1 Nonsunt - Francis and Mary 2nd Period

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.