Definition

• A Scottish coin which owes its origin to the medieval Mark, which was originally a weight, next a money of account, and lastly a coined piece.

  The Merk first appears in the Scottish series of money, as a coin, in 1591, where a "Balance Half Merk" of James VI is mentioned. See Patrick, Records of the Coinage of Scotland (i. introd. and pp. 118, 177, 253, ii. pl. 9). These were followed by the Thistle Merk (q.v.) of 1601 and later.

  The value of the Merk continued to be two thirds of the Pound (i.e. 13s. 4d), but when James VI ascended the English throne the Scottish money had so deteriorated that it compared to the English as one to twelve. The Double Merk was also known as the Thistle Dollar. See Noble.

Source

• Frey's Dictionary (American Journal of Numismatics, Vol. 50, 1916)

Relationships