This silver penny dating to the 1130s features an image of King David I, a cross pattern, and an inscription that has yet to be deciphered in full.
National Museums ScotlandThe coin bears the image of King David I of Scotland, who ruled from 1124 to 1153.
In 2023, a metal detectorist in Scotland stumbled upon a tiny medieval coin near Penicuik, Midlothian. But while coins from the Middle Ages are regularly found across Europe, this one was special. This silver penny was minted in Edinburgh by King David I during the 12th century, making it the first-known coin to ever be minted within Scottish territory.
Previously, all other coins found in Scotland had been minted elsewhere — and historians had long believed that King David’s coins were minted in Cumbria, in present-day England. Thus, the discovery of the coin has shed new light on Scotland’s rich cultural heritage, and offers insights into how coins were once produced in the country.
The Chance Discovery Of The Oldest Scottish Coin Ever Found
According to The National, the tiny medieval coin was found by a metal detectorist in 2023, who promptly reported the find to the Treasure Trove Unit (an organization responsible for processing archaeological finds in Scotland). But when experts took a closer look at the coin, they realized that it was more important than anyone had initially realized.
The coin was inscribed with the letters: “ESBVRG.” This stands for Edinburgh, and is a clear sign that the coin was minted in the Scottish capital. Thus, the coin is the first-known example of a coin minted in Scotland.
National Museums Scotland/FacebookKing David I introduced the first coinage to Scotland, though his coins were previously thought to have been minted elsewhere.
“This medieval coin dates to the 1130s, and it’s the only known example minted in Edinburgh of this very early date,” an expert with the the National Museums Scotland (NMS) explained on Facebook.
Previous coins found in Scotland — like Roman coins or Viking coins — had been minted elsewhere. And though historians knew that King David I of Scotland (who ruled from 1124 until 1153) had introduced the first coinage to the country, they had long assumed that his coins were created at a mint in Carlisle, Cumbria, located in the northwest of England.
“Scotland had never produced coinage before,” Alice Blackwell, senior curator of medieval archaeology and history at NMS, told The National. “This coin is really significant because it’s the first of that earliest type, the earliest coins to actually have been minted outside of Carlisle. It was minted in Edinburgh, so it’s the first time that we have Scottish coinage being minted in what was a core part of the Scottish kingdom.”
The coin, which was made of a “thin disc of silver” hammered “onto dies” depicts King David on one side, and a cross design on the other side, as well as the name of the mint. The full inscription of the mint, partially obscured by time, reads: +E(A?)BALD:E[…]ONESBVRG with the “ESBVRG” indicating “Edinburgh.”
How This Silver Penny Fits Into The Story Of King David I
The king of Scotland from 1124 until 1153, King David I oversaw many important initiatives in the country. He established royal burghs in Perth, Dunfermline, and Stirling, oversaw the construction of major monasteries, and extended royal control to parts of northern and western Scotland. Significantly, he also introduced the country’s first silver coinage.
Public DomainKing David I of Scotland oversaw a number of important initiatives in his country, including the introduction of silver coinage.
Because David had invaded and controlled Carlisle, the site of a minting press, historians had long assumed that this is where his silver coins were produced. But the coin found in Penicuik proves otherwise.
“What makes this really significant is that until we found this, we thought all of David’s first coinage was produced in Carlisle because there are virtually no documentary sources that explain how coinage was produced, where, when, why things changed, why the designs changed, any of that,” Blackwell explained. “There’s very, very little documentary sources for that for Scotland. So the coins themselves are the primary source.”
This coin, though just a small, flat penny, tells an incredible story about Scotland’s history. Experts will continue to study it, and expect to eventually display it for the public.
After reading about the first-known coin ever minted in Scotland, discover the dramatic history of Castle Stalker, the Scottish fortress in the middle of a lake that was featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Then, learn about the Picts, the fierce Scottish warriors who fought off the ancient Romans.
