Coin (obverse), testoon, from reign of Mary, Queen of Scots

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This is the obverse of a silver testoon minted at Edinburgh in 1559, in the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, during her marriage to Francis, the French dauphin. The coin was worth five shillings Scots.

The obverse bears a crowned shield of the Dauphin and Scotland superimposed on a cross potent. The Latin inscription translates as: 'Francis and Mary, King and Queen of Scots and Dauphin and Dauphine of Vien'.

Mary's coinage is divisible into five phases, reflecting her early life, two marriages and two widowhoods. During her reign numerous issues appeared in gold, silver and base metal, many of them comprising denominations never previously struck.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-190-000-627-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  H.C4031
• Date: 1559
  
• Material: Silver; moderate wear. Inscription: Obv. Crown FRAN . ET . MA . DEI . G . R . R . SCOTO . D . D . VIEN; crowned shield of Dauphin + Scotland on cross potent / Rev. Cross F . ECIT . VTRAQVE . VNVM . 1559 .; crowned FM monogram; cross of Lorraine on either
  Coin Type: 1st issue
  Coin, testoon
  
• Dimensions: 29.50 x 29.00 mm D / Die Axis: 12.5
  
• What: Coin Type: 1st issue
  Coin, testoon
  
• Subject: Queen Street Coin Collection
  
• Who: Francis, Dauphin of France
  Mary, Queen of Scots
  
• Where: Scotland, Midlothian, Edinburgh
  
• Event:
• Description: Mary and Francis silver testoon, Edinburgh, 1559
  
• References:
  • 'Currency' multimedia programme NMS 1995 
  • Stewart, I.H. 'The Scottish Coinage'. Second Edition. London: Spink & Son, 1967 
• Translations:
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