Ireland 1690 May shilling
This specimen was lot 21115 in Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale (New York, January 2018), where it sold for $2,280. The catalog description[1] noted, "IRELAND. Gun Money Shilling, May 1690. William & Mary (1688-94). PCGS PROOF-55 Secure Holder. VERY RARE. Struck in silver for James II who had landed in Ireland March of the previous year. A choice example with great strike detail and just a wisp of amber tone. A lovely example with good eye appeal sure to please." 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. This specimen was probably struck later as a souvenir.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: silver.
Catalog reference: S-6582ddd; KM-100a.
- 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]Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio, John Kraljevich and Cris Chatigny, The January 2018 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.
Links to:
- Ireland 1690 Apr shilling
- Ireland 1690 Apr 1/2 crown
- Ireland 1690 May 1/2 crown, large size
- Ireland 1690 June shilling
- Ireland 1690 Jun 1/2 crown, small size
- Ireland 1690 crown gun money
- 1690 half penny, struck in silver
- 1690 half penny, pewter with brass plug
- Coins and currency dated 1690
- return to coins of Ireland