Spottiswoode Society > History of the affairs of the Church and State of Scotland from the beginning of the reformation to the year 1568 > Volume 1

RIGHT REVEREND BISHOP KEITH. xlvii
ancient Scottish coins. Two original letters written by him
are still preserved in Marischal College, Aberdeen. The one
is addressed — "To the Right Rev. Mr Andrew Gerard, Aber-
deen, and the other to Principal Blackwell of Marischal Col-
lege." The letter to Bishop Gerard, is dated Edinburgh, April
7, 1750, and is as follows — "Dear Sir, Two or three weeks ago
I desired our brother Mr Alexander [Bishop Alexander] to
deliver the silver penny I formerly mentioned to a gentleman
of your town into your hands, with orders for you to retain
it in your custody till I should write you, which I hope the
gentleman has honestly done. The penny, you see, is very
fair and entire. The inscription on the King's side — David
Dei Gra. Rex Scotorum ; the legend on the reverse — Dns.
P.tector ms. et Lib.ator ms.; which, you know, is for Dominus
Protector meus et Liberator mens ; and within the inner circle —
Villa Aberdon. Now, this penny I ask the favour of you to
present from me to the Library of the Marischal College, in
testimony of my having been some time a student there.
And I ask the same favour, Sir, with respect to this old
draught of the two cities, and Ager Aberdonen. The author
of it is well known by his other performances of this kind ;
and as I never chanced to see another copy of this, and it
has evidently been a copy that has been sent from Holland
to receive the corrections of the author, which we discern
upon it, all written with his own hand, he probably has
chanced to die in the meantime, and so the design has not
been followed forth, otherwise, it is impossible but some copies
would appear. But as none that I know of have been seen,
this I hope will render it the more acceptable in the fore-
mentioned repository. With my kind service to yourself
and the gentlemen of Marischal College, I remain, Dear
Sir, your affectionate brother and humble servant — Robert
Keith."
This silver penny was coined at Aberdeen in the reign of
David II., the son of Robert Bruce, which extended from
June 1329 to February 1370-1. Two centuries before
David II.'s reign, William I., surnamedthe Lion, established
a mint in Aberdeen, near the south end of Castle Street,