The late nineteenth century saw a major advance in the study of Scottish coins. Pre-eminent in this development were two enthusiasts, Robert Cochran-Patrick and Edward Burns. The popularisation of Scottish numismatics was further aided by those who drew inspiration from these luminaries. This note draws attention to one whose interests and abilities proved conducive to this process.
Scotland
The Fourth variety of Fleur-de-lis groats of James II of Scotland – David Rampling
This paper presents a review of Burns’ sub-classification of the fourth variety of the fleur-de-lis issue of groats under James II, paying particular attention to die combinations as evidence for the validity of his division into two groups. The relatively large number of dies exhibited by the still relatively small cohort available for study, points to a larger mintage than surviving numbers would suggest.
The Forty-Shilling piece of James VI revisited – David Rampling
A rare Scottish Forty-Shilling piece of James VI, has recently featured on the ‘English hammered and early milled coin collectors’ group of Facebook. The coin is of interest for reasons briefly discussed in this article.
The ‘ED PERTH’ mint signature on the coins of Robert II – David Rampling
This note concerns an enigmatic rendition of the mint signature on some groats, halfgroats and pennies issued under Robert II. On these coins the signature of VILLA DE PERTH is rendered as VILLA ED PERTH. This latter legend has been attributed to die-sinker error, born of familiarity with producing VILLA EDINBURGH mint signatures. The representation of this anomaly across three denominations, involving multiple dies and many coins, suggests that the ED PERTH reading may have been intentional.
BNS Research Blog 