Protest shillings
Two examples of English shillings issued during the reign of Elizabeth II (1952–). One is dated 1954, the other 1957. Both were used as ‘protest shillings’ at Trinity House.
The Master and Commissioners of Trinity House used protest shillings to show when they opposed an issue raised at a meeting. The coins would be placed on the table as tokens of protest and dissent from proposed plans.
One of the shillings was tabled by Mr John Herdman on 12 October 1954 to show dissent regarding a claim for damage to cement in sheds at Victoria Dock. The other was tabled by Mr P. Chalmers Somerville on 24 June 1958 to show dissent regarding a provisional order about crane rates.
The shilling design features a bust of Queen Elizabeth II, facing right. The style is known as a ‘laureate bust’ as a laurel wreath crowns the figure. The legend translates as ‘Elizabeth II by the grace of God Queen’. It is written: ‘ELIZABETH.II.DEI.GRATIA.REGINA’, with a cross.
Three lions within a shield feature on the reverse, with the royal crown above. The Scottish version of this coin would instead show a single lion within a crowned shield. The motto ‘Defender of the Faith’ is indicated by: ‘FID DEF’. The coin’s value is also shown: ‘ONE SHILLING’.
Trinity House
Trinity House and its remarkable historic collections give amazing insights into Leith’s celebrated maritime past. The present building was the Port of Leith headquarters of the Incorporation of Mariners and Shipmasters for nearly 200 years.
This charity was set up to support the needs of injured and retired seamen and their families. Its origins can be traced back to 1380, when it was granted the right to levy a tax known as prime gilt on goods imported into Leith.
Thomas Brown designed the elegant Georgian building that now stands on the Kirkgate. It was built in 1816 on the site of a former Trinity House and hospital dating from before 1550.
Read more on the history of Trinity House [PDF, 8MB]
Maritime treasure house
The layout and historic furnishings of Trinity House still have many unique features that emphasise its former maritime function.
The War Memorial Window designed by W.J.R. Cook in 1933 honours local merchant sailors who died in the First World War. It was rededicated in 1945 for those killed in the Second World War.
The ground floor has a grand entrance and inner hall, with a unique collection of chairs commissioned by the Incorporation from the Edinburgh cabinetmaker William Trotter. Off the hall is the Master’s Room, a cosy space with a fine collection of paintings showing Leith as a busy commercial port in the 1700s and 1800s.
The highlight of Trinity House is the Convening Room on the upper floor, where the Incorporation held meetings around the long mahogany table. Maritime subjects feature in the ceiling’s ornate plaster friezes, and the table now displays a fascinating variety of objects to do with shipping, navigation and the whaling industry.
On display in the room are:
- navigational instruments
- wartime charts
- whaling harpoons
- rare objects such as narwhal tusks
- ship models – ranging from early whaling ships to modern merchant ships
Hung on the walls are portraits of famous mariners and former Masters of the Incorporation – some by the great Edinburgh artist Sir Henry Raeburn. Vasco da Gama Encountering the Spirit of the Storm, a huge oil painting by the Scottish artist David Scott, is also on display.
The vaults below the building, which date from the 1500s, once housed a school for young mariners.
Details
- Date Made
- 1954
- Dimensions
- 1.6 x 23.4mm
- Material
- Metal/BM Processed
- Time Period
- Modern
- Property Information
- Trinity House
- Object Number
- TRH358
- Access Status
- Display