Owner Comments:
Pictured above, is a circa 1670 silver St. Patrick farthing, with nothing below the king, graded AU Details-Repaired by PCGS. Although the piece, weighing 119.9 grains, exhibits excellent eye appeal, apparently the "X" in REX, and a few adjacent denticles just inside the obverse rim, have been slightly and artfully re-engraved. This coin has been categorized as: Martin 1d.1-Ba.11 and W-11520, and was once part of The E Pluribus Unum Collection of NJ Coppers.
Silver St. Patrick farthings are quite scarce, with far fewer than 100 examples extant. Sydney Martin's comprehensive census includes a total of 41 silver farthings, with only 17 from die marriage Martin 1d.1-Ba.11. This is the most available of the 15 known silver St. Patrick die pairings. Group B reverses are characterized by no halo, and no punctuation in the legend.
Some theorize that the silver farthings were struck as a separate denomination, while others view them as pattern or display coins to promote their creator's copper coinage. A few AU examples exist, but most specimens are in VF or lower grades.
HISTORY: There are still many unanswered questions about the origin, and even the intended denomination of the interesting predominantly copper St. Patrick coins that come in two distinct sizes and designs. What is known is that on November 19, 1681, an English merchant, Mark Newby (sometimes spelled Newbie) emigrated to West Jersey (today New Jersey). Newby was a Quaker, and on several occasions had moved to such places as Ireland, to avoid the persecutions of King Charles II, who imprisoned thousands because of their religious beliefs. He brought with him a substantial number of the smaller copper "Patricks", approximating 14,400 pieces. One of Mark's initial objectives was to become a member of the West Jersey legislature. As such, he was able to influence the passage of a May 1682 law that conferred legal tender status on the Patricks he had brought to America. These smaller imported coins, considered half pence by the West Jersey legislature, have traditionally been viewed as farthings (1/4 pence) by the collecting public. All Patricks found over the years using metal detectors have been these farthings, further confirming that Newby did not import the larger sized Patricks. These farthing were made in higher quantities than the larger Patricks. The larger coppers were probably produced first, and then redesigned and reduced in size to increase the profitability of the minting operations.
The obverse features King David kneeling, while playing an Irish harp, and looking up at a crown. Many copper specimens include a distinctive feature: a molten brass splasher (or a brass plug) was added to the crown during the minting process. The resulting golden appearance enhanced the realism of the crown, and may also have served as an anti-counterfeiting device. The legend on the obverse, "FLOREAT REX" translates into "May The King Flourish".
The reverse of the farthing sized coin shows St. Patrick with an outstretched hand, and holding a metropolitan cross, while ridding Ireland of vermin and serpents in the form of a snake, dragon, toad, etc., who are all exiting to the left. A church stands to the right of St. Patrick. The Latin legend "QVIESCAT PLEBS" roughly translates into "May The People Rest". At least one specimen was struck in gold. Although no silver farthings were specifically authorized by the West Jersey colony, some may have circulated in New Jersey, as well as in Ireland. Copper Patrick farthings could be found in circulating change until the early 19th century.