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1/2 Rider - James III Issue of 1475-83, Type II
| Issuer | Edinburgh Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1475-1483 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Variable alignment ↺ |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the crowned royal shield of Scotland displaying the rampant lion, the shield surmounted by a crown with ornate floral finials. A cross pattée divides the inner field into quadrants, with small lis or rosette stops visible at the extremities. The design is enclosed within a beaded inner circle, with the royal legend occupying the outer annulus between two concentric beaded borders. The overall composition is characteristic of late fifteenth-century Scottish hammered gold coinage, rendered in bold, high-relief style. |
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| Mintage | ND (1475-1483) |
| Additional information |
The Rider coinage was introduced by James III as part of a broader monetary reform intended to align Scottish gold issues more closely with continental European denominations — particularly the Burgundian and French gold then dominating North Sea trade. The half rider at this weight was a functional bridge denomination, circulating alongside the full rider in a period when Scottish commerce with the Low Countries was intensifying.
James III remains one of the most controversial Stewart kings, and his monetary policies were no exception — he was accused by his own barons of debasing the coinage and hoarding gold, charges that contributed directly to the aristocratic rebellions that eventually killed him at Sauchieburn in 1488.