1/2 Penny - John Balliol 1st Coinage

John Balliol was installed as King of Scots in November 1292 following Edward I of England's adjudication in the Great Cause — a succession dispute Edward exploited to assert overlordship over Scotland. Balliol's coinage reflects that compromised kingship: his reign lasted just four years before Edward deposed him in 1296, stripped him of his arms, and earned him the enduring epithet "Toom Tabard" — empty coat.

The halfpenny fraction is considerably scarcer than the penny from this series. Sp#5069A places it firmly within the first coinage, before any stylistic revisions.