Before the king’s coronation, Roman numerals are found on the Stone of Destiny

Roman numerals were found on the Stone of Destiny after experts examined a 3D-printed replica of the sacred royal relic.

The stone has held immense significance at coronations for centuries and is a source of controversy – which is why the precise timing of the carefully planned military operation to move it is kept secret.

The 3D print, created as part of the preparations for the king’s coronation next month, made it possible to view the ancient object from different perspectives in more detail than before.

Researchers from Historic Environment Scotland (HES) are caring for the stone on behalf of the Commissioners for the Safeguarding of the Regalia.

Ewan Hyslop, head of research and climate change at HES, said the tool marks on the stone showed it was roughly worked by “more than one” stonemason using different tools.

He said: “The high level of detail we were able to capture through digital imaging has enabled us to re-examine the tool marks on the surface of the stone, which helped confirm that the stone was roughly worked by more than a stonemason with many different tools, as people used to think.

“The discovery of previously unrecorded markers is also significant, and while we cannot say for sure at this time what their purpose or significance might be, they present an exciting opportunity for additional areas of study.”

The Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, is usually displayed in Edinburgh Castle and plays an important role in Scottish history.

Its origins have been lost to time, but it is rumored to have biblical connections and may have played a role in the enthronement of Scottish kings for over a century before it was first documented in 1057 when Macbeth’s stepson Lulach in Scone was proclaimed king in Scotland.

The stone is believed to have been used in ceremonies for the coronation of Scottish monarchs from this date until it was confiscated by King Edward I in 1296 and taken to England.

It was placed in a specially constructed coronation chair, which has remained at Westminster Abbey ever since and is used for the enthronement of Charles.

The stone made headlines on Christmas Day 1950 when four Scottish students removed it from the Abbey and found it on the high altar of Arbroath Abbey three months later. It was officially returned to Scotland in 1996.

X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to examine the stone’s composition and discovered traces of copper alloy on its surface, coinciding with a dark spot near its center, suggesting that the stone may have come into contact with a bronze or brass object at some point was.

Microscopic traces of plaster were also found, possibly traces of a cast.

A study by the British Geological Survey in 1998 concluded that the artefact was indistinguishable from sandstones of the “Scone Sandstone Formation” from the Scone Palace area near Perth.

The coronation chair was restored prior to Charles’s coronation, and restorers have found previously unrecorded decorations on the object.

It was made for Edward I around 1300 to house the stone and was constructed of oak, decorated with stained glass, gilded with gold leaf and painted by Master Walter, the King’s master painter.

Monarchs may have sat on the stone itself, with a comfortable cushion, but at some point a seat was built into the chair and the 3D model of the stone is used to help customize the original.