1 Pistole - William II

The 1701 Scottish pistole was struck just months before the Act of Union negotiations began in earnest, making it one of the last gold issues of an independent Scottish coinage. William II — William III of England — had effectively governed Scotland as a subordinate kingdom for over a decade by this point, and the Edinburgh mint was already operating under severe financial strain, its gold supply erratic and its output inconsistent year to year.

The pistole denomination itself was borrowed from the French and Spanish gold coinage that had long circulated in Scottish trade. Production ceased entirely within a few years, absorbed into the unified British monetary system following the 1707 Act of Union.