| Brief Description |
This is a silver noble minted at Edinburgh in the sixteenth century during the reign of James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England and Ireland in 1603. The coin was worth six shillings and eight pence Scots. It was also known as a half merk, a merk being a Scottish word for a silver coin. This particular coin is dated 1572.
The obverse bears a crowned shield between a '6' and an '8', indicating the coin's value. The Latin inscription translates as: "James VI, by the Grace of God, King of Scots".
After the Union of the Crowns of 1603, Scottish gold and silver coins closely resembled English coins, losing their distinctive Scottish designs.
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