A Collection of Scottish Coins, the Property of a Gentleman

David II (1329-1371), Second coinage, Class B, Groat, late class B, Edinburgh, mm. cross fourchée on both sides., second intermediate bust, tressure of six-and-a-half arcs, nothing in spandrels, saltire stops, mullet after scotorvm, small d under rgh, plain a both sides, 4.26g/7h (SCBI 35, 373, same obv. die; cf. B fig. 261 rev.; S 5097). Better than fine but weak in centres, extremely rare £150-£200

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

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Bt eBay September 2020

This coin belongs to an unpublished ‘Cross-Fourchy’ sub-group of David II coins (Groats, Halfgroats and Pennies) which seems to have been produced between the end of Class B and the beginning of Class C. Extensive research by the vendor, done over a number of years and based mainly on letter forms and fonts, places these coins with their forked initial crosses in the period c. 1364.

It is clear that Groups A and B and Groups C and D form two distinct and discreet groups, with no overlap in portrait, crown or letter punches. This corresponds with the change of mintmaster in Edinburgh, with James Mulekyn leaving and being replaced by Bonagius of Florence who probably left his post at the English mint at Durham in 1363.

During this changeover period, the Cross Fourchy coins seem to have been produced at a time when a person or persons unknown were overseeing coin production, apparently on fairly ad-hoc basis. Old dies were used or re-used, new dies were somewhat carelessly made from a large number of varied letter punches. Reverses so far identified include some early class A dies, 3 normal class B dies and 12 marked with the fourchy mint mark. These pair with Burns 1st Intermediate obverse dies 268 and 271a, B.271 being an example; four new Cross Fourchy obverse dies with varied portraits, three of these having a mullet after the legend leading Burns to include B261 in Class A; and the Burns 254a obverse, previously thought to only have been used at Aberdeen but now known to have been used in a somewhat dilapidated state at Edinburgh only during the Cross Fourchy series with a Cross Fourchy reverse die and an old, reused Class A reverse.

Some lettering from Class B is found on the Cross Fourchy dies, the T and O positioning this group after the final Class B dies, but other letter punches unique to this small series vary almost on a die-to-die basis.