1/2 Merk - Charles II 1st Coinage, Type IV

Charles II's Scottish coinage operated entirely separately from his English issues, struck at the Edinburgh Mint under the master of the mint rather than the Tower. The 1st Coinage types ran from the Restoration in 1660 through the mid-1670s, with Type IV representing the final refinement of the series before production wound down. By 1675 the Scottish mint was already in irregular operation, which accounts for the comparatively modest survival numbers across all denominations from this terminal phase.