Union of England & Scotland coin (1 of 2).

The union of English and Scottish thrones.

The Union of England and Scotland Act 1603, (full title...... "An Act authorizing certain Commissioners of the realm of England to treat with Commissioners of Scotland, for the weal [an "olde English" word meaning wealth, health & prosperity] of both kingdoms.") was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of England enacted during the reign of King James I (who was also King James VI of Scotland). It appointed a commission led by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Ellesmere, to meet and negotiate with a commission which would be appointed by the Parliament of Scotland. The aim of the discussions was to look into the possibility of arranging a formal political union between England and Scotland, going beyond the existing Union of Crowns and to report back to Parliament. The commission was not effective, however, and similar subsequent proposals also fell flat. The two kingdoms were eventually united over a century later by the Acts of Union, 1707.

This Sterling Silver "Trial" coin (A.K.A. "Test" or "Pattern" coin) was minted in 2003 as one of a number of proposed designs for the British version of the Euro. These coins were made in small quantities, often as "Piedforts" (double the thickness & weight of the standard version) and were not intended for circulation. The coins have been created for a variety of reasons, including sample coins for VIPs and for testing various designs and die cuts in the minting equipment.

Photographed with a Sony RX100 camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2.