Cameron Maclean
@cmaclean.bsky.social
SGSAH PhD student at the University of Glasgow researching Scottish, English and British coins. Details: https://www.gla.ac.uk/pgrs/cameronmaclean/
Pinned
Cameron Maclean
@cmaclean.bsky.social
· Nov 16
This touchpiece was personally distributed by Henry Benedict Stuart, the last Jacobite pretender, when touching for the King’s Evil sometime between 1798 & 1800. It titles him as: ‘Henry IX, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France & Ireland, Cardinal Bishop of Tusculum’.
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).
January 2, 2026 at 11:15 AM
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).
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.
January 1, 2026 at 11:56 AM
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.
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...
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.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 29, 2025 at 4:06 PM
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...
This noble of King David II that dates to around 1357 is the first Scottish gold coin. David II possibly minted it to help pay off the massive ransom that he owed to Edward III of England. This specimen from the Hunterian collection is 1 of just 4 surviving examples.
December 29, 2025 at 12:57 PM
This noble of King David II that dates to around 1357 is the first Scottish gold coin. David II possibly minted it to help pay off the massive ransom that he owed to Edward III of England. This specimen from the Hunterian collection is 1 of just 4 surviving examples.
This massive silver pound (120 grams) that was issued by King Charles I in 1644 is the heaviest circulating coin ever minted in the British Isles. Here it is alongside a modern £1 of Charles III. From the Hunterian collection.
December 28, 2025 at 12:41 PM
This massive silver pound (120 grams) that was issued by King Charles I in 1644 is the heaviest circulating coin ever minted in the British Isles. Here it is alongside a modern £1 of Charles III. From the Hunterian collection.
These tiny 1/32nd gold ducats of Nuremberg are some of the smallest coins I’ve ever seen. They date to 1700 and weigh just 0.13 grams each. The two coins are from the Hunterian collection.
December 27, 2025 at 1:04 PM
These tiny 1/32nd gold ducats of Nuremberg are some of the smallest coins I’ve ever seen. They date to 1700 and weigh just 0.13 grams each. The two coins are from the Hunterian collection.
The gold laurel of King James VI & I that was minted from 1619 to 1625 is the 1st English coin to depict a monarch in the style of a Roman emperor since the Norman Conquest. Here it is surrounded by the Roman coins that inspired it. They are from the collection of the Hunterian.
December 26, 2025 at 12:45 PM
The gold laurel of King James VI & I that was minted from 1619 to 1625 is the 1st English coin to depict a monarch in the style of a Roman emperor since the Norman Conquest. Here it is surrounded by the Roman coins that inspired it. They are from the collection of the Hunterian.
This gold solidus is the earliest coin to depict Jesus. It was minted in Constantinople in 450 to celebrate Emperor Marcian's marriage to Pulcheria. Jesus is shown between the imperial couple. This specimen from the Hunterian collection is the only known example in existence.
December 24, 2025 at 11:57 AM
This gold solidus is the earliest coin to depict Jesus. It was minted in Constantinople in 450 to celebrate Emperor Marcian's marriage to Pulcheria. Jesus is shown between the imperial couple. This specimen from the Hunterian collection is the only known example in existence.
The owl, a symbol of the Goddess Athena, appears on this silver tetradrachm of Athens that was minted sometime between 527 & 430 BC. It is perhaps one of the most iconic coins ever struck. The design still appears on Greek coins to this day. From the Hunterian collection.
December 23, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The owl, a symbol of the Goddess Athena, appears on this silver tetradrachm of Athens that was minted sometime between 527 & 430 BC. It is perhaps one of the most iconic coins ever struck. The design still appears on Greek coins to this day. From the Hunterian collection.
Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, appears on this gold aureus that was minted in 42 BC. In that year, Brutus, one of the main plotters of Caesar’s assassination, took his own life after being defeated in battle by the forces of Octavian & Mark Antony. From the collection of The Hunterian.
December 22, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, appears on this gold aureus that was minted in 42 BC. In that year, Brutus, one of the main plotters of Caesar’s assassination, took his own life after being defeated in battle by the forces of Octavian & Mark Antony. From the collection of The Hunterian.
This gold aureus of Emperor Hadrian was minted sometime between AD 128 & 129. The coin is nearly 2,000 years old but it looks like it could’ve been made yesterday. It’s from the collection of The Hunterian, Glasgow.
December 20, 2025 at 4:52 PM
This gold aureus of Emperor Hadrian was minted sometime between AD 128 & 129. The coin is nearly 2,000 years old but it looks like it could’ve been made yesterday. It’s from the collection of The Hunterian, Glasgow.
This medal was issued in 1912 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the gold standard in Japan. It depicts the 20, 10 & 5 yen coins that were introduced as part of the switch the gold standard. It’s one of the very few Japanese medals in the Hunterian collection.
December 19, 2025 at 11:54 AM
This medal was issued in 1912 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the adoption of the gold standard in Japan. It depicts the 20, 10 & 5 yen coins that were introduced as part of the switch the gold standard. It’s one of the very few Japanese medals in the Hunterian collection.
Some ancient coins that we'll be looking at in an upcoming coin handling workshop. Includes coins of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra VII & Hadrian. They are all from the collection that was formed by William Hunter between 1770 & 1783.
October 23, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Some ancient coins that we'll be looking at in an upcoming coin handling workshop. Includes coins of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra VII & Hadrian. They are all from the collection that was formed by William Hunter between 1770 & 1783.
I'm giving a talk to the British Numismatic Society on the 22nd of September. It'll be on James VI & I's Anglo-Scottish monetary union, which is the focus of my PhD research.
September 18, 2025 at 11:14 AM
I'm giving a talk to the British Numismatic Society on the 22nd of September. It'll be on James VI & I's Anglo-Scottish monetary union, which is the focus of my PhD research.
The cartwheel twopence of George III was the heaviest copper coin ever minted for circulation in the British Isles. This is an extremely rare specimen made from solid gold. With a weight of 77.7g, it's even heavier than the regular copper version (56.7g). From the Hunterian collection, Glasgow.
September 17, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The cartwheel twopence of George III was the heaviest copper coin ever minted for circulation in the British Isles. This is an extremely rare specimen made from solid gold. With a weight of 77.7g, it's even heavier than the regular copper version (56.7g). From the Hunterian collection, Glasgow.
This set of coin weights from the mid-1600s would have been used by merchants to test the weights of different coins. It includes weights for gold coins from Scotland, England, continental Europe and Spain’s American colonies(?). The set is from the Hunterian collection.
September 12, 2025 at 11:26 AM
This set of coin weights from the mid-1600s would have been used by merchants to test the weights of different coins. It includes weights for gold coins from Scotland, England, continental Europe and Spain’s American colonies(?). The set is from the Hunterian collection.
This gold sovereign was minted as part of James VI & I's 1st English coinage (1603-1604). The coinage was established in May 1603, just two months after James inherited the English throne from Elizabeth I. It titles him as 'King of England, Scotland, France & Ireland'. From the Hunterian collection.
September 11, 2025 at 12:24 PM
This gold sovereign was minted as part of James VI & I's 1st English coinage (1603-1604). The coinage was established in May 1603, just two months after James inherited the English throne from Elizabeth I. It titles him as 'King of England, Scotland, France & Ireland'. From the Hunterian collection.
This gold guinea of George I was minted in 1714, the year of his accession to the British throne. It's the earliest circulating British coin to title the monarch as 'Defender of the Faith' ('F D'), which continues to appear on coins to this day. From the Hunterian Collection.
September 9, 2025 at 1:43 PM
This gold guinea of George I was minted in 1714, the year of his accession to the British throne. It's the earliest circulating British coin to title the monarch as 'Defender of the Faith' ('F D'), which continues to appear on coins to this day. From the Hunterian Collection.
Coins of the two Queen Elizabeths. A 10 pence of Elizabeth II (2021) and a sixpence of Elizabeth I (1562). These two coins were minted over 450 years apart but they still share much in common, including the listing of both monarchs' titles in Latin. From the Hunterian collection.
September 8, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Coins of the two Queen Elizabeths. A 10 pence of Elizabeth II (2021) and a sixpence of Elizabeth I (1562). These two coins were minted over 450 years apart but they still share much in common, including the listing of both monarchs' titles in Latin. From the Hunterian collection.
A silver penny of King Alexander III of Scotland with beautiful rainbow toning. It was minted sometime between 1250 & c.1280. This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.
September 7, 2025 at 11:43 AM
A silver penny of King Alexander III of Scotland with beautiful rainbow toning. It was minted sometime between 1250 & c.1280. This specimen is from the Hunterian collection.
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. From the Hunterian Collection
September 6, 2025 at 1:48 PM
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. From the Hunterian Collection
Reposted by Cameron Maclean
The 9th Scottish coinage alongside James's 2nd English coinage, both of which were authorised in 1604 & formed part of the Anglo-Scottish monetary union. The two smallest silver coins would've circulated as a halfpenny Sterling in England and as sixpence Scots in Scotland.
August 31, 2025 at 1:29 PM
The 9th Scottish coinage alongside James's 2nd English coinage, both of which were authorised in 1604 & formed part of the Anglo-Scottish monetary union. The two smallest silver coins would've circulated as a halfpenny Sterling in England and as sixpence Scots in Scotland.
This is possibly the only complete set of King James VI & I's 9th Scottish coinage in existence. It was struck from 1605 to 1609 and consisted of 12 denominations that ranged in value from £12 to 6 pence Scots. The coins are from the Lord Stewartby Collection at the Hunterian.
August 31, 2025 at 11:34 AM
This is possibly the only complete set of King James VI & I's 9th Scottish coinage in existence. It was struck from 1605 to 1609 and consisted of 12 denominations that ranged in value from £12 to 6 pence Scots. The coins are from the Lord Stewartby Collection at the Hunterian.
The tiny 2.5 centesimos coin of Panama that dates to 1904. It’s popularly known as the ‘Panama pill’. With a diameter of just 10mm, it’s the smallest coin ever struck by the US Mint.
August 25, 2025 at 12:01 PM
The tiny 2.5 centesimos coin of Panama that dates to 1904. It’s popularly known as the ‘Panama pill’. With a diameter of just 10mm, it’s the smallest coin ever struck by the US Mint.
Charles I is depicted wearing intricately detailed armour on this Scottish gold unit that was minted sometime between 1637 & 1642. It’s widely considered to be one of the most beautiful Scottish coins ever struck. This example is from the Hunterian collection.
August 23, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Charles I is depicted wearing intricately detailed armour on this Scottish gold unit that was minted sometime between 1637 & 1642. It’s widely considered to be one of the most beautiful Scottish coins ever struck. This example is from the Hunterian collection.