Ireland 1686 1/2 penny
This specimen was lot 71094 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Santa Ana, CA, February 2020), where it sold for $180. The catalog description[1] noted, "IRELAND. 1/2 Penny, 1686. James II. PCGS VF-35 Gold Shield. A circulated copper with even, honest wear, mark-free fields, and a very dark brown patina." After James II was deposed as king of Great Britain in the Glorious Revolution of 1688, he fled to France. He landed in Ireland in early 1689 to raise the flag of revolt on behalf of the Catholic population. James was defeated and forced to return to France while the Irish suffered devastation and land confiscations. William III allowed the gun money coinage to continue to circulate as pennies, half pennies and farthings. This type was struck 1685-88 before the rebellion had erupted.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: copper.
Catalog reference: S-6576; KM-92.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of the Coins of Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands & Isle of Man, London: Coincraft, 1999.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of Scotland, Ireland and the Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Man & Lundy), Pre-Decimal Issues, 2nd edition, London: Spink & Son, 2003.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Richard Ponterio and Kyle Ponterio, The February 2020 Collector's Choice sale: World and Ancient Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2020.
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