1 Groat - James III Main Issue

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.