A Collection of Scottish Coins, the Property of a Gentleman (Part I)

James III (1460-1488), Light issue, c.1467, Groat, Edinburgh, mm. cross pattée, tressure of nine arcs, trefoils on cusps except above crown, small saltires by neck, reads d gra, legend ends scotorvm, rev. three pellets and saltire in first and fourth quarters, mullet of six points in second and third quarters, cross before vil, double saltire stops both sides, 2.63g/2h (SCBI 35, 740 and B 1, fig. 561, same dies; SCBI 72, 763, same obv. die; S 5263). Good very fine on a full flan, probably much as struck and very rare thus £1,200-£1,500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Scottish Coins, the Property of a Gentleman.

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from the Thurston Gardens, Innerwick (East Lothian) Hoard, 1979 (no. 58); bt D.L. Cavanagh 1983

Although there is no documentary evidence for the weight reduction of the Scottish coinage, indirect evidence would suggest c. 1467, a few years after the English initiative. The sporadic mint records show 83 lbs of silver being struck June 1467-68, after almost no production during the previous couple of years. The obverse die of the current specimen was used only at Edinburgh and is found coupled with two reverse dies, this one and another which also couples with the T and L by bust die (S 5265/5266), used at both Edinburgh and Berwick.