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Mints of Scotland

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Penny of Henry of Scotland
hENRICVS •[F RE?], crowned bust right, sceptre before +EREBALD: ON [C]OREB:, cross moline with fleur in each angle within tressure
AR 1,18 gm, 10h. Corbridge mint; moneyer: (H)erebald
The Old Scottish Mint on the Cowgate

There were a number of mints in Scotland, for the production of the Scottish coinage. The most important mint was in the capital, Edinburgh, which was active from the reign of David I (1124–1153), and was the last to close, in the 19th century.

Minting history

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Carlisle was probably the first Scottish mint in 1136. According to Bateson, David I began to mint coins after capturing the city.[1] Mints at Bamburgh and Corbridge in Northumberland, under the control of David's son Henry, Earl of Northumberland, later returned to English control. Under Alexander III (1249–1286) there were 16 mints. In the reign of James IV (1488–1513), the sole mint was located at Edinburgh. After this time, the only other active mint was at Stirling, where bawbees were minted under Queen Mary.

Until 1559 a mint was in the grounds of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. From 1559 the mint was located within the confines of Edinburgh Castle for security reasons. In 1571, the principal officers of the mint were; David Forrest, General; Andrew Henderson, Warden; David Adamson, Counter-Warden; James Mosman, Assayer, and his replacement Thomas Acheson; James Gray, Sinker of the dies or coining irons; John Acheson, Master coiner.[2]

During the Marian Civil War and "lang siege" of Edinburgh Castle, James Cockie minted silver coins in the castle, and Regent Morton coined equivalent pieces at Dalkeith Castle.[3][4] Morton also revived the mint at Holyroodhouse in May 1573, ordering repairs to be made by William MacDowall and moving equipment stored in the palace's south tower to the old mint building.[5]

Regent Morton revalued copper or base "black money" coinage, using a countermark of a heart, some at three times its face value, and used this to pay for various building projects for the Crown, including the building of the half-moon battery at Edinburgh Castle. The countermark was made the goldsmith James Gray, and can be seen on many placks and hardheads today. In 1575, Morton devalued the currency to its base value to the anger of those still holding it.[6]

Regent Morton attempted to revive gold mining in Scotland, and in July 1576 a proclamation was issued, forbidding the sale of gold in Scotland except to the Master Coiner, John Acheson.[7]

From 1574 until 1707 the mint in Edinburgh was located on the Cowgate at the foot of South Grays Close, east of Cardinal David Beaton's lodging. The buildings became the property of the mint master Thomas Acheson, and were demolished in 1877.[8] The site, near the Cowgate, is now commemorated by the street name "Coinyie House Close".[9]

Minting ceased in Scotland in 1709 when the Edinburgh Mint produced its last batch of coins at the end of the 1707–1710 Scottish recoinage, although it retained its permanent officials (though not other staff) for a further hundred years, until 1814. The mint was finally abolished in 1817 and sold in 1830.[10] The title of 'Governor of the Mint of Scotland', which passed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer under the Coinage Act 1870, was finally abolished with the passing of the Coinage Act 1971.[10]

Mints

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Scottish mints
  David I earl
Henry		 Malcom IV William Alexander II Alexander III John
Baliol		 Robert
Bruce		 David II Robert II Robert III James I James II James III James IV James V Mary I
Aberdeen x x x x x x
Ayr x
Bamborough x
Berwick x x x x [11] x
Carlisle x x
Corbridge x
Dumbarton x
Dunbar x x
Dundee x
Edinburgh x x x [11] [11] x x x x x x x x x
Forfar x
Forres x
Glasgow x
Hamer x
Inverness x x
Jedburgh x
Kelso x
Kinghorn x
Lanark x
Linlithgow x x
Montrose x
Perth x x x x x x
Roxburgh x x x x x
St Andrews x x [12]
Stirling x x x x x

References

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  1. ^ Bateson: Scottish Coins
  2. ^ Charles Thorpe McInnes, Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland, 1566–1574, 12 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1970), p. 249: HMC 16th Report: Manuscripts of the Earl of Mar and Kellie (London, 1904), p. 28.
  3. ^ Harry Potter, Edinburgh Under Siege, 1571–1573 (Stroud: Tempus, 2003), p. 97: Thomas Thomson, A diurnal of remarkable occurrents that have passed within Scotland (Edinburgh, 1833), pp. 297–98
  4. ^ Michael Lynch, Edinburgh and the Reformation (John Donald, 2003), p. 147.
  5. ^ Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 12 (Edinburgh, HMSO, 1970), p. 348.
  6. ^ Thomas Thomson, A diurnal of remarkable occurrents that have passed within Scotland (Edinburgh, 1833), p. 345.
  7. ^ John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1878), pp. 554–555.
  8. ^ Inventory of the Ancient Monuments of the City of Edinburgh (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1951), p. 128 no. 85.
  9. ^ Winifred Coutts, The Business of the College of Justice in 1600 (Edinburgh: Stair Society, 2003), pp. 444-5.
  10. ^ a b The Scottish Mint after the recoinage, 1709–1836, Athol L Murray, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1999
  11. ^ a b c Unsigned coins. cfr. Stewart p. 167
  12. ^ Ecclesiastical coins

Bibliography

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  • Adam de Cardonnel (1786). Numismata Scotiæ Or, A Series of the Scottish Coinage, from the Reign of William the Lion to the Union. George Nicol, Edinburgh.
  • Donald Bateson. Scottish Coins. Shire Publications Ltd., Bucks, 1987, ISBN 0-85263-847-7
  • James Mackay – John Mussel (eds.): Coin Price Guide to British coins, Token Publishing Ltd, Axminster, Devon
  • Ian Halley Stewart. The Scottish Coinage, Spink & Son, London, 1955
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