Recent appearances:
PCGS MS-65. Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins
& Collectibles, Inc.'s "Pre-Long Beach Sale", September 23
& 24, 2002, Lot 24, illustrated, where it was described as follows:
"PCGS graded MS-65. Brilliant, prooflike surfaces with brighter
silver devices offset by darker gold toning atop the mirror fields. A
few flecks of blue near some of the lettering and devices are noted.
Medallic in strike, with no signs of weakness even on the highest
devices, each of which retains minute details. Examination will locate
trivial handling ticks, but not enough to keep this from the gem class,
and this may be the finest known example of this important pattern
issue. It is the finest graded by PCGS, and alone as the only MS-65
graded. As to the variety, note the usual small die crack from the tip
of the bust into the rim below, and DE are well clear of the head, while
I touches. Nearly identical to the Norweb coin (Bowers & Merena,
11/15/88:3447) but this apparently a different coin as the toning and
surfaces don't match up to the photo of the Norweb. A small hoard of
these turned up in England in 1971, but many great collections still
lack an example. While PCGS considers the silver coins of this issue to
be mint state, they have traditionally been called "proof" for
the past several generations. Regardless of the terminology, this is a
beautiful coin worthy of the finest collection in the land.
There is an intriguing story behind the Hibernia coinage. King George I
signed a Royal Patent on June 16, 1722, authorizing William Wood to coin
copper halfpence and farthings for Ireland (this is the same William
Wood who also received a patent for coinage of Rosa Americana coinage a
few weeks later). However, the King's mistress, Ehrengarde Melusina,
Dutchess of Munster and Kendal and commonly referred to as "The
Maypole" stole this document (and the patent for the Rosa Americana
coinage) as soon as the King signed and sealed it, then the Maypole
ransomed each document to Wood for £10,000 (equal to over $500,000
today).
Wood paid the ransom to the King's Whore, then struck coins in earnest.
Upon the coins unexpected arrival in Ireland, both houses of the Irish
Parliament took the lightweight halfpence and farthing as insults. The
old standard of 46 halfpence to the pound had been changed to 60 to the
pound under Wood's Royal Patent. Thus, the Irish Parliament petitioned
the Crown to revoke the authorization, not only because of the
lightweight coins, but also because of the shenanigan of the Maypole in
the affair. Wood himself added fuel to the blazing fire by letting his
thoughts be known in the October 8, 1723 issue of the Flying Post.
Thereafter, no Irish person would accept the coins, and they did not
circulate. All this excitement caught the eye of Jonathan Swift (author
of Gulliver's Travels and other books) who began a systematic
smear campaign against Wood (Breen). Wood continued the fight, saying he
would "cram his brass down their throats", to which followed
accusations of bribery, debasement and fraud against the people of
Ireland.
The battle to force his coinage on the people of Ireland was lost, and
Wood resigned his patent in 1725. The invisible hand of commerce then
acted, and speculators bought up the coins for close to bullion value,
and shipped them to the American Colonies where copper coinage was
greatly needed, and they circulated here for generations to come."
PCGS MS-63 (illustrated above). Ex
- Superior
Galleries' "Pre-Long Beach Sale", October 1-3, 2000, Lot 1006,
where it was described as follows: "Breen-173 (Very Rare) Dei
Gratia close. PCGS MS63. Bright silvery gray with delicate bluish steel
toning in protected areas. The fields are nicely reflective and this
piece may actually be a proof strike, although PCGS has assigned a Mint
State grade. The only marks are some very light hairlines in the fields.
There are 11 harpstrings and a die crack passes from the tip of the bust
down to the rim."
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