Unicorns from Scottish Kings to Canadian Coat of Arms
Did you know that the unicorn gold coins of Scotland are among the most famous and curious of all gold pieces?
Greg Reynolds wrote a very interesting article in his series about the fabulous Eric Newman Collection of European coins that went on sale in early January 2014 in which he states :
Scottish Rarities
No single English coin was a star of the sale. Newman’s collection of British coins, as a whole, was important. I mention here three popular Scottish rarities that were in this sale. The unicorn gold coins of Scotland are among the most famous and curious of all gold pieces.
The Newman Collection, ‘One Unicorn’ gold coin of King James III is an excellent representative of the ‘Unicorn’ gold denomination and design concept. This specific coin is NGC graded “AU-50.” Collectors of U.S. coins would probably see that it has been notably cleaned and some of the wear on the obverse (front) is due to a not so fortunate cleaning. It has naturally retoned, however, and the pale green tints and other natural colors are attractive. For a circulated, Scottish coin dating somewhere from 1469 to 1488, probably in the 1480s, its quality is impressive. The $28,200 result was slightly strong.
Source: coinweek.com
I doubt this magnificent numismatic work of art will one day be housed in my collection of Unicorns, but I do appreciate to know it exists! 🙂
The first description of an unicorn known to date was about 2,400 years ago in a book ‘Indika‘, about India, written by Ctesias, a greek physician. He named it a ‘monoceros’,
“There are in India certain wild asses which are as large as horses, and larger. Their bodies are white, their heads dark red, and their eyes dark blue.
They have a horn on the forehead which is about a foot-and-a-half in length.
The base of the horn is pure white; the upper part is sharp and a vivid crimson; and the remainder, or middle portion, is black” – Ctesias, Greek physician, 416 B.C.
Source: Wikipedia
Born in the beautiful province of Quebec in Eastern Canada, I’m privileged, as a passionate of unicorn collectibles to have a country Coat of Arms featuring the beautiful Unicorn. Ain’t that cool?! 🙂
The arms of Canada reflects the royal symbols of the United Kingdom and France ( the three lions of England, the lion of Scotland , the fleur de lis of France and the Irish harp of Tara ECU and at low a sprig of three maple leaves representative of all Canadians regardless of their origins.)
The shield is supported by the lion of England with the banner of the United Kingdom, and the unicorn of Scotland deploying the French royal flag.
The crest is a crowned lion holding a red maple leaf.
The floral emblem to the base of the arms of the Monarchy: the English rose , Scottish thistle, French fleur de lis and the Irish shamrock .
The royal crown surmounting the arms identifies them as those of the sovereign of Canada. It is often called the Royal Arms of Canada or the Arms of Canada .
Let’s travel back into the past to discover how this emblem came about…
The three royal lions of England
In the 11th century, Henry I, known as “the lion of justice”, may have been the first English king to use a lion. It is uncertain as to why a second lion suddenly appeared. When Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine, whose family emblem was also a lion, it is believed that he added the third lion. There is no question that, when he led his English troops in the Crusades, Richard I, “the Lion-Hearted” carried a shield emblazoned with three golden lions on a red background. To this day they have been the royal symbol of England.
The royal lion of Scotland
The second quarter consists of a red lion rearing on the left hind foot, within a red double border with fleurs-de-lis, on a gold background. The royal lion of Scotland was probably first used by King William, who was known as “the lion”. However it was certainly used by his son, Alexander III, who made Scotland an independent nation.
The royal Irish harp of Tara
The third quarter is a gold harp with silver strings, on a blue background. North of the present city of Dublin, there is a hill called Tara which for centuries was the religious and cultural capital of ancient Ireland. If you visit the site, you will see a 750 foot earthen work that is said to have been the site of the banqueting hall of Irish kings. Thomas Moore recalls the history of this site in one of the most famous of all Irish lyrics that begins: “The harp that once through Tara’s hall the soul of music shed…”
There is a legend, recorded in C.W. Scott-Giles monumental work The Romance of Heraldry, that this harp was found and came into the possession of the pope. In the 16th century, Henry VIII suppressed the Irish people in his attempt to become the lawful successor to the kings of ancient Ireland. The pope sent the harp of Tara to England whereupon Henry added its likeness to his royal shield. From this time it has remained a symbol of Ireland.
The royal fleurs-de-Lis of France
The fourth quarter depicts three gold fleurs-de-lis, on a blue background. The fleurs-de-lis was the first heraldic emblem raised in Canada. On July 24, 1534, Jacques Cartier landed at Gaspé and erected a cross, affixed with the symbol of his sovereign and the royal house of France.
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1359472226443/1359472288882#a5
The three maple leaves
To complete the design of the shield, a Canadian symbol was required. Three red maple leaves conjoined on one stem, on a silver or white background, were then added. Throughout the 19th century, the maple leaf had gradually become closely identified with Canada. The maple leaf had been worn as a symbol of Canada during the visit of the Prince of Wales in 1860. The song “The Maple Leaf Forever”, written by the Toronto school teacher Alexander Muir in 1868 had become Canada’s national song. During World War I, the maple leaf was incorporated into the badge of many Canadian regiments. It was most appropriate that three maple leaves were given a commanding position within the shield, which made it unmistakably “Canadian”.
Source: Canadian Heritage
Stay tuned for more on Unicorns! 🙂
Talk soon,
Janice
When I was a child, my mother was designing the cover for a Scottish journal. She wanted to portray a unicorn but I think it must have been turned down because it never appeared. As this was 60 to 70 years ago I can’t remember which journal it was but someone reading this might know?