Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1 Groat - James III Light Issue of c.1467
| Issuer | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1467 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 2.54 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A bold long cross pattée divides the reverse field into four quarters, with trefoils composed of three pellets alternating with six-pointed mullets (stars) placed in the angles of the cross. The cross extends to the inner beaded border, a design typical of Scottish medieval groats. The circular legend in uncial lettering runs between the inner and outer beaded borders, referencing the Edinburgh mint. The overall composition follows the standard reverse type of James III groats, reflecting Continental Gothic influence in its geometric precision and symmetrical ornamental arrangement. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | DNS . PTECTOR : MS : & : LIBAT VILLA EDINBVRG (Translation: God is my Defender and my Redeemer Town of Edinburgh) |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
James III's Light coinage of c.1467 reduced the groat's weight significantly from the preceding Heavy Issue, a deliberate debasement driven by chronic fiscal pressure and the ongoing cost of consolidating royal authority in Scotland. The reduction brought Scottish silver coinage closer to the weight standard of contemporary English and Burgundian issues, though the adjustment was unpopular with merchants accustomed to the heavier standard.
Spink 5263 encompasses several die varieties with notable inconsistency in the placement of the mint mark and stop patterns — worth examining closely before attribution is finalized.