Charles was born into the House of Stuart, the second son of James VI of Scotland, and Ann of Denmark at Dunfermline Palace in 1600. With the accession of his father to the English throne in 1603, Charles moved to England. He became King of his three kingdoms, England, Scotland and Ireland on 27th March 1625 on the death of his father, and married by proxy Princess Henrietta Maria of France in June the same year at the age of 25. The new King's coronation in Scotland, however, did not take place until 1633, some eight years later due to the turbulent political situation north of the border at the time. A special directive was made authorizing the use of old dies of the coinage of his farther James VI to be used for minting coins until new dies could be prepared by Charles Dickinson. These coins are known as the first coinage. Coins bearing the new King's image from 1634 are known as the second coinage, and were minted by Nicholas Briot, a Frenchman previously employed at the French & English mints; he was later joined by his son-in-law John Falconer of Renfrewshire, Scotland, who eventually succeded him as master of the mint. The Twelve shillings coin featured here is from the third coinage period, 1637-42, and features an 'F' on its side above the crown, for Falconer, the crown has a central lis for Scotland, wheras some issues used the English cross in the crown. This coin was minted in Edinburgh; the thistle mint mark is on the reverse at the start of the legend, which translates: Charles, by the Grace of god, King of Great Britain France & Ireland. CAROLVS D G MAGN BRITAN FRAN ET HIB REX, with the value in Roman numerals VII behind the kings bust. The reverse translation: What god hath joined together, let no man put asunder. QVAE DEVS CONIVNXIT NEMO SEPARET. There was yet another coinage the Fourth from 1642, however, only a few minor denominations were struck, by this time the Civil War had started, culminating in King Charles execution in London on a cold January day in 1649.