David II's second coinage followed his release from English captivity in 1357, funded in part by the ruinous ransom of 100,000 merks demanded by Edward III after the Scottish defeat at Neville's Cross in 1346. Class B within this coinage is distinguished from Class A primarily by star stops on the reverse — a minor but diagnostically reliable detail that specialists use to sequence the emission. The ransom instalments were never fully paid, leaving Scottish finances chronically strained throughout the period these pennies circulated.
David II's second coinage followed his release from English captivity in 1357, funded in part by the ruinous ransom of 100,000 merks demanded by Edward III after the Scottish defeat at Neville's Cross in 1346. Class B within this coinage is distinguished from Class A primarily by star stops on the reverse — a minor but diagnostically reliable detail that specialists use to sequence the emission. The ransom instalments were never fully paid, leaving Scottish finances chronically strained throughout the period these pennies circulated.