In Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, a thistle mark was used since 1759 until 1974 to guarantee sterling silver, an alloy of silver containing 92,5 % fine silver and 7,5 % other metals, mostly copper. This thistle mark was used as a national emblem of Scotland. From 1975 to present the lion rampant replaces the Thistle as the standard mark. According to legend Scottish soldiers were forewarned of Viking invaders by their screams as they were wounded by thistles whilst creeping ashore.
(left: thistle mark)

Sterling silver was guaranteed in Glasgow with the Lion Rampant mark from 1819 till the closure of the assay office in 1964. King William I, ‘The Lion’ (1142-1214) (note 2), adopted the Lion Rampant for his Royal flag. The lion is shown rearing up with three legs stretched out and has been incorporated in the Great Seal of Scotland and symbolises the strength of the Scottish people and their ferociousness in battle.  

Lion rampant (left)
Royal coat of arms of Scotland as used before 1603 (center) (note 3)
Scottish version of the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom since 1603 (right)

The triple towered castle is a symbol for Edinburgh, the Castle Rock having been fortified since c.600 BC.
The town mark, taken from the burgh’s arms, has been used as Edinburgh town mark from the year 1485 down to the present day. The coat of arms was granted to the Edinburgh Town Council in 1732.

Town mark (left)
Edinburgh coat of arms (right)

Town mark

Glasgow coat of arms

Glasgow owes its existence to the river Clyde flowing through it and during the Middle Ages it was the last place where a bridge was built to allow crossing the river without a boat.
The city did not have a coat of arms until 1866 when a number of symbols and emblems, which had been used before on official seals, were incorporated on it. These symbols and emblems (oak, bird, fish and square bell) were all associated with St Mungo. (note 4).
The sturdy oak tree started out as a branch of a hazel tree. A legend tells that St Mungo as a boy was in charge of a holy fire in the St Serf’s monastery and fell asleep. Some boys, jealous of his favoured position, put out the fire. When St Mungo woke up he broke off some branches from a hazel tree and by praying over them he was able to restart the fire.
The bird in the tree commemorates a wild robin which was tamed by St Serf. Again some fellow classmates, envious of Mungo, killed the bird and blamed him for it. St Mungo took the dead bird, prayed over it and restored it to life.
The fish with a ring in his mouth refers to King Hydderch Hael of Strathclyde who had given his wife Queen Languoreth a ring as a present. Instead of keeping the ring the Queen gave it to her lover. The King was informed by a servant of the affair and laid a plot to denounce her. He went hunting with the knight and when the young man fell asleep he removed the ring off his finger and tossed it into the river Clyde. The King then challenged his wife to produce the ring, which of course she could not, whereupon she was imprisoned awaiting her execution.
The legend tells that she sent a messenger to St Mungo for help, who instructed the messenger to go fishing and bring back the first fish he catches. Another version relates that the knight asked for St Mungo’s help who sent a monk to catch the first fish in the river Clyde. When the salmon was brought back, St Mungo cut open the fish and found the ring. The ring was given to the Queen and saved her life.
The hand-bell It is thought that the square bell was acquired by St Mungo on a pilgrimage to Rome, but there is no definite information as to how he obtained it. It was said to have been used in services and to mourn the deceased. Priests’ bells were important many centuries ago as people would leave an endowment to pay for the bell to be rung throughout the city to call the residents to pray for their soul.

Scottish provincial silver ware, especially from burghs in the Highlands, is very rare. The few silversmiths being active in this area stamped their pieces with their initials or full name alongside the abbreviated name of the town or used the town mark.
Some combinations of a maker’s mark and the town name are for example: Charles Bruce of Peterhead (C. BRUCE/P’HEAD), Alexander McLeod of Inverness (AML/INS), Thomas Stewart of Elgin (TS/ELN)

The three castles represent fortifications that stood on three hills around which Aberdeen developed during the reign of King Robert the Bruce. The legend of Robert the Bruce relates that he was at war with the King of England who tried to conquer Scotland.
Six times he fought against the English but each time his army had been beaten. At last Robert the Bruce’s army was scattered and he was forced to flee and hide out in a cave. There he observed a spider spinning a web. The spider failed six times, but each time it tried again until it succeeded. The perseverance of the spider inspired Robert the Bruce to organise an army of brave men around him and fight the English invaders again. Finally, in 1314 at the battle of Bannockburn he defeated decisively his opponents and assured Scotland’s independence.
Place names with 'aber' are common on the East coast of Scotland. Aber is a Celtic word meaning ‘confluence of waters’ or ‘river mouth’.
(left: Aberdeen coat of arms)

The burgh of Arbroath probably used a portcullis to symbolise strength and redoubt ability of his citizens.
The silver mark is based on the Arbroath burgh seal.
Arbroath, formerly Aberbrothick, is the anglicised (contracted) form of aber.

According to legend King David I of the Scots was hunting during a Holy Day in 1128, when out of nowhere a magnificent male red deer attacked him and threw him from his horse. The King tried to protect himself against the antlers by raising his arms. At that moment a crucifix appeared between the antlers of the stag and when he held the cross the stag calmed down and walked away. In gratitude for his miraculous escape from the enraged stag David I established the same year a monastery at the site and granted a charter to the adjacent burgh which was to become Canongate.