Chapter 15 c. Coin hoards found on the Scottish border – History

Metal detectors in the Scottish border discovered the hoarding of more than 30 gold and silver coins in the 15th century. The coins were discovered by Keith Young and Lisa Stephenson when they scanned a field in the Capppercleuch area near St Mary’s Loch last November.

They reported the discovery to the Treasure Trove department, which sent their archaeologists to investigate the location of the discovery with researchers at the National Museum. These two metal detectors have the opportunity to join the excavation. The follow-up operation mined five coins.

The 15th century artifacts are a mixture of Scots and British coins, British silver scribblings cast by King Henry V, Edward IV, Scottish golden demys and Kings James I and II. […]

Antony Lee of the Treasure Trove department said: “It is not uncommon for coin hoards that contain English and Scottish coins to mix together, but we didn’t see a lot of hoards during this period in Scotland, so it was an interesting discovery.

This was a turbulent period in Scotland and British history. Henry V died in 1422, leaving his infant son to sit on his 8-month-old head, and even if Henry VI was old enough to actually rule, he could not be extraordinary with his father on the battlefield. Competencies are compared with France and in Britain dealing with rebellious nobles. By the 1450s, all the British royal territories in France were lost, including Aquitaine and Normandy, and the English nobles were divided into rival factions and would explode into the war of the Roses in 1455.

James I had similar problems with the Scottish nobility. Even though he was hostage to the Tower of London and Windsor Castle, James was fought by Henry V in France and admired his war and method of rule. The Scottish elite disagreed, and his control over them was eventually assassinated in 1437. While War and Henry VI competed with House of York, James II competed with the powerful Douglas Family.

With a strong but candid link between Scotland and England, the high-value currencies of the two countries are necessary for trade. According to the date of the coin, when conflict between the two countries prevailed, the ard cattle might have been buried in the 1460s.

The Scottish Archaeological Discovery Panel (SAFAP) is now evaluating the market value of the coins. The monetary value of the discovery will then be granted to the discoverer as a gratia payment. Museums that want to earn a hoard will have to apply for SAFAP and raise the reward amount.