Description |
(Federated Catholic coinage of 1642-1643) (PI-67)---(Copper halfpenny / 25mm undated) Purchased from Ian Wright (Status International) / Forest Lodge, NSW, Australia (Ot. 24, 2023) ($229).
In 1642 the English Civil War, commonly known as The Great Rebellion, broke out in Ireland. The Irish conflict with England revolved around not only sectarian differences,but the control of lands and the governing of them. In an effort to unify all Catholics, a group of clergy, lords, and commoners assembled at Kilkenny in October, 1642. Its purpose was to set up the framework for a government free of English rule in areas of their influence, mostly Ulster and Leinster. The result was the creation of a body known as the supreme Council responsible for all aspects of government. Among those responsibilities was the creation of coinage known today as Kilkenny money or rebel money.
Coins were struck, probably in Kilkenny, in denominations ranging from crowns down to farthings. Most are crudely struck on rough copper planchets with the exception of crowns and half crowns struck in silver. All are rare, especially the larger denominations. Although contemporary records tell us that shillings and sixpence were issued, no examples are known to have survived.
This halfpenny example is struck on a roughly circular, badly corroded planchet. Most examples of rebel money exhibit the same crude appearance as this one. It was recovered from a small estate offering by the Australian auction house of I.S. Wright. It's about 25mm and undated and attributed by Wright as S-6555. The attribution is questionable in my estimation as the few examples I've been able to examine do not match the devices on my coin. It's possible it may be a previously undocumented variety. |