Halfpenny of Robert Bruce

Dan McLauchlan asked for a valuation on this Scottish hammered silver coin, which is 16mm in diameter.

Dan’s find is a halfpenny of Robert Bruce who became King of Scotland in 1306 and reigned until 1329. On the obverse is the head of King Robert with a sceptre in front and the surrounding legend reads +ROBERTVS DEI GRA. On the reverse there is a mullet of five points in two quarters and the legend on this side reads SCO TOR VMR EX+.

Soon after the Domesday survey was completed the king’s portion of Guisborough (in Yorkshire) was given to Robert de Bruis. This Robert was the son of Adam de Bruis, who might have first come to England as an adherent of William the Conqueror. Within a few years Robert secured the whole of Guisborough and he was the first de Bruis to hold land in Scotland. He was an ancestor of the Bruce kings of both Scotland and Ireland.

Valuation

Unfortunately, this halfpenny is badly struck and this has left about a third of the obverse and a quarter of the reverse flat. However, the rest of both sides stand out well. The flat areas would have an impact on its possible commercial value. Halfpennies of Robert Bruce aren’t as rare as they used to be but they are still popular with collectors, so if I was cataloguing this specimen for sale at auction I would set the pre-sale estimate at £900-1,100.

Valuation Service

If you would like your coin identified or valued, please read about my valuation service and contact me