JAMES I. (1603 to 1625.)
Denominations.—Silver. Crown, Half-crown, Shilling, Sixpence, Half-groat, Penny, and Halfpenny. Gold. First issue. Sovereign or Thirty-shilling-piece, Half-sovereign or Double-crown (15s.), Quarter-sovereign or Crown (7s. 6d.), Eighth-of-Sovereign or Half-crown (3s. 9d.). Second issue. Unit (20s.), Double-crown (10s.), British-crown (5s.), Half-British-crown (2s. 6d.), Thistle-crown (4s.). Third issue. Rose-rial or Sovereign (30s.), Spur-rial (15s.), Angel (10s.), Angelet or Half-angel (5s.). Last issue. Rose-rial or Sovereign (Thirty-shilling-piece), Spur Rial (Fifteen-shilling-piece), Angel, Laurel or Unit, Double-crown or Half-laurel, British-crown or Quarter-laurel. The current values were from time to time raised.
Obverse.—Type. Crown and Half-crown, king on horseback, in armour, crowned, drawn sword in his right hand; on the caparison the royal rose or the thistle crowned.
On some IACOBVS D G MA (or MAG) BRI (or BRIT) FRA (or FRAN) ET HI (or HIB or HIBER) REX.
Shilling, Half-shilling, etc., dexter bust profile, robed, crowned; long pointed beard and mustachios, hair short, numerals at back of head for value. Twopence, the bust as before on some, on others the royal rose crowned. Penny, bust as before, or I. R. crowned; a rose on one side the letters, and a thistle on the other: others, a rose. Halfpenny, a portcullis, or rose.
Legend. I. IA. IACOBV. or IACOBVS. D. G. ANG. SCO. FRAN. ET. HIB. REX., and other abbreviations. Half-groat, etc., I. D. G. ROSA SINE SPINA. Penny with I. R.; and Halfpenny, no legend.
Reverse..—Type. Crown, etc., royal arms, quarterly, 1 and 4, France and England quarterly; 2, Scotland; 3, Ireland. The shield of the Crown and Half-crown mantled, the others plain; Twopence, on some the same arms, on others a thistle, crowned. The Penny, with I. R. has a portcullis crowned; the others, a thistle; others have the arms. Halfpenny, cross moline with three pellets in each quarter; or a thistle.
Legend. Crown, Shilling, etc., EXVRGAT DEVS. DISSIPENTVR INIMICI; or QUÆ DEVS CONIVNXIT NEMO SEPARET. Half-groat, Penny, TVETVR VNITA DEVS. Penny same as Half-groat; other pennies and halfpennies without legend. Rarity. All common, except Half-crown.
Gold. Thirty-shilling, Unit, and other pieces, king enthroned, in full regalia, his feet upon a portcullis, the field diapered; or half-length or shorter portrait of king in armour, crowned, sceptre in right and orb in left hand: reverse, shield of arms. Rose-rial, king enthroned as before; reverse, a large double rose with shield of arms. Spur-rial, king in armour, standing in a ship with sword and shield; or, the Scottish lion, sejant, crowned, holding a sceptre in his right paw and supporting with his left a shield of the royal arms; reverse, within a tressure a Spur-rowel, or star of 16 points centred with a rose, four points terminated with lions, and four with fleurs-de-lis. Angel, etc., usual type. Thistle crown, a double rose on its stem, crowned, between the initials I. R.; reverse, a thistle crowned in like manner. Some of the legends or reverses are EXVRGAT DEVS DISSIPENTVR INIMICI; TVEATVR VNITA DEVS; FACIAM EOS IN GENTEM VNAM; HENRICVS ROSAS, REGNA IACOBVS; A DNO. FACTVM EST ISTVD ET EST MIRAB. IN OCVLIS NRIS; A DNO. FACTVM EST ISTVD, etc.
Copper. Farthing, crown and two sceptres in saltire, IACO. D. G. BRIT. Reverse, Irish harp, crowned, FRA. ET. HIB. REX. For Scotland a brass Twopence, called “Hardhead” was struck: obverse three thistles on one stem, IACOBVS D. G. MAG BRIT; reverse, lion rampant, FRAN and HIB REX.