Irish Coinage

____________________

Catalog
Milled III

 

Catalog of Irish Coin Prices

Milled Irish Coins 1692 -1760

 

Index


William and Mary Halfpennies 1692-1694
Willian III Halfpennies 1696
William Wood's Coinage for George I 1722-1724
George II Halfpence and Farthings 1736-1760


© 2002 - Copyright
John
_Stafford-Langan
Version 1.11
7 February, 2003

   

William and Mary Halfpennies 1692-1694

These coins are difficult to find in EF or better.
The legends are often weak in places.
The prices are for pieces with even striking and no problems.
Coins with porous surfaces or old corosion are worth significantly less than coins with good copper surfaces.

There is a variety of the 1692 issue where the As in 'GRATIA' in the obverse legend are unbarred (made with an upsidedown V punch).

The normal edge on these halfpence is an oblique milling, there is a variety of the 1693 issue with a plain edge.
There is a veriety of 1694 with a pellet in the queen's name : MA.RIA

There is a 1693 proof striking in silver known for this coinage - but there are no pattrens known

W I L L I A M & M A R Y - H A L F P E N C E
1692-1694

Struck in Copper
Normal striking weight = 125grains = 8.1 gms


Halfpenny of William and Mary of 1693

(milled edge -variety !)

  YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft
  1692 GRATIA Legend 10.00 45.00 180.00 - 6597 494 IWMHD-005
  1692 GRLTIL Legend 15.00 80.00 250.00 - 6597 495 IWMHD-010
  1693 milled edge 7.50 40.00 160.00 - 6597 496 IWMHD-020
  1693 plain edge 12.50 65.00 230.00 - - - IWMHD-025
  1693 Proof in Silver       1,200.00      
  1694   10.00 45.00 180.00 - 6597 497 IWMHD-035
  1694 MA.RIA 15.00 80.00 250.00 - - - -

Notes:
The 1692 and 1694 dates are more difficult to find than the small difference in values suggests.
The GRLTIL variety of 1692 is very difficult to find.
The plain edge variety of 1693 is also very difficult to find.
Specimens in better than EF with traces of original lustre and very clean surfaces are rarely offered.
Normally the best grade regularly available is Good Very Fine.

 

Willian III Halfpennies 1696

There are two types of William III halfpence - both dated 1696.

The first type has a well executed bust and an obverse legend which ends GRA.
This type has two varieties with 'BR.' or 'BRI.' on the reverse legend.
The 'BRI' variety is scarcer than its catalog price indicates this is because these coins are sufficiently difficult to find that collectors tend not to collect the two varieties but tend to settle for a single example of either variety.
Both varieties are listed in silver proofs in most sources, but Nelson lists only the BRI variety.

Coincraft's recent catalog lists a obverse spelling error of GVVLIELMUS associated with the BR reverse. I had not previously seen a listing for this variety

The second type has a poorly executed bust and the obverse legend ends with 'GRATIA', but the reverse is from a well made die. The reverse die always reads 'BR.'
There are no varieties of this second type. .

These coins are very difficult to find in GVF or better, the second variety is very difficult to find even in VF.

The silver proofs of the first type are rare and are usually found with light gilding and in EF rather than UNC. Four of these silver proofs (all with light gilding and all showing light wear through the gilding to the underlying silver on the high points) appeared at a Baldwin's auction in London in 1995 - a couple of these have since reappeared on dealers lists - Prior to these four appearing I had only seen one example outside the public collections.

W I L L I A M III - H AL F P E N N Y
1696

Normal strikings in copper
Striking weight = 103 grains = 6.7 gms


William III halfpenny of 1696

Type I - Variety A
Draped bust - Obv legend ends 'GRA.' - Reverse reads 'BR'

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft

Variety A - Rev legend reads MAG . BR . FRA

1696   20.00 100.00 300.00 - 6598 498 IW3HD-005
1696 GVVLIELMVS obv. 35.00 130.00 350.00 - - - IW3HD-010
1696 Proof in silver - - 750.00 1,200.00 P6598 499 IW3HD-015

Variety B - Rev legend reads MAG . BRI . FRA

1696   25.00 120.00 350.00 - 6598 500 IW3HD-020
1696 Proof in silver - - 750.00 1,200.00 P6598 501 IW3HD-025


Type I I
Undraped bust - Obv legend ends 'GRATIA'

1696   75.00 300.00 - - 6599 502 IW3HD-030
1696 Proof in silver ? - - - - - 503 IW3HD-035

William Wood's Coinage for George I 1722-1724

This coinage has two major types:

The first type struck in 1722 has a reverse design with a harp left of Hibernia. The second type struck from 1722 until 1724 has a harp to the right of Hibernia. The obverses of both type are similar.

1725 - There is a die flaw which occurs on one variety of the 1723 halfpenny which makes it look like the date is 1725

These coins are available in much better condition than the earlier regal copper issues and uncirculated coins with considerable red mint lustre are available albeit scarce and expensive.

There are a number of varieties of these coins.

There are proof strikings in both copper and silver and there are a number of patterns which are all rare.

These coins are also actively collected as part of the American colonial series so there are listings of their values in the 'Red Book', 'Blue Book' and many other US sources. There are also a number of Web Sites which include details of this coinage as part of the American series.

The 1722 first type farthing is a very difficult coin to find - in the past few years I have seen more examples in silver of 1723 farthings than normal 1722 farthings. There is some confusion between the sarce D: G: REX 1722 farthing which is very scarce and the more common D: G: REX variety of 1723 - Some publications have indicated that the D: G: REX type is rare and probably a pattern, whereas what I believe was intended was that the 1722 D: G: REX is rare and probably a pattern. Again I have seen a number of 1723 D: G: REX farthings on offer compared to almost no 1722 farthings. Note that the farthing does not occur dated 1722 with the seconf type reverse - unlike the halfpenny which occurs dated 1722 for both reverse types.- which strengthens the arguement that the 1722 farthing is a pattern and that the D: G: REX type of 1723 is a normal issue probably struck using the available obvese dies from the 1722 coins but with the second type reverse - it is however still markedly scarcer than the DEI GRATIA REX tyep of 1723.

W O O D'S C O I N A G E 1722-1724

Prices in Irish Pounds

Type I - Harp on Left

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby_ Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft Krause &
Mishler

F A R T H I N G

1722   80.00 200.00 450.00 - 6602 523 IG1FA-005 115

H A L F P E N N Y


Wood's Halfpenny - 1722 - Type I

1722 (illustration above) 30.00 100.00 375 800 6600 504 IG1HD-005 116
1722 Proof in Copper     600 1,200 P6600 505 IG1HD-010 116
1722 Proof in Silver     1,400 3,000 P6600 506 IG1HD-015 116a


Wood's Halfpenny Type II - 1723 - no pellet before rev legend

Type II - Harp on Right

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft Krause &
Mishler
F A R T H I N G
1723 Obv reads D:G: REX: 50 100 350 600 6603 524 IG1FA-010 118
1723 No colon (:) after REX 70 140 425 800     IG1FA-015 -
1723 Obv Reads DEI.GRATIA 25 60 200 375 6604 525 IG1FA-020 119
1723 Proof in Copper     500 800 P6604 526 IG1FA-025 -
1723 Proof in Silver     1,200 2,200 P6604 527 IG1FA-030 119a
1724 Stop (.) after date 40 85 220 350 6604 528 IG1FA-035 119
1724 No stop (.) after date 60 120 280 450   530 IG1FA-040 -
1724 Proof in Silver     1,350 2,500 P6604 529 IG1FA-045 119a
1724 Proof in Silver
No stop (.) after date
    1,350 2,500       119a

H A L F P E N N Y

1722   30 80 275 500 6601 507 IG1HD-020 117.1
1722 Second 2 inverted 60 120 350 600   509 IG1HD-025 117.1
1722 Proof in Copper     500 800 P6601 508 IG1HD-030 117.1
1723 No pellet before rev legend
(illustration)
15 35 150 300 6601 517 IG1HD-035 117.4
1723 3 over 2 30 70 225 375 6601 515 IG1HD-040 117.1
1723 Rs over Bs on obv. 35 80 275 450 6601 513 IG1HD-045 117.2
1723 pellet before rev legend 20 40 170 325   510 - 117.1
1723 no pellet after date 20 40 170 325 6601 514 - -
1723 star in rev legend 75 150 400 700 6601 516 - 117.3
1723 Proof in Copper     350 600 P6601 518 IG1HD-050 117.4
1723 Proof in Copper
pellet before rev legend
    350 600 - 511 - 117.1
1723 Proof in Silver     1,200 2,200 P6601 512 IG1HD-055 117.1a


Wood's Halfpenny Type II - 1724

Continuous Reverse Legend

1724 Divided rev legend 30 80 275 500 6601 519 IG1HD-060 120
1724 Continuous rev legend 40 100 300 550 6601 520 - 121
1724 no pellet after date 40 120 350 600 - 522 - 121
1724 Proof in Copper     425 750 - - IG1HD-065 -
1724 Proof in Silver     1,350 2,500 P6601 521 - 121a
1725 This date is caused by a
die flaw on a 1723 variety
45 130 360 - - - - -

P A T T E R N S

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft Krause &
Mishler
F A R T H I N G
1724 As type II but,
longer hair and date
below Hibernia,
in Copper
      2,000.00 - 534 - Pn18
1724 As above in Silver       2,500.00 - - - Pn19
1724 Similar obv but rev
has crossed and
knotted Septre and
Trident, date below
      1,200.00 - 535
?
- -
1724 Revs of two patterns
above combined
      1,200.00 - 536   Pn20

H A L F P E N N Y

1722 As type I , but
Hibernia facing right
looking at rocks,
date below
      2,000 - 531 IG1PTN-020 Pn17
1724 As type II, but
longer hair and date
below Hibernia,
in Copper
(wide and narrow flans)
      1,200 - 532 IG1PTN-040 Pn21
1724 As above
in Bell Metal
      1,400 - 532 - Pn22
1724 Similar obv but rev
has crossed and
knotted Septre and
Trident, date below
      1,400 - 533 - Pn23

George II Halfpence and Farthings 1736-1760

This coinage was produced in the London mint for use in Ireland.
The quality is similar to that of the contemporary English halfpence and farthings

There are two minor changes in legend style in 1741 and 1747 and a change in the portrait for the 1760 issues.

These coins are not as common as the preceeding Wood's coinage and with the exception of the 1760 issue they are difficult to obtain in much better than Very Fine condition. However as they were not officially sanctioned for use in the American colony they are not as widely collected.

The existing catalogs of values for Irish coins do not agree about the relative scarcity of the coins in this series. In my opinion 1743 and 1748 are the scarcest dates and 1760 by far the most common. None of the dates is particularly rare, but the market is slow and assembling the complete series in VF or better grade would take a some time. Many listings include 1755 as a legitimate date - John Rainey and Graham Dyer have shown quite conclusively in a recent paper that this date was not produced and that the specimens of this date listed in several collections are all contemprorary counterfeits. In addition to their work, there was one listed in the 'Millennial' sale of Irish coins in 2000. This coins was actually a 1775 coin of George III and was a result of a typing error.

These coins are quite common in worse than Fine (european grading) and coins in Fair or Good condition often with porous surfaces and corrosion are often offered.

Proofs exist in silver for the first year of each denomination and in Copper for these and several other years.

There is a pattern dated 1742 which has much less tidy hair than the regular issue - the pattern is rare and appears to only occur struck from badly cracked reverse dies.

R E G A L - C O I N A G E - 1 7 3 6 - 1 7 6 0

Prices in Irish Pounds

F A R T H I N G


George II - Farthing 1737 - Silver Proof

Type 1 - GEORGIUS II REX - fine lettering

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby_ Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft Krause &
Mishler
1737   12.00 55.00 135.00 300.00 6608 557 IG2FA-005 126
1737 Proof in Copper     200.00 300.00 P6608 558 IG2FA-010 126
1737 Proof in Silver
(illustration)
    350.00 500.00 P6608 559 IG2FA-015 126a
1738   10.00 45.00 120.00 250.00 6608 560 IG2FA-020 126

H A L F P E N N Y



George II Halfpenny 1736 - Copper Proof

Type 1 - GEORGIUS II REX - fine lettering

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby_ Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft Krause &
Mishler
1736 (Illustration) 10.00 45.00 150.00 460.00 6605 538 IG2HD-005 125
1736 Proof in Copper
(Illustration)
    250.00 500.00 P6605 539 IG2HD-010 125
1736 Proof in Silver
(Illustration)
    450.00 1000.00 P6605 540 IG2HD-015 125a
1737   10.00 45.00 140.00 400.00 6605 541 IG2HD-020 125
1737 Proof in Copper     280.00 600.00 P6605 - IG2HD-025 -
1738   10.00 40.00 140.00 420.00 6605 542 IG2HD-030 125



George II Halfpenny - 1741

Type 2 - GEORGIUS II REX - larger lettering

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft Krause &
Mishler
F A R T H I N G
1744   8.00 35.00 130.00 350.00 6609 561 IG2FA-025 131

H A L F P E N N Y

1741 (illustration) 10.00 45.00 165.00 450.00 6606 543 IG2HD-035 130.1
1742   10.00 45.00 165.00 450.00 6606 544 IG2HD-040 130.1
1742 Pattern with long
curling hair
      1,200.00 - 564 -IG2PTN-020 Pn24
1743   15.00 65.00 190.00 550.00 6606 545 IG2HD-045 130.1
1744   12.00 55.00 175.00 500.00 6606 546 IG2HD-050 130.1
1744 over 43
(illustration)
12.00 55.00 175.00 450.00 6606 547 IG2HD-055 130.1
1746   12.00 55.00 175.00 500.00 6606 548 IG2HD-060 130.1



George II Halfpenny 1753

Type 3 - GEORGIVS II REX

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft Krause &
Mishler

H A L F P E N N Y

1747   12.00 55.00 180.00 500.00 6607 549 IG2HD-065 130.2
1748   12.00 55.00 180.00 500.00 6607 550 IG2HD-070 130.2
1749   12.00 55.00 180.00 500.00 6607 551 IG2HD-075 130.2
1750   12.00 55.00 180.00 500.00 6607 552 IG2HD-080 130.2
1751   12.00 55.00 180.00 500.00 6607 553 IG2HD-085 130.2
1752   12.00 55.00 180.00 500.00 6607 554 IG2HD-090 130.2
1752 Proof in Copper     200.00 800.00 - - IG2HD-095 -
1753 (illustrated) 12.00 55.00 190.00 600.00 6607 555 IG2HD-100 130.2

Type 4 - Older Bust


George II - Halfpenny - 1760

YEAR   Fine Very Fine Ex. Fine Uncirculated Seaby Dowle
& Finn
Coincraft Krause &
Mishler
F A R T H I N G
1760   3.00 20.00 75.00 200.00 6611 563 IG2FA-030 135

H A L F P E N N Y

1760   3.00 25.00 120.00 250.00 6610 562 IG2HD-110 136
1760 Proof in Copper     130.00 450.00 - - IG2HD-115 Pn25