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1 Penny - Alexander III 1st Coinage, Type IV
| Issuer | Kingdom of Scotland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1250-1280 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Facing crowned portrait of King Alexander III in the hammered medieval style, depicted with a stylised bearded visage and prominent pellet-ornamented crown. The effigy is rendered in crude but characteristic high-relief, with pellets decorating the neck and surrounding field. A beaded inner circle frames the portrait. The encircling Latin legend reads ALEXANDER REX, identifying the issuing monarch. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Alexander III's first coinage underwent several documented type progressions, and Type IV represents the final phase before the extensive recoinage of the 1280s that introduced the second coinage — a reform almost certainly prompted by the widespread clipping and imitation that had degraded the currency across Anglo-Scottish trade routes. The Scottish penny circulated interchangeably with English sterling throughout this period, a de facto monetary union enforced by merchants rather than by treaty.
Spink 5044 is among the more frequently encountered types from this reign, though die studies by Stewart and others have identified considerable variation in the lettering punches used across mints including Berwick, Roxburgh, and St Andrews.