Ireland 1689 Jan 1/2 crown
This specimen was lot 75336 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice Online Auction (Costa Mesa, CA, May 2025), where it sold for $780. The catalog description[1] noted, "IRELAND. Gun Money 1/2 Crown, 1689 January. Dublin Mint. James II. PCGS AU-50. Large size. "Jan:" with no stop after "II" variety. Old S-6579J listed on PCGS insert. From the Sydney F. Martin Collection." This halfcrown was struck July 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. The January issue was abbreviated "Jan" (shown here) or "jan". Altho dated January 1689, it was actually made in January 1690; the date of New Year's Day was then in March. The "XXX" stands for thirty pence, its face value. 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: 14.76 g, brass, 32 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: S-6579G3 (4th Edition, formerly S-6579J); KM-95.
- 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, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, May 2025 World Collectors Choice Online Auction: Ancient & World Coins, featuring selections from the Sydney F. Martin Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
Link to: