Rare silver coins set to make a mint at auction

TWO rare silver coins made in Dundee and Perth more than 600 years ago are set to fetch in excess of £2,000 at an auction this week.

An “extremely rare” penny made at the Perth Mint during the 1249-1286 reign of King Alexander III is expected to sell for between £1,500 and £1,800 at the auction at Spink in London on Wednesday.

At the same auction, a “very rare” groat, in “very fine” condition, made at the Dundee Mint during the 1371-1390 reign of King Robert II, grandson of Robert the Bruce, could fetch between £600 and £800. It features the telltale inscription: “Villa Dunde”.

The 13th Century Perth penny is in what Spink terms fine to good fine condition, even though it may have lain in the ground undisturbed for about 700 years.

Gregory Edmund, a coins specialist at Spink, said: “Our last reference catalogue records this Perth penny as being ‘unique’ or ‘very near so’.

“It is probable that its great rarity relates to the infrequent use of the Perth Mint by the Scottish kings throughout the medieval period.”

Spink confirm that the coin was “found” at Pittenweem but they do not know when or by whom.

Coincidentally, King Alexander III — in whose reign the Perth penny was made — died at the age of 44 in Fife. He fell from his horse while riding in the dark to visit the Queen at Kinghorn in March 1286.

It was her birthday the next day. He had ignored advice from aides who warned him not to make the journey to Fife because of weather conditions. It is thought that in the dark his horse lost its footing and the king was found dead the following morning with a broken neck.

The silver groat.