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1 Farthing - Alexander III 2nd Coinage
| Issuer | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1280-1286 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Crowned bust of King Alexander III facing left, depicted in a schematic, medieval style typical of hammered Scottish coinage. The king holds a sceptre before him, with the royal regalia suggested in broad strokes. The bust is enclosed within a beaded inner circle, with a partial Latin legend running in the outer field. The portrait exhibits the characteristic flat, stylised treatment of 13th-century Scottish regal coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ALEXANDER REI |
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| Additional information |
Alexander III's farthing issues are among the scarcest of all medieval Scottish coinages — the small denomination saw heavy attrition through loss and wear, and few survived even the 13th century intact. The 2nd coinage, introduced around 1280, refined the facing portrait style established in the 1st coinage and aligned Scottish silver more closely with contemporary English penny design policy, reflecting the relatively cooperative relationship between Alexander and Edward I before the succession crisis of 1286.
Alexander died in March 1286 after his horse went over a cliff near Kinghorn in darkness, ending the coinage abruptly. At 11mm, these pieces were easily lost and rarely hoarded.