An Old Scotch Coin.

Bruce Herald, Volume VII, Issue 620, 4 August 1874, Page 3

An Old Scotch Coin.

♦ A gentleman recently brought to the Curator of the Sydney University Museum an old, well preserved silver coin, and it proved, on examination, to be a spurrevei groat of King David 11. (David Bruce), who succeeded his heroic father, Robert Bruce, on the throne of Scotland, in the year 1322. This ancient coin bears on its obverse the impress of the head of "David King of the Scots ;" crowned in profile, showing the left cheek. On the head of the monarch — so long in captivity with the English — is an antique diadem, composed of three fieur-dc-lys and two low points alternately. Before the face is a sceptre erect, ensigned with the fietir-de-Igs ; all being enclosed within the six leaves of a rose — except the bust, which reaches to the circle of the legend. The "legend " round the royal profile (and in old gothic letters) is David : Dei : Gra : Hex : Scottorum — " David, by the grace of God, King of the Scots." The King's hair is arranged in long flowing curls at the back of his head and the Royal name is clearly distinguishable just above the crown, in the legend. On the reverse, or back of the coin, is the cross of St Andrew, extending through the whole, with a spur-revel of five points in each quarter. The legend here is Dns. Dominus. Plector ms. mens, [er] Libator Liberator. " The Lord is my Protector and Liberator" — a pious ascription to Divine Providence of his liberation out of the avenging hands of the warlike English, in 1342, after eleven years of captivity. Within are the letters Vill [a] Aed-inbd-rgh, "City of Eiinbnrgb," one ot the placps of mintage in the reign of the luckless Dnvid, who died in the year 1371, more than 500 years ago. This silver coin of Bruce's son is, according to Bishop Nicholson, Mr Hamilton, and some others, the first of the series of " spurred groats 1 ' struck in Scotland. They were issued with the king's head in profile till the reign of Robert 111., when the king's " image " was changed to full face. Part of the legend ou the obverse is almost worn away, and on the reverse the begining of the word " Plector " and the end of tbe word "Libator" have both disappeared. This interesting coin will be found exactly described and engraved in Adam de Cardonnel's Numismata Scotice, page 51, plate 11. No 9.