Irish farthing of George I

This coin was sent in by Mike Ruczynski, who said he had bought it for £2 from an antique emporium a few months since. I was asked what I thought it might be worth.

Mike’s coin is farthing, of a type originally struck to circulate in Ireland. On the obverse is a laureate head of George I and a legend that reads GEORGIVS DEI GRATIA REX. On the reverse the seated figure of Hibernia, with a harp to the right, is accompanied by a legend reading HIBERNIA 1723.

In 1722 a patent was granted to William Wood to strike Irish halfpennies and farthings. However, the Irish parliament refused to accept them and in 1724 they were recalled from Ireland and shipped over to America, where they circulated widely. For that reason they are of interest today to collectors in the USA.

Valuation

Mike’s farthing is an attractive specimen with good surfaces. The obverse would grade VF but the reverse isn’t quite as good and there is a die flaw in the edge near the date. In its present condition it would be worth up to £100 to a collector.  Therefore, if it was bought for £2 then that was a real bargain.

About 20 years since someone sent me images of a Lord Baltimore sixpence, which was struck in Maryland around 1658. In was in very good condition and had been bought from a market stall for £10. The buyer contacted me to ask if he had paid too much for the coin. At the time it was worth around £2,000, so that was an even greater bargain than Mike’s 1723 farthing.

Valuation Service

If you would like your coin identified or valued, please read about my valuation service and contact me