Scotland David I AD 1124-1153 Silver Penny Period D Extremely Rare

DAVID I (AD 1124-1153) 

David was the first Scottish king to issue coinage following the capture of Carlisle by the Scots in AD 1136. Carlisle already had an established mint which had been operated by the English together with silver mines nearby. David’s mother was the Anglo-Saxon Princess Margaret who was the daughter of Edward Aethling. This made David the great grandson of Aethelred II (The Unready) of England. David had already received Cumbria and Lothian from his uncle, King Eadgar in AD 1107 together with the Earldom of Northumberland thus making him an English baron in his own right. Although the Scots under David were defeated by the English at the battle of the Standard, near Northallerton, in AD 1139 the subsequent peace treaty gave David’s son, Prince Henry (AD 1139-1152) the Earldom of Northumberland.

The coinage issued by David I and his son Prince Henry closely copied the Type XV Cross Moline fleury pennies the being issued by Henry I of England and later the Cross Moline (Watford) pennies issued under Stephen. Period A. The main mints initially were in Carlisle and Edinburgh but in the later Periods, B, C and D mints were opened in Roxburgh, Berwick and Perth in Scotland whilst under Prince Henry mints also operated in Corbridge and Bamborough.

The quality of some of these coins were good but others are of poor workmanship with legends often blundered. All coin types of this period are extremely rare and new types are still being discovered.