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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ros(e)-nobil(l, n. Also: rois-, rois(s)e-, roys(e)-; roos- and -nobyll, -nobl(e, -nobel. [Ros(e n. and Nobil(l n. 3.] A rose noble, the coin. See Nobil(l n. 3 a and b.Sometimes written as a single word.See also nobill of the rose, s.v. Ros(e n. 4 (3).In the reign of James III (according to Mackenzie, q.v. under (1) below) the rose noble was made the standard for all gold in Scotland.The ‘Scottis rois nobill’ (see (3) below) was more commonly known as the ‘thrissill nobill’ (q.v.).(1) 1473 Treas. Acc. I 64.
Half a ros noble 1483 Acta Aud. 112*/1.
A vaileant of gold weyand a rose noble 1488 Acts II 208/2.
That a fyne penny of gold be strikyne to be of wecht and finace to the ros nobyll 1489 Acta Conc. I 135/1.
A chenȝe of gold … of the fynes of the ros noble 1491 Treas. Acc. I 167.
Thre thousand thre hundreth fifty five rose nobillis and ane quartar, the quhilk war gevin for thretty sex schillingis the pece, except foure hundreth that war gevin for thretty five schillingis the pece 1494 Halyb. 51.
A fardyn of a ros nobyll, price 3 s. 4½ g. 1498 Acta Conc. II 252.
For ane chenȝe of gold weyand sex uncis of rose noblis 1509–10 Edinb. Hammermen 68.
For ane quarter of ane ros noble to the giltin of thaim x s. vj d. 1594 Paisley B. Rec. 156.
Ane ros nobl borrowit in symer last 1623 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 25 April.
Ane piece of gold callit ane rose nobill or sextein merk peice 1631 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. IV 301.
The rose noble [supra allowed to have course within this kingdom] … for ten punds ten shillings; the half rose noble … for fyve punds foure shillings 1645 Acts VI i 460/2.
The rose noble ellevine pund 1686 Mackenzie Observ. 90.
By this Act [sc. James III, 93] the rose-noble was made the standart of all the gold, and it was of twenty two carrets and ten grain fineness, but now our gold is only of twenty two carrets fineness, that gold being too soft(b) 1488 Treas. Acc. I 85.
In the same purs of half rois nobillis fyve hundreth, hail rois nobilis sextene Ib. 94.
Roys nobillis 1491 Ib. 176.
To Champanȝe the Fransche harrold … xx^ti royse nobillis [etc.] 1540 Crim. Trials I i 301.
xvij vnces gold of his graces awin gold, … in ridaris, angel-nobillis, and rois-nobillis 1571 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1878) Sept. meeting.
xl roise nobillis, price of the pece iiii li. xvi s. 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV 322.
That ane new penny of gold salbe strikin of the wecht and fynnes of Inglis rois noble … weyand ane qwarter of an vnce Pareis wecht … and off the fynnes of tuentie three carrett sevin granes(c) 1494–5 Treas. Acc. I 228.
Gevin to … the saidlar, for the gilting of the kingis mvlis harnysing, iiij roos nobles, vij li.(2) 1556 Sc. Hist. Rev. XVII 157.
Thretty thre roisnoblis 1590–1 Exch. R. XXII 160.
Befoir the proclamatioun of the douncrying of the prices of the rosnobillis and uther gold 1628 Mylne Master Masons 78.
In drink-silver to the maister maissone … tua rosnobillis, is … £21 6 s. 8 d. 1637 Dysart Gleanings 72.
Ane singil rosnobill of gold and wecht or the said sowme of aucht markis(3) 1589 Aberd. B. Rec. II 65.
Sevin Scottis rois nobillis of gold 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 99.
The rose noble, Scots and Inglish(4) 1591 Edinb. Surgeons 14.
Put in the box ane auld roisse nobill 1594 Misc. Spald. C. II 125.
Thair vas bot fourtene auld roise nobillis 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVII 361.
Sevin new rois nobillis and ane dymmy croun 1598 Acts IV 175/2.
And that … peces of forayne gold … sal … pas vpoun the pryces following … the auld roisnoble weyand sex denneiris at vij li. xv s. … [the] thirscell noble to geve heirefter vij li. xvj s. 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 76a.
xi rosnobelis new(5) 1619 Thanes of Cawdor 248.
We exchangeit first xlvij Flemis rosnobilis at x lib. the peace

b. In certain cases of reversion, as a pre-agreed token payment made in order to redeem lands conveyed or wadset. 1582 Glasgow Prot. VIII 55.
[The property was to belong to Donald till his father should, in his own person, pay him a] royse noble 1582–3 Reg. Privy C. III 582.
And that the said Johnne Comrie … sall gif ane sufficient reversioun of the saidis landis … for redemptioun of the samin upoun the payment of ane rois noble of gold in commoun forme of reversioun 1583 Old Ross-shire II 3.
How sone the airis maile … beand of 21 yeiris complet … pay … ane rosnobill of gold within the Cathedral Kirk of the Chanonrie of Ros … betwixt the uprising of the sone & the down passing of the samyn, I … sall … overgive, &c., the saids lands 1681 Stair Inst. ii x §19.
Redemption upon a rose-noble used upon the Sabbath day, albeit the instrument of consignation did not bear ‘the reversion was shown, nor read’, was sustained