Cross of Bannock Burn, Limited Edition, Silver

The Cross of Bannock Burn

This outstanding, solid silver cross is only produced in a quantity of 150 pieces, of which around 20 are still available.
It is a cast of an original piece found on the battlefield at the Bannock Burn in Scotland and is associated with the fighting of 1314. The style with the four swastika ornaments at the ends of the cross indicates that it was made in a Scottish workshop. The lug was restored to the original, as it had probably been lost through violence. The original was made available to us by a private collector. Made of the highest quality 925 silver, supplied with leather thong, case and certificate. Size approx. 50 x 30 mm.

Pieces still available:

The Historical Background

At the latest with the cinema success of "Braveheart", the Scots' fight for independence became a well-known episode in history.
Robert the Bruce, Earl of Carrick, came from a distinguished Scottish family and probably spent a large part of his youth at the court of the English King Edward I. With the outbreak of the Scottish Wars of Independence in 1296, he initially changed sides, but was defeated several times and finally submitted to English suzerainty again for the time being.
The defeat of the rebellious Scottish peasant army at Falkirk in 1297 and the cruel execution of the freedom fighter William Wallace in 1305 by no means meant the end of Scottish resistance. On the contrary, Wallace became a martyr for the Scots in the fight for independence.
After further defeats, Robert the Bruce's fate initially seemed sealed. In the campaign of 1307 he was outlawed by Edward I, excommunicated by the Pope, deprived of his lands, three of his brothers executed and his family imprisoned. Only the sudden death of Edward I seemed to turn the tide.
After internal struggles for supremacy in Scotland, Bruce and his vassals initially attacked smaller English castles and outposts.
In the meantime, Edward II had succeeded his father on the English throne and intended to break the Scottish will to resist once and for all in a decisive battle in 1314. Robert the Bruce, however, dictated the terms. The English took up position on the banks of the little river Bannock Burn near Stirling. The terrain was a boggy swamp, so the English heavy cavalry could hardly play to their strength and were worn down by the Scottish pikemen. Edward's disastrous tactics led to a complete defeat of the English, the likes of which had not been seen since the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Robert the Bruce became a Scottish national hero. Today, a memorial commemorating the victory stands on the battlefield.

The oldest depiction of the Battle of Bannockburn, from the Scotichronicon by Walter Bower, c. 1440.