Gold coin (obverse) with a crowned portrait of King Charles I

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This is the obverse of a gold half-unit minted at Edinburgh between 1637 and 1642, during the reign of Charles I. The coin was worth £6 Scots or ten shillings English.

The obverse bears a crowned portrait of the king. The Latin inscription translates as: 'Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland'.

During Charles's reign the mill and screw coin press was introduced to Scotland by a Frenchman, Nicolas Briot, who was Master of the Mint for a time. The press lent Charles's coins a level of technical excellence previously unknown.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-084-430-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  A.1911.506.1213
• Date: 1637 - 1642
  Between 1637 and 1642
  
• Material: Gold; no evidence of wear. Inscription: Obv.: CAR . D : G . MAG . BRIT . FRAN . ET . HIB . REX; first, third and fourth stops are lozenges, others small pellets; crowned bust to left; small B, sideways, below. Rev.: . VNITA . TVEMVR .; lozenge stops; crow
  Coin Type: Third coinage, Briot's issue; cf Burns 5, fig 1034
  Coin, half-unit
  
• Dimensions: Diameter 27.00 x 26.50 mm; weight 4.97 g; die axis 1.0
  
• What: Coin Type: Third coinage, Briot's issue; cf Burns 5, fig 1034
  Coin, half-unit
  
• Subject: Coins and currency
  
• Who: Charles I (King)
  Murdoch collection (1903 sale, lot 336)
  
• Where: Scotland
  Scotland, Edinburgh
  
• Event:
• Description: Charles I gold half unit, Scotland, minted in Edinburgh, 1637-1642
  
• References:
  • 'Currency' multimedia programme NMS 1995 
  • Stewart, Ian Halley. The Scottish coinage: with supplement. London: Spink & Son, 1967
• Translations:
• Related Records: