwine as his Stipendiary against the Scots But whether this was of his own or some foreign Coin we are not inform'd K. Donald 'T is probable enough that some sort of coin'd Money they had even long before that Time if their Neighbours the Scots were made acquainted with the Thing as early as K. Donald the First 's Days And so says (f) Id. Lib. 5. fol. 86. b. Lesl lib. 2. p. 109. and Buchanan Lib. 6. p. m. 175. says Sterling-Money was first coin'd by Donald the Fifth about the middle of the Ninth Century H. Boethius whose very expressions are mostly transcrib'd by the following Historians and are these Donaldus primus omnium Scotorum Regum ut in Nostris Annalibus proditum est memoriae Nummum Argenteum Aureumque signavit una parte salutiferae Crucis altera sui ipsius Effigie expressa quo suscepta a se primum inter Scotos Reges Christianae pietatis memoriam ad posteros propagaret Enimvero Nostrates antea aut nulla pecunia signata sed ejus loco Mercibus Commmutationis Causa aut Romana aut Britannica in Commerciis utebantur He proves the latter part of this Story from great Quantities of Roman Money found in Fife and other Parts of the Kingdom but his Authorities for the rest which is of chief Concern to us are omitted Malcolm II I do not much doubt but that these Parts of Great Britain have all along maintain'd their Commerce and may they ever continue to do so in the same Methods and Fashion with those that are more Southern So that the Value of Money and the Prices of Goods have generally been at a par amongst the several Nations which antiently inhabited this Island An early Instance we have of this in the (g) LL. Malc 2. capp 3.7 8. Laws of King Malcolm the Second wherein a Colpindach or young Heifer is valu'd at Thirty Pence the very same Price which is set on an Ox in some of our (h) Vid. L L. ASS. Edit Wheloc p. 95. Saxon Laws which are supposd to have been Enacted about the same Time CHAP. II. Of the Scottish Gold Coins HOW long the Scots have coin'd Gold is very uncrtain tho' I think we may in the Gross venture to affirm that they hardly did it before the English And we have elsewhere ascrib'd the Beginning of the Matter there to K. Edward the Third What the (i) H. Boeth lib. 3. fol. 35. a. Nummus Aureus was which Macolm Camnoir appointed to be paid in Lieu of that obscenc Privilege given to the Grandees of Scotland by Euenus the Third upon the Marriage of their Tenants and Vassals I cannot certainly tell tho' my Author says 't was of the same kind with what in his own Time was well enough kown by the Name of Marcheta Dimidiata Argenti Marca is the Expression he (k) Id. lib. 12. fol. 260. a. Vid. Reg. Majest lib. 4. cap. 31. elsewhere uses and I suppose this may suit the Thing better than Nummus Aureus The five last Chapters in the Regiam Majestatem are observ'd to be of a suspected Authority or otherwise we might seem to have a pretty good Evidence of K. David the Firsts coining of Gold For thus runs one of the Laws (l) Reg. Majest lib. 4. cap. 40. v. 7. Pro Vulnere in facie vulnerans dabit unam peciam Auri videlicet unam Imaginem Auri. These are all Uncertainties Before we enter upon the Times wherein we have better Light it will be convenient to to observe two Things to the Reader 1. That the Proportion betwixt Gold and Silver in the Kingdom of Scotland has usually been as One to Twelve so that when the Ounce of Gold was at three Pounds the Ounce of Silver went at five Shillings c. This is more particularly clear'd in a Manuscript Note of (m) Penes D. Rob. Sibbald Sir James Balfour's which he had call'd Prysses of the Cunzie in the hail tyme of Ja. 1. Ja. 2. Ja. 3. Ja 4. Ja. 5. and Queine Marey A. D. 1437. says that Note K. James the First at his Death had a Standard equal to that of England Silver was at 5 s. Scots the Ounce and Gold at 3 l. A. D. 1440. K. James the Second rais'd Silver to 8 s. the Ounce and Gold to 4 l. 19 s. A. D. 1466. James the Third rais'd the Silver first to 10 s. 8 d. and the Gold to 5 l. 12 s. afterwards he again mounted the Ounce of Silver to 12 s. in November 1475. but in February 1483. he reduced it to 11 s. 8 d. The Gold he advanc'd to 6 l. A. D. 1489. James the Fourth kept both at the last mention'd Value There are no remaining Acts of Council concerning Coinage in K. James the Fifth's Time tho' great Alterations were made in that Reign The Douglas-Groats of 10 d. fine and Babies of 3 d. fine were then brought in use as were likewise the Bonnet-pieces of Gold He left the Ounce of Silver at 19 s. 9 d. and Gold at 12 l. A. D. 1542. In Q. Mary's time the Ounce of Silver
Linlithgow and Stirling with the Half of that of Edinburgh James II. The Parliament in the 4th Year of K. James the Second thought it expedient (a) Parl 8 Ja 2 cap 33 Oct 25 1451. for diverse Causes that there be stricken new Money conforme even in Weicht to the Money of England with the quilk this Realm hes parte of Commoning And that there be stricken of the Ounce of burnt Silver or Bulzeon of that Fines aucht Groates and of the samin mater and weicht as Effeiris Half-groate Pennie Half-pennie and Farding In his (b) Parl 13 Ja 2 cap 29 Oct 19 1455. Eighteenth Year this New Groat is order'd to go for Twelve Pennies and the Six-penny Groat which appears to have been of a scandalously base Allay because the Mint-Masters are forbidden on pain of Death to coin any more of 'em is ordain'd till have Course as it hes What Value that was its very Name sufficiently shews and I take this to be the same Piece which in the (c) Parl 1 Ja 3 cap 23. next Reign is call'd the Sex-Penny-Groat of the Floure de Luce. This raising of their New Groat which was of the very same Weight and Fineness with the English Groat brought the Computation of the Sums in Scotland to Tripple what they bore in England So that their Pound was no more than our Noble their Shilling than our Groat or Four Pence c. The said Groat gives this King full-faced with an Imperial Crown and Jacobus Dei Gra. Rex Scot. R. Dnus Protector c. on an outer Circle and Villa Edinburgh about two Crowns intercharg'd with twice three little Balls and a small Annulet on the inner W. 2 Dr. Half of this Another of the Groats has Villa (d) p. D. J. Sutherland Aberdie on its Reverse The first Parliament of K. James the Third ordains that (e) Oct. 9. 1466. cap. 9. James III. for the Ease and Sustentation of the Kingis Lieges and almous Deede to be done to puir Folk there be cuinzied (f) Mr. Sutherland has Samples of these and some of the like Kinds in the following Reigns Copper Money four to the Penny havand on th' ane Part the Croce of S. Andrew and the Crown on th' other Part with Subscription of Edinburgh on the ane Part and an R. with James on th' other Part. These are the same Pieces which were continu'd by his Successors and in the Reign of Ja. VI. got the Name of Atcheson's from one Atcheson a Coiner and Author of the Book of Metals mention'd in the first Chapter of this Historical Library Some of which were of common Currency for four Bothwels or Eight Pennies Scotch even in the late Reign of K. Charles the Second but are now wholly disus'd In his (g) Parl. 3. Ja. 3. Oct. 12. 1467. cap. 18. Third Parliament the Groat of the Crown is order'd to have Course for Fourteen Pennies and the strikeing of the Black Pennies to be ceas'd These Black Pennies were a different Sort of Money from the Copper-Farthings above-mention'd and were for some Time forced in Payments till at last the People unanimously refus'd to take them Upon which the last Earl of Douglas reflecting made this Answer to the King when requested in his extreme old age to be his Lieutenant-General against the Rebels (h) D. Hume Hist of Dugl p. 206. Sir you have kept me and your black Coffer in Sterlin too long Neither of us can do you any good We find it also amongst the Articles objected to his Favourites by the Earl of Angus and others that they had perswaded him to (i) Ibid. Par. 2. 226. Vid. etiam Lesl Hist Scot. lib. 8. p. 309. J. Ferrer Append. ad H. Boeth Fol. 395. a G. Buchan lib. 12. p. m. 444. coin a Brass Coin of no Value which the People call'd the Black Coin which Fact of all other was most odious to the Vulgar For as it follows in the History a great Dearth ensu'd upon the Project since every Body chose to let their Corn rather rot than to give it away so much below the intrinsick Value In the very next Parliament of this Reign call'd within a (k) Parl. 4. Ja. 3. in Jan. 1467. cap. 23. few Months of the former the Groat of the Crown is reduced to 12 d. and the lesser Pieces to proportionable Values In this King 's (l) May 6. 1471. cap. 46. Sixth Parliament the New allay'd Groat is order'd to go for Six Pennies and the Half-Groat for three And in his (m) Nov. 20. 1475. cap. 64. Eighth Twelve Groats are appointed to be stricken out of an Ounce of burnt Silver as also Pennies to go at 3 d. and Half-pennies of the same Fineness In his (n) Feb. 24. 1483. cap. 93. Thirteenth a new Penny of Silver as fine as the old English Groat is order'd to be coin'd ten whereof are to make an Ounce and to go at 14 d. each At the same Time Counterfeit Placks at 2 d. a Piece were call'd in His Groat represents him full-faced and crown'd without a Scepter with this Inscription Jacobus Dei Gra. Rex Scotorum R. Villa Edinburg on the inner Circle about the Crowns and Globuli as on his Fathers but without the Annulets and Dnus Protector c. on the outer W. 2 Dr. 8 G. The like are (o) p. M. J. Sutherland coin'd at Aberdeen Sterling and Roxburgh and a Half-Groats at Edinburgh Some of his Groats and Half-Groats on the Reverse has a Mullet in each Quarter of the Cross and in the inner Circle Villa Berwici In other Points it agrees with the whole Groat This Piece being stamp'd at Berwick must assuredly belong to this King who was Master of that Town Twenty-one Years and is the only Prince of his Name and Nation before the Union that ever was so It appears that in King James the Fourth's Time James IV. there were Groats of somewhat different Stamps as being minted by several Coiners And the (p) Parl. 1. Ja. 4. A. D. 1488. cap. 2. Act of Parliament particularly mentions those whereof the last mention'd is half struck by Gilbert Pish commonly call'd Barwick-Groats others by Alexander Levingstoun and a third Sort by John Currour These being all of equal Fineness were made equally Current One Groat I have which I believe to be of this King 's own coining It gives his Face open and a Crown on his Head with Jacobus Dei Gra. Rex Scotorum R. Villa Edinburgh about two hexagonal Mullets and twice three Balls countercharg'd on the inner Circle and Dn̄s Protector MS. c. on the outer W. 1 ½ Dw. In the abovemention'd Ordnance of the King of Spain I find two more which are there call'd Schotsche Stooter and which one would imagine to be both of this King 's coining The one of these differs very little from that already describ'd faving that in the outer Circle on the Reverse the