1670s NJ 1/4P Saint Patrick, Silver MS (PCGS#45)
August 2011 Chicago ANA - Rarities Night
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 7165
- 等级
- AU53
- 价格
- 220,376
- 详细说明
- Undated (Circa 1663-1672) St. Patrick or Mark Newby Farthing. W-11520. URS-7. Silver. AU-53 (PCGS). Of the many types collected as part of the United States' Colonial era series, the undated St. Patrick's coinage is among the most enigmatic. What is known for certain is that Mark Newby, a former shopkeeper from Dublin, Ireland, arrived in West Jersey (today's New Jersey) on November 19, 1681, bearing among his possessions a quantity of copper coins of the type(s) that we now know as St. Patrick farthings and/or halfpennies. Becoming an influential member of the West Jersey Legislature, Newby persuaded that body to pass an act on May 8, 1682 that made the St. Patrick pieces "current pay of [that] Province." The act referred to copper pieces valued at a "halfpence," although as originally produced the values of the two St. Patrick copper types are unstated and unknown. Additionally, we do not know for certain which type of St. Patrick copper the West Jersey Legislature assigned the value of "halfpence." Later metal detector finds in New Jersey have unearthed only the smaller size pieces that numismatists refer to as farthings, suggesting that that is the type Newby brought to West Jersey in 1681. (The larger St. Patrick type collected today as a halfpenny has not been included in any metal finds in New Jersey, although it is still likely that examples of that type also found their way to the American Colonies, even if not by Newby's hands.)<br /> Exactly when, by whom and for what purpose the St. Patrick coins were originally produced remains a mystery. The obverse design showing King David kneeling and playing a harp combined with the reverse design showing St. Patrick (the ancient Episcopal patron of Ireland), coupled with Newby's former profession as a Dublin shopkeeper, confirm the origin of these pieces in Ireland. They were probably struck for circulation in Dublin in the late 1660s or early 1670s, possibly b
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