My newest Colonial. 1722 Woods Hibernia 4.12 Be.1 Double Struck Harp Left R-5 Hope you enjoy it as much as me. Been looking at it for a week or so because I have a Harp Right. Seller was compliant with some negotiations so I am happy with it. As always.... comments welcome and encouraged.
Nothing, aside from the fact that it circulated in the American colonies and was thus included in the Red Book.
It’s considered by all standards to be a Colonial Issue. Woods created a number of coins that circulated freely in the US before it became the US. They also circulated afterwards for a time.
I picked one up just recently in a set of four colonial coppers! Not so nice as you guys have, but it's my first and I got a great deal on an auction lot of the four - 1722 Woods Hibernia halfpenny, 2nd type. A 1785 Nova Constellatio with pointed rays. A 1787 Connecticut "Auciori" type and a 1787 New Jersey small planchet plain shield type that also has a small planchet clip. I've got to research these to figure out what the types are (other than what the seller represented). Any recommendations for resources?
Clearly the Woods Hibernia farthing and halfpenny can never be "US coins" since in 1723 there was no United States. OK, trivial point aside, the coins were minted for circulation in Ireland - hence the name "Hibernia" - where they were not well-received and were recalled. However, some but not very many made their way across the pond to the American Colonies and they did circulate here to a very small extent. Thus, most references and most collectors of colonial coinage consider them to be pre-federation colonial coinage and thus eligible to fall under the general rubric of "US coinage". In light of this, I consider them to be part of my US Type Set which includes colonials and I have included the farthing and halfpenny in my set. Photos below.
Hey thanks for posting! Nice coins. Get a copy of Whitmans encyclopedia of colonial and early american coins. 2nd edition.
I bought this example years ago raw (and cheap) to practice verdigris removal. This is pre treatment: I was able to remove nearly all the green stuff with repeated soaks in Verdi Care and use of a locust tree thorn. (sorry, no after pics).
My Hibernia Scissorhands halfpenny that I bought when I was a teenager and paid about twice as much as I should have for it.
