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1 Lion - Mary I 1st Period
| Issuer | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1555-1556 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Silver Lion (1⁄160) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field dominated by a large Roman capital letter 'M' surmounted by a royal crown decorated with fleurs-de-lis, the whole device occupying the majority of the flan. The crowned initial serves as the royal cypher of Mary Queen of Scots. A circular Latin legend runs around the periphery, interrupted by pellet stops, identifying the queen by name and title. The design is rendered in the bold, somewhat crude style typical of mid-sixteenth-century Scottish hammered billon coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Mary I returned to Scotland from France in 1561, but this issue predates that — struck during her minority regency period when the country was governed in her name while she remained at the French court. The billon content reflects chronic bullion shortages that had plagued the Scottish mint for decades, forcing successive reductions in fineness that left these small-denomination pieces barely distinguishable from base metal in circulation.