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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Hunter bought a gold medal depicting 'Chas. II. and queen'. This is the only medal in Hunter's collection that matches that description. Most of the entries in the ledger are vague and refer to large groups of coins and medals, so they can't be matched to individual specimens.

Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

This gold medal was made to celebrate the marriage of Charles II to Catherine of Braganza on 21 May 1662. Charles II is depicted on one side & Catherine on the other. William Hunter bought this medal for £8 18 shillings & 6 pence on 3 June 1773. It's now in the collection of The Hunterian.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Some of the coins & tokens that we examined in my Hunterian handling session earlier today. They date from c.296 BC to 1835.

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Reposted by Cameron Maclean

scot17thcentury.bsky.social @scot17thcentury.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Join us on 11th June 2026 for what promises to be a fascinating day of collegiate discussion and debate on seventeenth-century Scotland. Sign up here: A Kingdom in Perplexity: Voices of Seventeenth-Century Scotland www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-kingdom-...

eventbrite.co.uk

A Kingdom in Perplexity: Voices of Seventeenth-Century Scotland

Eventbrite - University of Glasgow - College of Arts presents A Kingdom in Perplexity: Voices of Seventeenth-Century Scotland - Thursday, June 11, 2026 at Glasgow University Union, Glasgow, Glasgow. F...

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George III is depicted on the other side of the coin. You can see Wyon’s name just beneath the king’s neck.

That’s assuming it’s been catalogued before.

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Thank you. Unfortunately not. The best place to start with that would probably be ‘Medallic Illustrations of the British Isles’ vol. 1. It should be available through the Internet Archive.

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Hibernia, Britannia and Caledonia are depicted as the Three Graces on this pattern crown of George III that dates to 1817. Engraved by William Wyon, it's widely considered to be a masterpiece of numismatic art. However, the coin was not adopted for circulation. This specimen is from the Hunterian.

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Laetitia, the Roman goddess of happiness and celebration, appears on the other side of the coin.

Hunter’s collection is incredible, but I’d assume Louis’s was better

I think the French royal coin collection is held by the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, although I'm not sure how much (if any) was 'misplaced' during the French Revolution.

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Hunter’s collection survives in its entirety at the Hunterian museum. A complete manuscript catalogue exists. Efforts to publish it began in the 18th century and is still an ongoing process.

Pertinax’s portrait on the obverse. This coin was acquired by William Hunter sometime between 1770 & 1783. The quality of Hunter’s numismatic collection was reputedly second only to that of Louis XVI of France.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

This gold coin was issued by Pertinax, who ruled the Roman Empire for 87 days in AD 193. Pertinax’s assassination by the Praetorian Guard brought an end to his short reign. He was the first of five men to claim the title of Emperor in that year. From the Hunterian collection.

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This English pattern halfcrown was minted during the joint reign of Philip & Mary in 1554. Mary is depicted on one side and Philip II of Spain on the other. The coin did not enter circulation. This specimen from the Hunterian collection is one of very few surviving examples.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Thanks a lot Roslin. It's a massive relief

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

King Henry VIII of England died on this day in 1547. He’s depicted on this silver testoon that was minted in the final years of his life (1544-47). Its dull grey colour is a result of the Great Debasement, during which the coins' silver content was lowered at a massive profit. From the Hunterian.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

Their combined face value comes to £2 1 shilling.

Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

James's royal arms appear on the reverses. From top to bottom, left to right: Unite (£1), shilling, Britain crown, gold halfcrown, silver halfcrown & double crown.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

A few gold and silver coins of King James VI & I. They were minted at the Tower of London sometime between 1604 & 1607. From the Hunterian collection.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Petronius Maximus appears on the other side, wielding a cross and the personification of Victory. He was murdered by an angry mob on 31 May 455.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

This gold coin was issued by Petronius Maximus, one of the shortest reigning Roman emperors. He ruled the Western Roman Empire for just 75 days (17 March-31 May 455). This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Emperor Titus is shown seated on the other side. He’s surrounded by armour.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

You can even see the crowd in the Colosseum.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

The Roman Colosseum is depicted on this coin that was minted sometime between AD 80 & 81, soon after the building was completed. It was issued by Emperor Titus, reputedly for distribution in the arena as a mark of Imperial benevolence. This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Robert the Bruce also issued a halfpenny and farthing as part of his coinage. Here's all three denominations together. They are from William Hunter's collection at the Hunterian.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Bruce's name and title appears on the penny in Latin (spread across both sides). It translates to: 'Robert, by the Grace of God, King of Scots'.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

This silver penny of Robert the Bruce was minted in Berwick following its recapture from the English in 1318, 4 years after the Scottish victory at Bannockburn. Bruce’s coins were struck in small numbers so very few survive. From the Lord Stewartby collection at the Hunterian.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

From top to bottom, left to right: a halfcrown of Charles II, James VII/II, William II/III & Mary II, William II/III alone, Anne, George I, George II, George III, George IV, William IV, Victoria, Edward VII, George V, George VI & Elizabeth II. All are silver except for the last.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

It’s known as the ‘bull head’ portrait and was quickly replaced

Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Here's a coin of every monarch from Charles II to Elizabeth II (except Edward VIII). They date from 1677 to 1963 and showcase the alternating portrait tradition that began in 1662. Each monarch faces in the opposite direction from their predecessor. They are from the Hunterian collection.

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One of my favourite coins from the Stewartby collection.

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Friday Focus - The Lord Stewartby Collection of Scottish Coins

Lord Stewartby gifted his collection to The Hunterian in 2017. It's the largest collection of Scottish coins ever assembled by a single individual. I gave a talk on it a few months ago: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjY4...

youtube.com

YouTube video by The Hunterian

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Here's the coin alongside a transcription & translation of its Latin legends. The Latin is pretty garbled.

The coins were minted in the last 4 years of James III's reign. He was killed at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488, defeated by an army nominally headed by his own son, the future James IV. James IV would meet the same end at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

This silver groat of James III of Scotland (1484-1488) was one of the 1st coins minted in Northern Europe with a realistic portrait in the Renaissance style. This example from the Lord Stewartby Collection is one of the best preserved I've ever seen.

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Some of the coins that we handled in my previous Hunterian workshops on the history of minting technology in the British Isles. They date from the 6th century BC to 1820. The oldest is a half stater of Lydia (oval coin in the top left) and the most recent is a £5 of George III (bottom left corner).

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

The medal was possibly designed by Sir James Balfour. As the Lord Lyon King of Arms, he was Scotland's highest heraldic authority and played a central role in the coronation ceremony.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

This gold medal was made to celebrate the Scottish coronation of King Charles II, which occurred at Scone Palace on this day in 1651. It was the last coronation to ever take place in Scotland. This gold specimen from the Hunterian is exceedingly rare, most were cast in silver.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

The earliest known coin to be minted in Scotland has been found. The penny of David I was struck in Edinburgh in the 1130s. The coin has been acquired by the National Museum of Scotland through Treasure Trove and will hopefully go on display in the future. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

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.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Perhaps it was a way of salvaging a bit of prestige on David's part through paying the ransom in his own coins? The king and Scottish mint would have also gained seigniorage from minting the gold into coins.

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Cameron Maclean @cmaclean.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Of the four surviving coins, this is the only one with a known find spot. It was found under the floor of Fenwick Tower in the north of England on or around 10 June 1775. William Hunter purchased it for £21 on 10 March 1780. Here's the entry in his purchase ledger.