1/2 Groat - James IV Light Coinage, Type III

James IV's Light Coinage reflects a deliberate reduction in the silver content and weight of Scottish small denomination coinage, enacted as the crown sought to manage bullion shortages and keep currency circulating during an economically strained period. The Type III designation within this series marks a later die style, distinguished by specialists primarily through crown and annulet placement rather than any dramatic design overhaul.

James IV died at Flodden in September 1513, making that battle the hard terminus for this entire coinage. Pieces struck in the final years before Flodden are effectively the last coins James ever authorized.