Ireland 1690 1/2 penny KM-104
This specimen was lot 75397 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice Online Auction (Costa Mesa, CA, May 2025), where it sold for $1,140. The catalog description[1] noted, "IRELAND. Emergency "Pewter Money". Gun Money 1/2 Penny, 1690. Dublin Mint. James II. PCGS AU-50. Diagonal reeded edge. From the Sydney F. Martin Collection." 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. This half penny was issued during James's last ditch attempt to keep the revolt alive. William III allowed the gun money coinage to continue to circulate as pennies, half pennies and farthings.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: pewter with brass plug.
Catalog reference: S-6591 (4th Edition); KM-104.
- 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.
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