Kilkenny (1804-06) 5 shillings 5 pence
This specimen was lot 30154 in Heritage sale 3107 (Chicago, May 2023), where it sold for $18,000. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Ireland. Kilkenny - Castlecomer Colliery Counterstamped 5 Shillings and 5 Pence Token ND (c. 1804-1806) XF40 NGC. Displaying a PAYABLE AT CASTLE COMER COLLIERY 5//5 counterstamp (AU Strong) upon a Charles IV 8 Reales 1804 Mo-TH (KM109). A highly scarce issue with less than a handful of appearances in major auctions in the last 20 years. The Castle Comer colliery was managed by Anne, Countess of Ormonde, patron of the nearby village of Castle Comer, where she leased the operation of the local coal mines to entrepreneurs. Manville writes that, in 1855, it was reported: "about forty years ago Anne, not wishing to lose by the depreciated value of Spanish Dollars, of which she had at that time a large number, caused all she had to be stamped with the legend, 'Castle Comer Colliery, 5 shillings and five Pence.' Coals to that amount being given for them at the pits, Kilkenny traders used to take them in exchange for their commodities, knowing that they could give them afterwards to Colliers in payment for coals". Very few of these countermarked coins survived [to] our days, most of them showing a broken punch where the word "Castle" was mostly flat on the stamps. The present offering bears a bold stamp, with all nuances matching the early die of Type I plated in Manville, with fully engraved legends all dressed in an old tone. The sole piece graded by NGC and likely one of the finest in existence. A seldom [occurring] opportunity to acquire such an elusive, early Irish issue."
This counterstamp is known on half a dozen different hosts, all Latin American dollars. Counterstamped dollars are well documented in the Scottish series but this is the only one of Irish origin.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: host coin 27.07 g, 0.896 fine silver.
Catalog reference: KM 145.4 (Rare), Manville-108.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- 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]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2023 May 3 - 5 CSNS World Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction #3107, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2023.
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