The Curious Tale of the Cruikstone Dollar

Coins Found at Kilblain Chapel

In the quiet shadows of Greenock’s past lies the story of a forgotten chapel and a curious coin that sparked local wonder and historical intrigue. Nestled near Kilblain—an area once on the outskirts of Greenock—stood the remnants of a Catholic chapel, long abandoned by the time the 18th century rolled around. Little did the townsfolk know, beneath its crumbling stones and overgrown ruins, history had left behind more than just holy ground.

As it happened, the land was repurposed in an age when the practical often overtook the sacred. The tenant of the area was granted permission to dismantle the remaining chapel stones to build a wall around his garden. It was during this very mundane task that a small treasure was unearthed: a cache of old coins, the most mysterious of which would become known in local legend as the Cruikstone Dollar.