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1 Nonsunt - Francis and Mary 2nd Period
| Issuer | Edinburgh Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1558-1559 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Shilling (1/20) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays a large crowned royal cipher comprising the conjoined initials F and M, surmounted by a royal crown with fleurs-de-lis and crosses. To the left of the cipher, a small thistle head is visible, and to the right, a crowned thistle — emblems of Scotland — flank the monogram. The surrounding Latin legend reads FRAN · ET · MA · D · G · R · R · SCOTOR · D · D · VIEN, identifying Francis and Mary as King and Queen of Scots and Dauphin and Dauphiness of Viennois. The coin exhibits the characteristic irregular flan and flat, hand-struck relief typical of mid-sixteenth-century Scottish hammered silver coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | FRAN · ET · MA · D · G · R · R · SCOTOR · D · D · VIEN (Translation: Francis and Mary, by the grace of God, King and Queen of Scotland, Dauphin and Dauphiness of Viennois) |
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| Additional information |
The "Nonsunt" testoons of Francis and Mary take their nickname from the Latin inscription declaring the previous monetary standard void — issued specifically to demonetize the debased coinage circulating in Scotland at the time. Francis II had become King of France in July 1558 upon the death of Henry II, making Mary simultaneously Queen of Scots and Queen-consort of France, a dynastic union that lasted barely eighteen months before Francis died of an ear infection in December 1560.
The Edinburgh Mint operated under considerable political pressure during this window, navigating both the demands of the French crown and the growing force of Scottish Protestant reform.