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

This is the obverse of a gold unit minted at Edinburgh between 1625 and 1634, during the reign of Charles I. The coin was worth £12 Scots or £1 English.

The obverse bears a crowned portrait of the king holding an orb and sceptre. 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:	000-100-084-428-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland A.1911.506.1211
Date:	1625 - 1636 Between 1625 and 1634
Material:	Gold; reverse very slightly off-centre; very slight wear. Inscription: Obv.: . Thistle-head . CAROLVS . D'. G'. MAG'. BRIT'. FRAN'. & . HIB'. REX .; crowned bust to right, holding sceptre and orb. Rev.: . Thistle-head . FACIAM . EOS . IN . GENTEM . VNAM
Dimensions:	Diameter 37.50 mm; weight 9.97 g; die axis 5.0
What:	Coin Type: First coinage; cf Burns 1, fig 1030 Coin, unit
Subject:	Coins and currency
Who:	Charles I (King)
Where:	Scotland Scotland, Edinburgh
Event:
Description:	Charles I gold unit, Scotland, minted in Edinburgh, 1625-1636
References:	'Currency' multimedia programme NMS 1995 Stewart, Ian Halley. The Scottish coinage: with supplement. London: Spink & Son, 1967 Find in NLS: Title, Author, Title+Author or British Library: Title, Author, Title+Author
Translations:
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