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1 Groat - James III Main Issue
| Issuer | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1484-1488 |
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| Currency | Pound Scots (1136-1707) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin (uncial) |
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| Reverse description | Central design features a long cross extending to the inner beaded circle, dividing the field into four quarters. Three pellets appear in each quarter, with crowns placed in two alternate quarters and an annulet at the central intersection of the cross. The mint name appears in the outer legend, identifying Aberdeen as the place of issue. The legend is contained between the inner and outer beaded circles, with the entire design exhibiting the characteristic irregular striking of hammered medieval coinage. |
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| Additional information |
James III's later coinage is inseparable from the political turbulence of his final years. By the mid-1480s, Scottish baronial opposition had coalesced into open rebellion, and the king's monetary policies — particularly his aggressive issue of debased billon "black money" earlier in the reign — had badly eroded confidence in the crown's coinage. The groats of this terminal phase were struck in better silver precisely to rehabilitate that trust.
James died at Sauchieburn in June 1488, immediately after the battle, killed under circumstances that remain disputed. Coins attributable to these last four years carry the unspoken weight of a reign that ended in usurpation by his own son.