Description |
(English Penny / 188(?)) Purchased from Mark Henderson / Belfast, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. (Ju. 15, 2023) ($2).
This is an interesting coin but difficult to decipher. Apparently, the slogans reference two separate historical events, one in regard to Irish and the other to Scottish wars for independence. The meaning of RBA is unknown to me.
The year 1602 saw the final battles of the 9 Years War involving an alliance of Gaelic forces warring against the occupying English army. While the conflict officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Mellifont in March, 1603, the alliance essentially dissolved after two staggering losses in 1602 at the siege of Kinsdale in January and another at Domboy in June. This is perhaps a remembrance of these events that marked the end of Gaelic Ireland and lead to the Plantation of Ulster.
Meanwhile there were two significant battles fought in or near the English city of Preston that had a direct effect on the outcomes of the Scottish rebellions against English rule in 1648 and again in 1715. Both ended in defeat for Scottish forces. The word Preston could be a reference to either one or both of the battles.
My interpretation is only speculation but is based on an intense research effort conducted over a significant period of time. The coin, an 188(?) English Penny, is heavily worn so wasn't likely stamped until the early 1900s or slightly after. The seller acquired the specimen from a source in Barnstable, North Bergen shortly before selling it to me. |