2016-09-09 Fri

An 1136 Scottish penny struck during the regime of King David I (1124 - 1153) was discovered recently by a metal detectorist in a field in the north of England, County Durham. The coin would be offered at an auction by Dix Noonan Webb on 22nd September with an estimated value between £8,000 and £12,000.

Experts believe that this coin was struck when the Scots invaded England in 1136 for the English throne. This significant coin struck by the head of a Scottish Monarch represents an important event in the history of independent Scotland.

Coins belonging to English kings Edward I, Edward III as well as Elizabethan coins, two modern gold rings and a large number of bullets were also found at the site earlier. In the 12th Century, the area was called Northumbria which was granted to David I under the Treaty of Durham in 1139.

Experts state that this coin is unique because it has an Edinburgh side with David on it, and the other side is Carlisle as it was probably struck in Carlisle. Silver mines in that area were taken over and coins were struck by David and his son Prince Henry after they attacked Carlisle.