Mon, 29 Dec 2025

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 Earliest coin minted in Scotland saved for the nation after 900 years

The medieval David I silver coin, discovered in a wooded area in Midlothian, has been dated to the second half of the 1130s.

* A medieval David I silver coin from Scotland's earliest known mint has been acquired by National Museums Scotland.
* The coin was discovered in 2023 by a metal detectorist near Penicuik, Midlothian and is dated to the 1130s.
* It is valued at £15,000 and will be used for research, with hopes that it will go on display in the future.
* King David I introduced Scotland's first coinage in the early 12th century, but all his earliest coins were thought to have been minted in Carlisle.
* The discovery of this coin shows that some of these early coins were actually minted in Edinburgh.
* The coin has a portrait of the monarch and a cross-based design on one side, with an inscription indicating it was minted in Edinburgh.
* Experts say the discovery will help expand their understanding of how and where coins were minted in medieval times.
* The first Scottish coins are rare and this find could lead to further discoveries that increase our knowledge of Scotland's early coinage.
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