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1 Sword and Sceptre Piece - James VI 8th Coinage
| Issuer | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1601-1604 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 5.09 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central field depicts a crossed sword and sceptre in saltire, each issuing from below and surmounted by a shared royal crown with fleurs-de-lis, all in bold hammered relief. Two naturalistically rendered thistles, the heraldic emblem of Scotland, flank the central devices to left and right. The date 1602 appears in the lower field within the beaded inner circle. The circumferential Latin legend is separated from the central device by a beaded inner border and reads around the full periphery, punctuated by pellets and a floral ornament at the top. |
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| Additional information |
The Sword and Sceptre piece was introduced as part of James VI's 8th coinage following the revaluation of Scottish gold in 1601, itself a response to chronic currency manipulation and the persistent undervaluation of Scottish coin against its English equivalent. James had spent much of his reign attempting to stabilize a monetary system that foreign merchants routinely exploited by exporting undervalued specie. This denomination — worth 6 pounds Scots at introduction — was a deliberate instrument of that policy, not a routine issue.
Production ceased abruptly in 1604, the year after James inherited the English throne and unified the crowns. A distinctly Scottish gold coinage became politically awkward almost immediately.