Report of Meetings for 1879, by James Hardy. 7 



of whom availed themselves of her invitation, and it gave them 

 all sincere pleasure that the associations and memories connected 

 with this interesting house were still kept bright. 



The following were proposed as members : — Mr John Watson 

 Laidley, F.S.A., Scot., Seacliffe, North Berwick; Mr J. K. 

 Weatherhead, Berwick ; Mr Stanley Hill Scott, Kelso ; and 

 were, along with the others nominated at the country meetings, 

 admitted to the membership of the Club. The meetings for 

 1879 were fixed upon, as afterwards carried out. 



Mr Scott, of the Corporation Academy, brought to this meet- 

 ing two copper coins, dissimilar to any with which we are usually 

 familiar. They had been dug up during the formation of Mr 

 Oswald's Auction Mart, on the line of the old wall round Ber- 

 wick, quite near to the turnpike road as it passes over the rail- 

 way. Since then Mr Scott has allowed me to examine them, 

 and I have come to the conclusion that they are of Spanish 

 origin, and, as the antique lettering indicates, referable to an 

 early period. The coins are thin, about the size of silver pennies 

 of Edward I. ; well executed, but not struck fair on the metal ; 

 and the legend is imperfect from friction. On the obverse with- 

 in a triple circle, a hand grasps, as if to hold together, three 

 bands stretched archwise across the disc ; the middle one of 

 which is strongest. The legend is -f lACOBVS DEI OEACIA 

 EEX. : James by the Q-race of God King. On the disc of the 

 reverse is a passion cross, bordured by a quadrifoil, the lunate 

 segments of which are of double arches fastened at the tips by 

 trefoils. The legend is + CRVX PELLIT OE CEVO. : the 

 cross drives away every cross. Minute crosses are placed as 

 pauses betwixt several of the words. The marks of its being 

 Spanish, are: — 1. The use of the word Q-EAOIA. instead of 

 GEATIA. 2. The cross on the disc is the old arms of the king- 

 dom of Aragon ; azure, a cross argent.'^' 3. The three combined 

 bands are emblematical of circumstances distinguishing the 

 reigns of James I. and II., kings of Aragon. James or Jayme 

 I., reigned from 1213 to 1256. He conquered Majorca in 1228, 

 and Valencia in 1238, both from the Moors, and united them to 

 his native realm. He was thus justly entitled to bear aloft ''the 

 strange device," of a triple cord. His exploits secured for him 

 the epithet of El Conquistador. 



* Heylyn's Cosmography by Bohun, p. 233. 



