A student post by Cameron Maclean, PhD Candidate at the University of Glasgow and Numismatic Volunteer at The Hunterian. Throughout history, monarchs have produced coins for the purpose of showing their personal favour to a recipient, rather than just being made for general circulation. This post will showcase some of The Hunterian’s Scottish coins that served this purpose. They count amongst some of the most interesting and impressive coins in the collection. James IV, unicorn, 1488-1513, gold, Edinburgh Mint, S/4782, The Lord Stewartby Collection of Scottish Coins. The unicorn is a Scottish ..read more

A student post from Isabel Ferrari, Hunterian MuSE volunteer. Introduction by Hunterian Education Manager, Ruth Fletcher. This student post comes from one of the student volunteers from a newly established project team: LGBTQ online at The Hunterian (working title), through which we hope to reveal LGBTQ+ stories from the Hunterian collections that are there but are hard to find.  Anyone interested in finding out more about this project or volunteering to help us should email Ruth Fletcher. Isabel Ferrari is a 4th year student of English, Comparative Literature and History of Art and has ..read more

A student post by Cameron Maclean, Coin Room Volunteer at The Hunterian. Stephen, penny, 1135 – 1154, silver, York, GLAHM:37698, Hunter An array of fascinating coins were struck during the Anarchy (1135-1153). One of the most enigmatic depicts King Stephen alongside another figure. The legend refers only to Stephen by name; he is the standing figure on the left. It has alternatively been proposed that the person on the right is either Stephen’s queen, Matilda, or his son and heir, Eustace. While it is impossible to verify the identity of this elusive figure, both possibilities make this co ..read more

A guest post by Dr Steve Marritt, Lecturer in History, University of Glasgow.  Stephen’s reign saw the first Scottish coins, after King David I seized silver mines at Alston in Cumbria. Stephen had close ties to Holy Trinity Priory London, the cartulary of which is held by our Library’s Special Collections and which was founded by Queen Matilda II of England, daughter of King Malcolm III Canmore. Her brother David, the same David I, was also a benefactor of the house. David was himself a key player in the civil war of Stephen’s reign, and both Scotland and Scotland’s relationship with Eng ..read more

This week, Winnie Ward reflects on a recent work placement with The Hunterian Museum, arranged through the postgraduate MSc course in Museum Studies. While considering my options for postgraduate studies, the University of Glasgow’s MSc in Museum Studies caught my eye, as it offered the opportunity to work directly with a museum through a work placement. With Semester 2 approaching, I eagerly awaited the placement options being posted online. As a Classics undergraduate, initially I hoped a project working with objects from ancient Greece or Rome might appear. I found myself drawn to a proj ..read more

The monarchs of the British Isles have celebrated their coronations through the issue of medals and coins from the 16th century onwards. In light of the upcoming coronation of King Charles III, this week, Cameron Maclean talks us through some of the objects in The Hunterian’s numismatic collection that have been made for this purpose. Edward VI, England, coronation medal, 1547 Edward VI, England, coronation medal, 1547, Hunter Collection, GLAHM:38005 This large medal of Edward VI (r.1547-1553), measuring 64 millimetres in diameter, is the very first medal issued in England to celebrat ..read more

Did you know that Charles III will preside over his first Royal Maundy ceremony as king on 6 April 2023? He will personally distribute specially minted ‘Maundy money’ to elderly people at York Minster. Here, Cameron Maclean, PhD Candidate at the University of Glasgow, and Numismatic Volunteer at The Hunterian, highlights some specimens of Maundy money in The Hunterian collection. Coining the ‘Maundy Money’ Tradition The Royal Maundy originally served as a way for the monarch to give alms to the poor. Now the recipients are chosen for their service to their church and/or community. Charles III ..read more

A student post by Cameron Maclean, PhD Candidate at the University of Glasgow and Numismatic Volunteer at The Hunterian. Charles III, United Kingdom, fifty pence (obverse), 2022, donated by the author. The first coins of King Charles III were recently released by the Royal Mint. The new monarch’s coins follow conventions that have been established on the coinage of the British Isles for centuries. This post will illustrate the history behind these traditions by using objects from The Hunterian’s numismatic collection. From left to right: Charles I, England, milled shilling, 1638-1639, Hunter C ..read more

A student post by Stephanie Shakay Tierney, MSc Museum Studies (Grad Dec 2019) at the University of Glasgow. Introduction by Hunterian Education Manager, Ruth Fletcher. Reflecting on volunteering at The Hunterian both pre and during the pandemic, Stephanie Shakay Tierney, MSc Museum Studies (Grad Dec 2019) gives an insight into the professional and in this case pastoral benefits of working with collections. Stephanie was one of four volunteers assisting our Numismatics Curator, initially in the autumn term of 2019. Upon moving to Glasgow to obtain my Master’s in University of Glasgow’s Museum ..read more

A guest post by Dr Steve Marritt, Lecturer in History, University of Glasgow. Certainly one of the coins in the In Focus case display ‘Anarchy? Coinage of King Stephen’s Reign, and perhaps a second, the two-figure coin, incorporate Matildas. Actually, this question is quite easy, but it comes with some complications! First, not everyone we know as Matilda was actually called Matilda originally. Second, you don’t have to call them Matilda, you can also call them Mathilda or Maud, the crucial thing is to be consistent! Queen Matilda II, daughter of Malcolm III Canmore King of Scotland, had been ..read more