Ireland 1689 Feb 6 pence
This specimen was lot 41045 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Costa Mesa, CA, August 2021), where it sold for $3,840. The catalog description[1] noted, "IRELAND. Silver Gun Money 6 Pence, 1689 (Feb). James II. NGC PROOF-62. An exceptional silver striking of this classic Gun Money issue, beautifully toned with slight striking weakness along the edges. This is the single finest certified by NGC with the nearest being a PROOF-50. Ex: Norman Applebaum Collection." This brass sixpence was struck Jan 1689 thru May 1690. 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. Lacking bullion to strike conventional coinage, church bells and worn out cannon were melted down to make a series of token coinage in sixpence, shilling, half crown and crown denominations. This coinage is unusual in that it is dated by month and year. It was to be redeemed in silver after the revolt was successful but James was defeated and forced to return to France while the Irish suffered devastation and land confiscations. William III allowed the coinage to continue to circulate as pennies, half pennies and farthings.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: normally "gun metal" (brass or bronze).
Catalog reference: S-6583KK; KM-93a.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- 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.
- 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.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The August 2021 ANA sale: World and Ancient Coins, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2021.
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