Penny of Alexander III

The detectorist who unearthed this coin wished to remain anonymous but asked for a full ID and a valuation on his find, which was discovered whilst detecting in a field situated in Somerset.

The coin is a second coinage penny of Alexander III of Scotland. It has been estimated that as many as 50 million pennies of this type were struck between circa 1280 and 1286. As could be expected with such a huge issue, there are many varieties.

This penny is an example of class E, which is one of the most common classes. However, it is a rare variety. On the reverse there is a mullet of six points in two angles and a mullet of five points in the other two. Therefore, the number of points adds up to 22, which is a rare total (see page 20 in Coins of Scotland, Ireland and the Islands).

Valuation

This is a nice looking coin, which I’d grade as near VF. As it is a rarity a pre-sale auction estimate should be £320-350.

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