Medieval penny goes under the hammer
A rare 600-year-old penny from Perth is to go to auction tomorrow, and is expected to fetch up to £1,800.
The silver coin came from the Perth Mint during the reign of King Alexander III of Scotland (1249-1286) and is thought to have lain underground for the past six centuries.
The coin weighs 1.36g and bears a short cross and stars, and is thought to have been produced in 1249-1250.
The coin will be auctioned at Spinks of London on Wednesday, March 29 in their Ancient, British and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals sale, and is estimated at a value of £1,500-£1,800. The expert auctioneers at Spinks have described the coin as being in fine to good-fine condition.
Spinks’coin specialist Gregory Edmund said:“Our last reference catalogue records this Perth penny as being‘unique’or‘very near so’.
“It is probably that its great rarity relates to the infrequent use of the Perth Mint by the Scottish kings throughout the medieval period.”
The medieval mint in Perth is thought to have been located in Guard Vennel between the High Street and Mill Street – between Next and Optical Express.
One of the most interesting references in the Perth archives to a mint production was in 1392 when a Perth coiner was boiled to death after being found guilty of forgery.
The coin was unearthed by an
The 600-year-old penny anonymous metal detector enthusiast in Pittenweem, Fife, and was then recorded by the National Museum of Scotland.