Owner Comments:
Pictured above is a 1760 Long Head Bust Hibernia Voce Populi Halfpenny Copper, distinguished by a "P" appearing prominently beneath the bust, under the shoulder loop. The piece has been assigned a grade of AU 55 by NGC, and has been variously categorized as: Breen 233, Nelson 11, Zelinka 14-L, and W-13960. Although some patches of vertigris are evident, the coin exhibits substantially better details than most specimens.
There are 3 different sub-varieties of the "P" below type. The rarest is the Zelinka 16-O (Hare Lip) with an estimated population of 4-30 examples. The most common variety is the Zelinka 14-M; followed by the 14-L with 46 PCGS slabbed coppers, and 23 by NGC.
The coin displays a pronounced doubling of the "P", together with dramatic re-punching of the "O" in Populi on the obverse, and the "H" and "A" in Hibernia, as well as the 0 in the date, on the reverse. Several other letters are re-punched, including the "E"s on both sides of the coin.
For several years, the British Royal Mint had been inconsistent and deficient in its production of Irish farthings and halfpence. As a result, small spendable coppers were scarce in Ireland. Merchants and the general populous clamored for relief. Mr. Roche, an enterprising button maker for the British Army, came to the rescue. He began striking the Voce Populi coppers in Dublin, Ireland as a speculative private venture. Since Mr. Roche died in 1760, yet numerous varieties surfaced as late as 1762, it is widely believed that other individuals and mint facilities may have been involved in the production of the Voce Populi pieces. Fortunately, by 1762 an infusion of legal royal coppers had arrived in Ireland for distribution.
The legend "Voce Populi" on these tokens translates into "by the voice of the people." They were made predominantly in halfpence sizes, although some smaller farthings exist.
Although all dated 1760, the year of accession to the throne by King George III, the laureated bust on the coin's obverse more closely resembles that of James III (James Francis Edward Stuart, sometimes called The Pretender), or more probably his son, the Young Pretender), Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart). Both the Old and New Pretenders were Irish Catholics, thought by most Irishmen (Jacobites) to be the rightful King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland.
Some have postulated that the letter "P" that appears on the obverse of this Voce Populi halfpence, stands for Princep, the Latin word for Prince, hence referring to the Older and Younger Pretenders. (Others speculate that the "P" could have stood for provost, making the obverse bust that of John Hely-Hutchinson of Trinity College Dublin - but this theory is refuted by his not having attained this position until after the coins were struck.)
The reverse of the coin features an allegorical depiction of Hibernia (imitating the official Britannia), beside the symbolic 6 stringed harp, and with a shamrock held in her right hand. There are 2 rosette ornaments after the legend.
Although a few specimens have been found with metal detectors, indicating that some may have arrived to America in the pocket change of foreign immigrants, there is no evidence that the Voce Populi widely circulated here.