Some of the coins & tokens that we examined in my Hunterian handling session earlier today. They date from c.296 BC to 1835.

Join us on 11th June 2026 for what promises to be a fascinating day of collegiate discussion and debate on seventeenth-century Scotland. Sign up here: A Kingdom in Perplexity: Voices of Seventeenth-Century Scotland www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-kingdom-...

Hibernia, Britannia and Caledonia are depicted as the Three Graces on this pattern crown of George III that dates to 1817. Engraved by William Wyon, it's widely considered to be a masterpiece of numismatic art. However, the coin was not adopted for circulation. This specimen is from the Hunterian.

This gold coin was issued by Pertinax, who ruled the Roman Empire for 87 days in AD 193. Pertinax’s assassination by the Praetorian Guard brought an end to his short reign. He was the first of five men to claim the title of Emperor in that year. From the Hunterian collection.

This English pattern halfcrown was minted during the joint reign of Philip & Mary in 1554. Mary is depicted on one side and Philip II of Spain on the other. The coin did not enter circulation. This specimen from the Hunterian collection is one of very few surviving examples.

PhD submitted

King Henry VIII of England died on this day in 1547. He’s depicted on this silver testoon that was minted in the final years of his life (1544-47). Its dull grey colour is a result of the Great Debasement, during which the coins' silver content was lowered at a massive profit. From the Hunterian.

A few gold and silver coins of King James VI & I. They were minted at the Tower of London sometime between 1604 & 1607. From the Hunterian collection.

I got a wee mention in this Smithsonian Magazine article on Scotland’s oldest coin. www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a...

This gold coin was issued by Petronius Maximus, one of the shortest reigning Roman emperors. He ruled the Western Roman Empire for just 75 days (17 March-31 May 455). This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.

The Roman Colosseum is depicted on this coin that was minted sometime between AD 80 & 81, soon after the building was completed. It was issued by Emperor Titus, reputedly for distribution in the arena as a mark of Imperial benevolence. This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.

This silver penny of Robert the Bruce was minted in Berwick following its recapture from the English in 1318, 4 years after the Scottish victory at Bannockburn. Bruce’s coins were struck in small numbers so very few survive. From the Lord Stewartby collection at the Hunterian.

Here's a coin of every monarch from Charles II to Elizabeth II (except Edward VIII). They date from 1677 to 1963 and showcase the alternating portrait tradition that began in 1662. Each monarch faces in the opposite direction from their predecessor. They are from the Hunterian collection.

This silver groat of James III of Scotland (1484-1488) was one of the 1st coins minted in Northern Europe with a realistic portrait in the Renaissance style. This example from the Lord Stewartby Collection is one of the best preserved I've ever seen.

Some of the coins that we handled in my previous Hunterian workshops on the history of minting technology in the British Isles. They date from the 6th century BC to 1820. The oldest is a half stater of Lydia (oval coin in the top left) and the most recent is a £5 of George III (bottom left corner).

This gold medal was made to celebrate the Scottish coronation of King Charles II, which occurred at Scone Palace on this day in 1651. It was the last coronation to ever take place in Scotland. This gold specimen from the Hunterian is exceedingly rare, most were cast in silver.

The earliest known coin to be minted in Scotland has been found. The penny of David I was struck in Edinburgh in the 1130s. The coin has been acquired by the National Museum of Scotland through Treasure Trove and will hopefully go on display in the future. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This noble of King David II that dates to around 1357 is the first Scottish gold coin. David II possibly minted it to help pay off the massive ransom that he owed to Edward III of England. This specimen from the Hunterian collection is 1 of just 4 surviving examples.

This massive silver pound (120 grams) that was issued by King Charles I in 1644 is the heaviest circulating coin ever minted in the British Isles. Here it is alongside a modern £1 of Charles III. From the Hunterian collection.

These tiny 1/32nd gold ducats of Nuremberg are some of the smallest coins I’ve ever seen. They date to 1700 and weigh just 0.13 grams each. The two coins are from the Hunterian collection.

The gold laurel of King James VI & I that was minted from 1619 to 1625 is the 1st English coin to depict a monarch in the style of a Roman emperor since the Norman Conquest. Here it is surrounded by the Roman coins that inspired it. They are from the collection of the Hunterian.

This gold solidus is the earliest coin to depict Jesus. It was minted in Constantinople in 450 to celebrate Emperor Marcian's marriage to Pulcheria. Jesus is shown between the imperial couple. This specimen from the Hunterian collection is the only known example in existence.

The owl, a symbol of the Goddess Athena, appears on this silver tetradrachm of Athens that was minted sometime between 527 & 430 BC. It is perhaps one of the most iconic coins ever struck. The design still appears on Greek coins to this day. From the Hunterian collection.

Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, appears on this gold aureus that was minted in 42 BC. In that year, Brutus, one of the main plotters of Caesar’s assassination, took his own life after being defeated in battle by the forces of Octavian & Mark Antony. From the collection of The Hunterian.

This gold aureus of Emperor Hadrian was minted sometime between AD 128 & 129. The coin is nearly 2,000 years old but it looks like it could’ve been made yesterday. It’s from the collection of The Hunterian, Glasgow.

This medal was issued in 1912 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the gold standard in Japan. It depicts the 20, 10 & 5 yen coins that were introduced as part of the switch the gold standard. It’s one of the very few Japanese medals in the Hunterian collection.

Some ancient coins that we'll be looking at in an upcoming coin handling workshop. Includes coins of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra VII & Hadrian. They are all from the collection that was formed by William Hunter between 1770 & 1783.

I'm giving a talk to the British Numismatic Society on the 22nd of September. It'll be on James VI & I's Anglo-Scottish monetary union, which is the focus of my PhD research.

The cartwheel twopence of George III was the heaviest copper coin ever minted for circulation in the British Isles. This is an extremely rare specimen made from solid gold. With a weight of 77.7g, it's even heavier than the regular copper version (56.7g). From the Hunterian collection, Glasgow.

This set of coin weights from the mid-1600s would have been used by merchants to test the weights of different coins. It includes weights for gold coins from Scotland, England, continental Europe and Spain’s American colonies(?). The set is from the Hunterian collection.

This gold sovereign was minted as part of James VI & I's 1st English coinage (1603-1604). The coinage was established in May 1603, just two months after James inherited the English throne from Elizabeth I. It titles him as 'King of England, Scotland, France & Ireland'. From the Hunterian collection.

This gold guinea of George I was minted in 1714, the year of his accession to the British throne. It's the earliest circulating British coin to title the monarch as 'Defender of the Faith' ('F D'), which continues to appear on coins to this day. From the Hunterian Collection.

Coins of the two Queen Elizabeths. A 10 pence of Elizabeth II (2021) and a sixpence of Elizabeth I (1562). These two coins were minted over 450 years apart but they still share much in common, including the listing of both monarchs' titles in Latin. From the Hunterian collection.

A silver penny of King Alexander III of Scotland with beautiful rainbow toning. It was minted sometime between 1250 & c.1280. This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.

Here's a coin of every monarch from Charles II to Elizabeth II (except Edward VIII). They date from 1677 to 1963 and showcase the alternating portrait tradition that began in 1662. Each monarch faces in the opposite direction from their predecessor. From the Hunterian Collection

The 9th Scottish coinage alongside James's 2nd English coinage, both of which were authorised in 1604 & formed part of the Anglo-Scottish monetary union. The two smallest silver coins would've circulated as a halfpenny Sterling in England and as sixpence Scots in Scotland.

This is possibly the only complete set of King James VI & I's 9th Scottish coinage in existence. It was struck from 1605 to 1609 and consisted of 12 denominations that ranged in value from £12 to 6 pence Scots. The coins are from the Lord Stewartby Collection at the Hunterian.

The tiny 2.5 centesimos coin of Panama that dates to 1904. It’s popularly known as the ‘Panama pill’. With a diameter of just 10mm, it’s the smallest coin ever struck by the US Mint.

Charles I is depicted wearing intricately detailed armour on this Scottish gold unit that was minted sometime between 1637 & 1642. It’s widely considered to be one of the most beautiful Scottish coins ever struck. This example is from the Hunterian collection.

A Japanese 10 mon coin that was minted by the Tokugawa Shogunate sometime between 1708 & 1709. The coins were unpopular because their intrinsic copper value was much less than their face value. Their production was quickly discontinued.

This double-headed trial coin of Queen Anne (1702-1714) features her portrait on both sides. It was minted to test two different obverse dies for a proposed copper halfpenny that was never released into circulation. This example is from the Hunterian collection.

This gold medal was made to celebrate the Scottish coronation of King Charles II on 1 January 1651. It was the last coronation to take place in Scotland. This example from the Hunterian Collection is one of the very few known gold specimens.

The Tower of David is depicted on this coin of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem that was issued by King Baldwin III sometime between 1143 & 1163. It’s one of the estimated 12 million coins struck during his reign.

Prince Bohemond III, the ruler of the crusader Principality of Antioch, is depicted wearing a helmet adorned with a cross and chainmail on this coin. It was minted sometime between c.1163 & 1188.

This silver shilling of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is one of the earliest coins minted in what would become the USA. It depicts a pine tree & was struck in Boston sometime between c.1667 & 1682. This specimen is from the collection of the Hunterian museum.

The royal arms appear on this pattern shilling of Charles I that dates to 1635. It was produced via Nicholas Briot’s minting machinery so it is of much higher quality than the regular circulating coins that were struck by hand. This example is from the Hunterian Collection.

A crowned lion supports the royal coat of arms on this gold spur-ryal of King James VI & I that was minted at the Tower of London sometime between 1619 & 1620. These coins were struck in small numbers for distribution as gifts by the king. From the Hunterian collection.

This silver coin of Julius Caesar was minted in the last weeks of his life. It was struck sometime between mid-February and his assassination on 15 March 44 BC. Caesar is depicted wearing a laurel wreath and the veil of the Pontifex Maximus. From the Hunterian Collection.

Coin badges made for the @kingjamesconf.bsky.social alongside the original coins from the Hunterian collection.

Thank you to everyone that came to my coin handling workshops at @kingjamesconf.bsky.social It was an absolute privilege to get to introduce (most of) you to James VI & I’s coins.