I have been mildly interested in US Colonial coinage. And was wondering why "George by the grace of god King" (from Latin to English Translation) is on the Obverse of the 1723 Woods Hibernia Colonial Halfpenny. And Hibernia is on the reverse when according to Wikipedia: Hibernia is the Classical Latin name for the island of Ireland. For reference: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1723-Woods-...284237?hash=item2ca34cdbcd:g:TJsAAOSw37tWCZOt Are there any Colonial collectors on board?
Wood's Hibernia Halfpennies have a special meaning to me considering the first colonial coin I found metal detecting was a 1723 Wood's Hibernia Halfpenny, many Irish People in my area during that time, so it sounds like an expected find...
Hibernia was simply a name for Ireland in the latin used on coins. I expect there were stacks of English small change as well, but now there would be no way of telling (unless they were excavated from a regular dig, with other dated material), if they came to the USA in the 1700s or I sold them the US buyers 10 years ago.
The Wood's Hibernia coins were originally struck for Ireland, thus they bear the name of that country in Latin as was the custom at that time. They were struck under patent by William Wood in the name of George II who, by virtue of being king of England, was also king of Ireland and, for that matter, of the American colonies. However, the Wood's coinage found little acceptance among the Irish, due in some part to an inflammatory pamphlet published under a pseudonym by Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver's Travels). Some of the rejected Hibernia coins may have later been sent to the American colonies but there is little evidence that they saw substantial circulation in America. That being said, virtually any current European coin might have ended up in America either through immigration or merchant activity. Most of the coins available on the market today are likely of Irish or English origin.
dltsrq, Thank you very much for your answer. That makes since. It seemed strange that a English king would be on one side of a coin and Ireland on the other.
