Description
Denomination: ‘Bath metal’ an alloy of 75% brass. 20% zinc and 5% silver. halfpenny
Period: Hanoverian rule in the Americas
Date: 1723
Origin: Bristol foundry
Condition: Fine for type
Obverse: Bust of George right. GEORGIUS. DEI. GRATIA. REX
Reverse: Hibernia seated left. leaning on harp and holding branch. legend HIBERNIA 1723.
Size and Weight: 27mm. 6.77g
References: Spink 6601
Features and Provenance: This somewhat insignificant little coin belies its history. During the 17th century. the shortage of small denomination coins became acute. no more so than in Ireland. To alleviate this. private licenses were given to landowners and nobility to mint their own token coinage. In 1722 a patent to mint copper coins for Ireland and the American colonies was given to William Woods who had them produced at the Bristol foundry. Parliament was at odds with this and officials were instructed not to accept the coins. by 1724 Woods was forced to stop production and surrender his patent (in exchange for a £3.000 pension). The coins were recalled and shipped out for use in the Americas in the English Territories of the Eastern Seaboard. To put this into context. America was split between Britain. France and Spain at the time and it had only been a hundred years since the Pilgrim Fathers had landed on American soil.
Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades between
Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear
Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of legend etc present. visible and clear
Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of legend etc present. but maybe worn
Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible
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