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www.socantscot.org Charity No SC 010440 5 SCOTTISE NOTE22 TH N SO H MINTS.

IV.

E SCOTTISNOTETH N SO H MINTS. WR . Y COCHRAB . N PATRICK, ESQ., B.A., LL.B., F.S.A. SCOT.

Any account which can now be given of the ancient Scottish mints must necessarily he very incomplete. The early records and registers are no longe scantw fe existencen ri ye th notice d an , s gatheree which n hca d fro Acte m th Parliamentf so othed an , r original sources, only serv shoo et w how imperfect our knowledge is. It may not, however, he altogether without interest to hring together something of what is still available, in the hope that other sources of information may yet be discovered. The history of the Scottish mints may be conveniently divided into two periods,—the first extendinge fro th earliese f mo th d ten timee th o st thirteenth century; the second beginning with the fourteenth century, and coming down to the close of the Scottish coinage at the Union. It must he remembered that there is little or no historical evidence availabl firse th tr perioefo d beyond wha s afforde i tcoine th y s b dthem - selvesconclusiony An . scome whicb regardino y et hma o t musgt i e b t a certain extent conjectures e liablmodified authentiy h ,an an o t e y b d c information whic stily e discoveredb lhma t I present. s certain distin- guishing characteristics widely different fro succeedine mth g periodn I . the first place, we find only one official of whom any record is pre- served,—the "monetarius" or moneyer; in the second, the name of this moneye generalls i r y give revers e thirde coine th th fulth n n n i n f i ,o ;elo mine th t also appear e coin manth d n ,an so y towns—som verf eo y inferior importance—are thus recorded lastlyd an e ;sterlin th , r silveo g r penny wahighese sth t denominatio coif no circulationn i . The exact position or status of the " moneyer," and his duties and responsibilities, have long been disputed.1 Some conjecture the mone- tari havo t i e bee farmere e mintn Franceth i th s f a ,o s ; others merely e workmeth n employe striko dt e moneyth e . Euding2 holds thae th t moneyers, whose names appear on the coins, were responsible for the weight and purity of the metal.8 Euddiman believes that they accom- 1 Simon's Irish Coins, p. 5. * Ruding, Annals of the Coinage, vol. i. p. 49. 3 Ibid., vol. i. p. 15. P VOL . FAKX . . TI 226 - PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APEIL 14, 1873. panied the king from place to place, and struck money wherever it was necessary, putting the place of coinage on tlie coin.1 It is impossible to assert anything positively with e ancienregarth o t d t Scottish monetarii. But ther considerabls ei e probabilit conjecture th n yi e learne e madth y eb d author of the preface to the " Diplomata Scotise;" for from the great variety of names it is evident that a great number of individuals were employed, at least after the accession of William the Lion. From the accompanying list (which has no pretensions to completeness, seeing that nearly every tolerable collection of early pennies furnishes the names of unpublished moneyers) it will be seen that the same name frequently occur connection si n with different mints. Thus exampler fo lon,e th gn o , double cross pennies of Alexander II.,2 the name "Walter" appears at Glas- gow, Aberdeen, Montrose, Forres (1), Berwick Dunbard ,an "d Wilaman ; " at Berwick, Lanark, Aberdeen, Dunbar, and Edinburgh. It is impossible to say whether differenthera s ewa t " Walter "d Wilam"an eact "a h of these places whether o , same rth e individual struck mone t differenya t places; but if we consider, in connection with this, the number of different names of moneyers recordee samth t ea placs da f mintageeo t wili , l appear more probable that they were only occasionall place th t eya wit kinge hth , than that they remained permanently comin t townga f comparativelso y small importance. From the annexed list it will be seen that, between 1165 and 1214, Adam Peris, Folpold, Hugh Walter, Eaul, Peris Adam, Walter Adam, and Wilam, were moneyers at Roxburgh. There is a strong pro- bability, as has been pointed out by M. de Longperier, that these moneyers wer Norman-Frencf eo h origin werd an , e amongst those appointee th y db king to coin money for his ransom. They would thus he appointed by royal authority e responsiblb , monee th r yfo e which each issuedd an , would accoune e profitcoinag th th royae r f th o sfo to le t treasury, being remunerated, as it is certain was afterwards the case, by fees proportioned e amountth o t coined e positio e "monetariusTh th . f o n " would thus differ very little from what we know it was in later times, due allowance being mad r differencfo e n nationai e l progress. This suppositios i n strengthened by the fact that, in the list of documents relating to the

1 Preface to Andersoii's Dip. Scoti;e, p. 140 (Translation, 1782). " See Numismatic Chronicle, New Series, vol. xii. p. 24. NOTES ON THE SCOTTISH MINTS. 227

kingdo f Scotlando m , take y Edwarb n d e followinI.th , g entries occur:— " Item in alio sacculo c. iiij.* et v Rotuli et memoranda . . . de com- potis monetarium ... "... Item in deeimo sacculo xxi Eotuli tangentes compota mone- tariu t mcambitoriue t malie a monetam tangencia."1

These accounts were evidently rendered to the Treasury, and, from the number, probably extended back ove vera r y considerable period. Ther evidencs ei disprovo et e assertioeth Kuddirnanf no , that froe mth earliest perio prince dth e alon n Scotlanei d exercise exclusive dth e right of coining e moneroyath n l o yprerogative. 2 Ther a referenc s i e n i e Wynton's "Chronicle,"3 when describing Alexander III.'st S visi o t t Andrew 1283n si , which show previouse thath n i t s reig bishopse nth r o , some of them, had a grant for striking money. The " Golden Charter" t AndrewoS f s confirms this bishope granth o t t . Tradition says they could not coin above a groat piece.4 t eas no accouno y t mans o i s r t I yfo t towns , o importancesomn f o e , occurring on the coins, except on the supposition that the coiners were only there occasionally.6 Evelyn says thae coinerth t s always accom- panied the court of Charles the Great; and as we have seen the strong probability that the moneyers, or at any rate many of them, were of French origin, it is very likely that a practice familiar to them in their native country would be followed out when they came here. The sterling or silver penny is the only coin known in the earlier times. The halfpenny and farthing occur later in the period, but never with the moneyer's states namei t MacphersonI y db . s " hi Annal n i , f Como s - merce,"6 tha 127n i t 8 Alexander III. struck piece twopencef so t nonbu , e such have ever been noticed, so far as I am aware, though in a curious manuscript in the British Museum (Tib. D. 11, Cotton MSS.) a groat of Alexander is figured. We possess no historical or documentary record relating to the coinage

1 Scots Acts . S , . volp 2. i . Euddiman . 141p , . . 405 x . vii . .c Bk . 3 note th "Euliquian ei e Se 4 ; Divi Andrcce, . 108"p . 5 lluddiman, p. 220. • Vol. i. 432. 228 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , APRI , 1873L14 .

of this period followine Th . gearle listth yf s o Scottish moneyer takes si n from the coins themselves, and is necessarily very incomplete:—

LIS F MONEYERTO EARLE TH F YO S SCOTTISH MINTS. 1124-53. Hugo of Roxburgh, Monetarius. Folpa Berwickf o l , ,, Eola of Berwick, „ Folpm,1 1165-1214. Adam of Berwick, „ Adam of Edinburgh, „ Adam Peris of Roxburgh, ,, Folpol Perthf do , „ Folpold of Roxburgh, „ Henrilerus of Perth, „ Hug Edinburghf ho , „ Hugh Walte Roxburghf o r , „ Suerel 'of Edinburgh, „ Peris Ada Roxburghf mo . „ Raul Berlig, „ Raul of Roxburgh, „ Walte Edinburghf ro , Walter Ada Roxburghf mo , Walter of Perth, Wilam of Perth, Wilam of Roxburgh, Wilam of Berwick, 1214-1292. Ada Roxburghf mo , Alain Andrew of Roxburgh, „ Alexander of Edinburgh, „ Alexande Aberdeenf ro , „ Alexander of Dunbar, „ Andrew of Berwick, „ Andrew of Roxburgh, „ Eorsin of Dunbar, „ Gearai of Inverness," „ Henri of Stirling, „ Haddingto possibly nma y have been a min thin i t s reign (Proceedings, Scot. 1 Ant. Soc. . ,372) volY . v .. coie nTh give LinJsan ni fro s yInchaffrae a mth y min realls i t thif yo s mint. 2 NOTES ON THE SCOTTISH MINTS. 229

1214-1292. lasau of Perth, Monetarius. loha Berwickf no , „ lohan of Perth, „ Ion Oorin of Perth, „ Niche Berwickf o l , „ Nico Perthf o l , „ Piere Roxburghf so , „ Eanald of Aberdeen, „ Eanal Perthf do , „ Kober Aberdeenf o t , „ Robert of Berwick, ,t Rober Perthf o t , „ Simon of Aberdeen. „ Simo Dunbarf no , „ Thoma Anhesof , „ Walter of Glasgow, „ Walter of Aberdeen, „ Walter of Montrose, „ Walte Forcesf ro , „ Walte Berwickf ro , „ Walter of Dunbar (?), „ Wila Berwickmf o , „ Wilan Lanarkf o i , „ Wila Aberdeenf mo , „ Wilani of Dunbar (?)* „ Wila Edinburghf mo , „ Durin e secongth d perio e finw dd very considerable alterationd an s improvements e moneyename th Th f eo . longeo rn r appears prominently coinse on th t eacbu , h issu s distinguishei e d instea somy db e secrer o t privy marknumbee Th . f placeo r f coinago s reduceds ei generalld an , y confined to towns of importance. Other officials, with more complicated duties and responsibilities, appear in the mint. Instead of passing from plac placeeto moneyerthe , establishesare fixedin d residences, arid their various duties prescribed by stated regulations. Gold and base silver, or billon usee r currencyar , dfo wels a , silvers a l coind an various;f so deno- mination e mintedar se havW e. also som documentw fe e s preserved which help to throw some light on the subject.

Probably coine somth f seo with DVN oughgivee b Dundeeo o nt t t . 1 0 23 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , APRI , 1873L14 .

examininn I g these points mor t necessaryeno fulls i t yi , with regaro dt moro d firste th eo t , thae coin th refeo nt so t rthemselves . Aftee th r long double cross pennie f Alexandeo s moneyer'o n r s nam n fuli es i l Scottisy founan n do h coin, thoug e practichth f puttino e e placgth f eo mintag coine th sn eo continue d time dow th Jamef eo o n t . sTherVI s ei a recorded minute Privth f yo e Counci lato s l1585,s ea ' ordering that when consequencn i , transferree plaguee b th o t f mine es o th , wa td from Edinburgh, firs Dundeo t t thed Pertheo an nt inscriptioe th , n " OPPIDVM DVNDE" and "OPPIDVM PERTH" should be put on the coins to be struck there, instead of the usual place of mintage.2 e reductioTh numbee th n ni f mint o r alss si o best referenca see y nb e to the coins. Thirteen mints are given by Lindsay as occurring on the long double-cross coins of Alexander, while in no succeeding reign are more than five recorded, and, with the exception of Dumbarton in the reig Kobertf no e townth , s namel placeal e somf dso ar e importance. While we still find the " monetarius" occurring as the principal officer e mintoth f , other official e alsar os mentioned. Ther s sometimei e a s " magister monetarius f 1367)o d inferiot an ,Ac e "r th recorde n i s (a d workmen (operarii alse ar o) named impossibls i timy r t I an efo x . fi o et firse th t appointmen thesf o t e officials Englandn I . , accordin Ending,o gt 3 it was not till 1325 that the comptrollers, wardens, and masters appear. The reign of David II. is a very important one in the history of the Scottish vers coinagei t i y d likelan , y that these appointments were first mentioy fin n trac o an rateca y n d mad f e ean o thef w ,himt y n o eb A m. previou s accessionhi o st documentare th , y record reigne th f f Balioso so l and Eob . I bein. a completg s mattera e r blanfa ss a krelatin e th o t g coinag concernede ear n 135I . 8 Thor Adao r s describei r mTo e th n i d Chamberlain Rolls as " custos monete;" and this is, so far as I am aware, e firsth t mentio f suco n n officiala h , thoug e officd evidentlth h ha e y existed for some time previous. This Adam Tor was one of the merchants of Edinburgh appointe o treat d t wit Kine th h f Englango r David'sdfo ransom ;4 and in all probability was also the same individual to whom a

1 Privy Council Record . RegMS ., Ho., E. din t awarexistence no th y coif em o f Jame a an o n f I 2. ewit o sVI h this, it min n o t and probably they were never struck at Dundee, though possibly at Perth. . 16 3 . Volp . i . 4 Charter Edinburghf so . 19 . p , NOTES ON THE SCOTTISH MINTS. 231

charte grantes exchange rwa th f do e mone Scotlandn yi . Another charter1 confers on him, along with Jacobus of Florence, the Cunzie-house at Edinburgh, with its liberties; and the king granted to him and the other officials of the mint exemption from all duties and levies, with other privileges.2 The " custos monete," or warden of the mint, was probably at this time equa importancn i l e t superiowith "e no monetarius.f th i ,, rto precepA " t of the king in 1367 is directed "custodi monete nostro et monetario nostro." The respective duties of these two officials are laid down with grea tf 139 o distinctnes t 3 Ac :— e th n si "Item ordinatum est quod electus erit unus homo, discretus fidelis sufficiens et potens in diviciis qui custodiet monetam et erit ad hoc juratus in forma qui sequitur—viz., totum aurum et argentum quod portabitur monetari fabricandud oa m primo presentabitum sibi quod ipse faciet ponderari, efc scribet quantitates in papiro suo, et retinebit penes se, et omni die ad vesperam recipiet et ponet in secura custodia, et sub clave, instrumenta monetarii qnibus facit monetam usqu died ea m sequentet me sie faciet omni t diemonetaE . m quolibe e fabricatadi t m recipiea t monetario et custodiet sub sigillo et clave in cista una a principio cujus libet septimane usque in fineni et tune videbit cum sufficient! testimonio quantum de argento seu auro fuerit in septimanam fabricatum et tune accipiet de qualibet moneta tarn auri quam argenti certas pecias ad pro- bandum et faciet illas pecias bene et diligenter custodiri usque ad tempus probacionis monete que probacio net infra xl. dies qualibet vicet illE e. t custoes i squ monete stabi t spondebie t pondero pr t e monet t capiee t feodum suu Eeglabore o d m pr o e esu sicu t hujusque consuetum est." From thi t woulsi d appear tha"e custoth t s monete superios "wa n i r positio e "monetarius,th o t ne moneyer th t bu " s here mentionedo wh , e trusteb o t wer dt ewitno e coininth h g implement l timesal t a s, were probabl "e operarii,th y r inferioo " r artificers, mentione e formeth n i dr Act. It appears from an account of the "custos monete" in 1364, still pre- served in the Chamberlain Eolls, that part of the duty of the "monetarius "

1 Robertson's Index of Charters (Edinburgh, 1798), pp. 31, 36. a Acts, vol. vii. p. 227. 2 23 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , APRI , 1873L14 . wa engravo st devicee eth designr coinse so th paymen A r .sfo r thifo ts purpos thers ei e recorde Bonagiuo dt moneyere sth . worths i t I remarf yo k tha t thia t s period Italian artists were employed by David II. in the mint. The Bonagius above mentioned is often designated of Florence (" de Florentia," vide Act of 1393), and was probably either the Franciscus Bonagii who is described in 1324 in the recordmine th t Florenc a f t o s "s a e sententiato r monete argenti,a r o " relative.1 The " Magister Jacobus " mentioned in several of the records was Jacobus Mulekyn, also a Florentine, and who, along with his brother, was at the same time employed in the mint.2 It is not surprising, there- fore, that the art and workmanship of the Scottish coins of this period were of superior excellence. n 143I 4 mentio e Rollss madni th f n anothei eo 3 r official, viz.e th , " sculptor ferrorum. alreads ha t I y "bee n noted that Bonagiue th s swa reige grayeirone th th f Davin o n f si o r . dII Thi s apparentldutw yno y devolve separata n so e remunerates officiali o proportionee wh fe , a y db d e amounth o f t metao t l coined t f wilI 139 o seee .t b l 3n Ac fro e mth thae wardeth t r custosn(o ) wa keeo t s p certain pieces from each week's coinine purposth r f tryinfo go e e moneyth g . Another Act n 1451i , , make e mastee moneth sth f o yr responsible coith n l untial e r th fo le warden takes the assay. It is also specified in this Act that the master of the money is to have power to choose the workmen for the mint, and to punish them if necessary, and that none of the printers or strikers are e goldsmithsb o t . Provisio coininw ne s madi ne g r givinth fo et ou g irons " within the cuinzie place," and the old ones and the " letters of graving " are to be delivered to " traisty sworn men," and afterwards to be destroyed in the presence of the king and his council. Two years before this it was enacted that none presume to strike money unless they have command of the king under the great seal. This was probably to prevent false coiners, some of whom are specified by name f 1451o t ,Ac froe mth n strikingi . No authorit striko yt e money under the great seal has as yet been discovered. It was part of the duty of the "custos monete" to take the charge of

1 Argelati, vol. iv. p. 36. NicholaA a s Molakin employes ewa Englise th n di h min 139n i t 5 (Euding . 246)i , . 3 Vol. iii . 245.p . 3 SCOTTIS23 E NOTETH N SO H MINTS.

the trial pieces till the assay was made. In 1438 an assay is recorded to have taken place in the presence of the lords and auditors of the Exchequer, and this appears to have been the usual practice.1 The Act of 1456 specially enjoins " the lordea and auditoures of the chekker earnestli purwao et examind yan finese eth , hait f golhsiluerd o dan e th , quhilk is presented to them upon the chekker in a buist be the wardanes of the cunzie." e appointmenTh f theso t e e entirofficialsth d e an regulatio, e th f no coinag weighto t s ea , fineness d valuean , , resteds wit hi e kind th h gan three estate Parliament.n si passes wa t d n 147I Ac enjoinin 2n 8a e th g king, with advicLorde th f Councilf eo s o mako t , e such regulations about the money as might be requisite, and to appoint men of substance and knowledge to be master and warden of the mint, who are to be answer- able on life and honour for the proper carrying out of the regulations. An Act passed in 1483 requires the warden to examine and assay the money according to the form and rule made in the former Parliaments.3 Two years later it is provided that the assays are to be rendered annually e exchequerth t a . Thi t alssAc o order wardee th s giv o niront e eth o st e merchantth e silvery e th custodie pa r th e bullion.o fo st th f d o r an , This custodier of the bullion here appears for the first time. Formerly s dutperformes hi y"wa e custoth y b ds monete." * Shortly after this— in 1487—some confusion had arisen from there being two masters of the s thei money t ni d orderean , Parliameny db t tha kine th t g shall depute only one master of the money, who is to have the whole responsibility; a true and wise man is to be appointed warden, and another to be " changer;" and these are to perform the same duties and receive the same emolument s formerlya s rendeo t thed e an y,ar r their accountd san assays at the exchequer when the king shall direct. No particular account dutiee gives changere i th th f f no so . In 1494 " our soveraine Lord, with advise of his councill," is " to ordain statutd an efamoue an ethawisd n expers an sti ema underd an t - standi mannee sth fashiod ran f cuinziesno maiste e money,e b th o t ,f o r " who is to put in execution the existing Acts about the money.6

1 Cham. Eolls, vol. iii. 2 Soots Acts, ii. 118. s Act of 1485, vol. ii. p. 172. * Vide Act of 1394. 5 During the reign of Queen Mary we find the officers of the mint consisting of a 4 23 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , APRIL 14, 1873.

n earlI y times, whe moneyere nth s moved abou• t e wit kingth e hth d ,an metho coininf requirt do no rud s cumbrouy simpled d gewa di ean an d ,an s machinery o specian , l residence seem o havet s , been necessaryt Bu . whenever the amount of money required became greater, and improve- ments were introduced in the methods, more conveniences would be required. About s 1362alreadha s a ,y been noticed a roya, l charter gave the cunzie-house wit s libertieit h d Jacobu an o Adat s r msTo Mulekyn thid an s; would see o mmeat n some particular buildint gse apart for the purpose of coining. It is likely, however, that at this perio mine locates dth wa t d temporaril buildiny an yn i g whic founs hwa d convenient for the purpose, and that no permanent cunzie-house was yet known s certaii t I . n tha e practictth s thiswa e somewhat laterr fo ; in 1438 a payment of three pounds thirteen and fourpence occurs in the Chamberlain Eolls as rent1—"hospicii dom. Eegis prope portum de Kirkstill ,hospici o ...qu n i .o dicta moneta fabricatur." Againn ,i 1441, ia the account of the master of the money,2 a sum of money is paid certairena s s hous a o hi t t r f coinino enfo Johe us gn e inSwifth ;r fo t and in 1443, in the account of a coinage at Stirling,, another payment is recorded to Robert Hakate " pro firma dom us dicte cone."3 Between this time and 1527 a special building for the mint must have been erecte t Edinburghda than i r t fo ,yea r Jame . assignsV o Hochstettest r and others (in a contract entered into about the coinage) " domus mone- taria Edinburgensis."4 This cunzie-hous s probablwa e t Holyroodya . n 156I e Treasurer'n entr2a th n yi s account5 show spaymena f fouo t r hundred and sixty. pounds odd by the master coiner to the master of works " for the bigging of the cunze hous within the Castell of Edin- burgh, and beting of the cunze hous within the police of Halierud hous." Another proof that the " cunzie-house " was at the Abbey at that time is e "foun Diurnath n di Remarkablf o l e Occurrents . 53)(p " , undee rth date 13th July 1559, when it is stated that the Prior of St Andrews and the Earl of Glencairn, with the congregation, passed to the Abbey of

general of the ounzehouse, warden, controller, • sinker of the irons, assayer, moneyer, with printers, melters forgersd an , thid an s; stafl'continued, with some minor altera- tions, to the close of the Scottish mint. 1 Cham. Eolls, vol. iii . 397. . 2 Cliam. Rolls Reg. . MS .,Ho 3 Cham' Liudsay• . . 235Rollsp ,. Reg . .MS , .Ho . Reg. 6MS Ho . 5 SCOTTISE 23 NOTETH N SO H MINTS.

Holyrood, and there " tuke and intromittit with the querns irinis of the cunze hous, and brocht the samyne up to Edinburgh to his awin lodging, quhaira quenie th t s grace regen vers ywa t discontentit."1 e supplTh f bullio yo e Scottisth o nt h minmainlys wa t derived from three sources, viz., first, e dutieth s lai merchantn certaia do y pa n o t s amoun f bullioo t commoditier nfo s exporte they db m ; next, meltine th g down of foreign coin and plate; and lastly, the produce of the native mines. have exaco W en t knowledge supplth w f bullioyo ho keps f eo nwa t e earlieth un pi r periods s saii dt I tha. silvea t David ha r . mindI n i e Cumberland f and there is a grant by him to the Abbey of Dunfermliue gole th d 115n l i whical f 3o h should froaccrum mhi o FifeFothrif.t d ean 3 But in 1425 two sufficient men were to be appointed by the king's Chamberlain-Depute, or himself, at each town where foreign merchants resort, to receive the king's custom, and make account thereof to Exchequer n 143I . 6 these custom e distinctlar s y specifiede ar d an , fixe t threda e ounce f burno s tmerchan e silverpaith e b y db o t eacr , fo t h sac f wooo k l exported eacr fo ;h " serplaith freight n "i , three ounces; for each last of hides, nine ounces; and for five Hamburg barrels, three ounces. These amounts are frequently altered by Act of Parliament. Thus in 1474, for each "serplaith" and for each last of salmon the amoun r eacounceso fo s fixetw i h t d t lasa d an ,f hide o t s four ounces. n 148I 3 each serplait woolf ho , hides, skinfouy clothr pa r o , o ouncest s i , , anlase salmof dth o t n also four ounce agaid an n s; in 1488 each serplaith of wool, las f salmono t r fouo , r hundred cloth, four ounces; each lasf o t hides ouncesx si , eacd an h; las herringf o t ounces.o tw , 4 John Achisone, master coiner d Johan , n Aslowane, burges f Edinburgo s n i 1562h , obliged themselves to pay to the mint forty-five ounces of silver for every thousand stone weigh f lea o texportee dor d fro e minemth f Glengoweso r and Wenlok. It is unnecessary to give more examples of these duties, from which therdoubo n principae s ei th t bullioe l parth deriveds f o tn wa .

156n 1I Mine soute 7th th t hCanongatee n Hous o th sid s f 157en o ei wa t d 4i an , was remove o Gray't d s Close, wher t i remainee d till finally e Uniocloseth t na d (Maitland's "Ediuhurgh," pp. 156-182). 2 Macpherson's Annal Commercef so . 324i , . 3 Char. Dun., vii. 7 . 4 Reg. See. Con. Aeta, 1561-3. 236 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APRIL 14, 1873.

Fro mvera y early period foreign mone s allowe currene ywa b o dt n i t t allow Scotlandreige Ac th f n Davi so a n n I Englis. .dII h moneo yt have course in the country. Coins of Prance and of Flanders are men- tioned in the time of his successor; and in every Act almost which alters e currencye valuth th f o e , coin f otheo s r nation e specifiedar s . This foreign money diminishe e necessitdth r nativyfo e coinage, thougt hi must have complicated mercantile dealings to a very great degree. But besides permitting these coins 5to be current, it appears from the records that they were sometimes melted dow recoined nan nativn di e currency, not without profit. e "Thusth Compot n i , i Thesaurarii," undee th r date 1504-6,1 there is an- entry of three hundred and seventy-seven pounds as the profit arising from changing three thousand six hundred and ninety-six " coronarum viz scutorum Francie " ..." in moneta Scoti- cana." Similar entries occur in succeeding years. Numerous notices of melting down plat trir efo coinag e alsar eo foun n thesdi e interesting records.2 The Treasurer accounts for the profit arising " de tribus antiquis amphoris argentiis" . . . " conetatis in le plakkis," and " de duobus flacatis argentiis vocati Balgone sd . conetati . . y singulin si s denariis;" and " de conetacione viginti trium le lynkis auri de magna cathena domini regis . . . conetati in le unicornis." Pages of such examples could be got from the Treasurer's accounts of this period. The amount of bullion derived in early times from the native mines must have been very considerable. Gold is said to have been discovered in the reign of James IV. in the Lead Hills. In the time of James V. the yield was very considerable, and the well-known bonnet pieces were minted of native gold. Various adventurers sought for gold in Crawford Moor with generally indifferent success. In 1607 silver was discovered n considerabli e quantit t Hilderstonya , near Linlithgow cose f th o tt bu , working and refining was so great that it was soon given up. From the want of continuous documentary evidence it is impossible to give anything lik efula l accoun ratee th f seignorag so f o t e fee mino t s t officials, or even a complete list of the various masters of the money, and other officers. In 1364 the seignorage was seven pennies from each pound of silver coined; shortl eighs y afterwa t t i pennies, againd an ; s n 1367i , wa t ,i 1 MSS. Keg. EdinHo . . 2 1504-6. NOTES ON THE SCOTTISH MINTS. 237

seven.1 In 1441, from each ounce of gold coined twelve pence was paid to the king, and from each pound of silver—when coined into pence halfpence—sixtd an y pence t whebu ; n coined into larger money, sixty- four pence.2 In 1453 the seignorage was thirty-two pence from each pound of silver, f coinei t bu d into small money ("in minubis denarii t obiilis")e s s wa t i , only half. n 152I 3havo t e kin5s th e gwa fro m each pound weighf o t coined silver money, eighteen shillings, and from each ounce of coined gold twenty-five shillings. Our knowledge of the various fees for mintage is equally deficient. In 136 penne e warde7th on t y nfrogo m each poun mastee silverf dth o d ran , coiner and his workmen eleven pennies.4 In 1441, from every twelve ounce f golsilves o d penny e dan on d r t coinean , ge wardee o t dth s wa n irone gravee pennye th th on f s o r . Still late 1567n (i re generath ) f o l the mint got twelve pounds ten shillings per month; the warden four pounds three shilling d fourpencean s e sinketh ; r five poundse th d an , assayer three pounds six shillings and eightpence.5 e subjoineTh namee d th lis f wardene f somo ts o th f eo masterd san f so the money is very incomplete.6 The names occur in the Acts, in the Chamberlain's Rolls, the Treasurer's accounts, and elsewhere; but we have no accurate account of when the various appointments were made. There is no trace of hereditary descent (such as the curator in the English mints) in any of the offices of the Scottish mint, as far as can be traced hitherto. privilegee Th immunitied san officere mine th th f f ts o o swer e secured y severab l gift f exemptiono s , ratifie y Actb d s passee reignth f n di o s James VI. and his successors. Reference is made in these to the Acts of earlien a r period granting certain privileges f whicho , , however have w , e no othe rt passe accountAc n n 1661di A . 7 ratine approved e an s th f o s gift of exemption granted by the deceased David, King of Scots, to Adam Torrie, freeing him and the other officers of the mint of all challenges, 1 Cham. Rolls, . 391volpp . ,i 401. 2 Ibid. sub. anno. 3 Lindsay, p. 232. 4 Cham. Bolls. " Compot. Thesaurarii, MSS. Keg. 100. 0 Complete lists, as far as can be collected, will be given in a work now in prepara- "e Recordth tio Coinage n no th f so Scotland.f eo " 7 Acts, vol. vii. p. 227. 238 PROCEEDING SSOCIETYE OFTH , APHI . 1873L14 . supports, duties, and contributions whatever, and making them respon- l plea siblcomplaintal d n sean i theijurisdictioo n st row n only. These privileges see havmo t e been confirmed from tim timeo et d an , more especiall Jamey yb sals o V.owh , gav officiale eth licencl al s o t e and workers of the mint to stay at home in all forays, raids, and from all watching and warding.1 The courts of wardenry of the mint were more particularly confirmed by James VI. in 1584, 1604, and 1612, and power was granted to the general'of the mint to repledge his officials and workmen from all other jurisdictions.2

LIST OF THE OFFICIALS OF THE SCOTTISH MINT. Second Period. 1358. Adam Thor (Edin.), custos monete (Ch. K.) 1364-1377 (?) Jacobus Mulekyn (Edin.), monetarius (Ch) E. . 1364-139 Bonagius) 3(? , monetarius (Sc. Acts). 1369-1373. Andreas Pictor (Edin.), custos monete (Ch) E. . 1373. Thomas de Strathern (Perth), custos nionete. 1390-1402. Thomas Melville, monetarius (?) Galfour Goldsmith, monetariu) s(? 1429. Kobert Gray, monetarius' . 1441. Thomas de Cranstoune, custos monete. 1442. Joh Dalrymple nd e (senior), monetarius. Joh Dalrymple nd e (junior), monetarius. 1443. Alexander Tod, monetariu t Stirling)s(a . ? John de Livingstone, custos monete (at Stirling). ? John Spethy, monetarius. ? Gilbert Fish, monetarius. ? John Currour, monetarius. 1466. George Grinlaw, gardianum cone. Alexander Tod, monetarius. William Goldsmith, monetarius. 1476-1488. Alexander Livingstone, cunzeour. Thomas Tod, cunzeour. 1488. James of Crichton of Kuchvendean, warden. 1513. David Scott, custos monete.

1 Acts, vol. vii . 227p . . Mem. of Edin., vol. ii. p. 97. NOTES ON THE SCOTTISH MINTS. 239

1514. Adam Boyd, " wardane prinoipale and kepar of the Kingis Cunzie Irnis" (Reg. Sec. Sig.) 1530. James Achisone, magister monete. 1535. Walter Grott, kepar. 1536. . YounSehi Schid Wm r gan r Laurence Couper, " Keparf so the Irnis" (Beg. Sec. Sig.) 1538. Alexander Orro Syllebalbee kd , majister monete. John Mossman, warden (Reg. Sec. Sig.) 1542. Alex. Orrok, "maister cinw.eone" (Bey. Sec. Sig.) Philip Quhitheid, " coaiptor wardane." 1545. "Wm. Hamilton, "maister of the cunziehous" (Reg. Sec. Sig.) 1564-1567. David Forrest, genera minte th f .lo John Acheson, master coiner. Andro Henderson, warden. James Mossman, assayer. James Gray, sinker of the irons. John Balfour, comptroller warden. 1571. David Adamson, counter warden. 1572. John Carmichael, warden. 1574. JJ^ fart, J visitors_ ( Nichol Sym, J . NapieA r 1576Edinbillief Si ro . , general. 1579. Thos. Achesonne, assayer. James Gunn, sinke ironsf ro . 1580. John Aohesoun, master coiner. 15.8^ Thomas Acheson, master coiner. Francis Napier, assayer. 1591. Thomas Foullis, sinker of the irons. 1608. Thomas Achesoun, genera minte th f .o l