Owner Comments:
Collecting the proof Irish halfpennies and farthings struck at the Soho is somewhat more complicated than other areas. This is mostly because there are numerous types that are not readily published in the standard references. Spink only lists a handful of the most prevalent types, but countless other varieties exist. The edge type can be a critical diagnostic for these pieces. As I mentioned before, collectors lack a Peck equivalent reference book for Irish coins, and the majority of what I have to state here is just my observations without much in the way of verified information from someone like Peck. I will say, however, that proof farthings seem to be more prevalent than their half-penny counterparts. The tricky part is finding a nice problem-free, eye-appealing, and fully struck example!
Obverse: George III faces right, his head adorned with a wreath of 11 leaves, and three berries tied behind his neck with a riband of 1 bow and one loose end that flows out to the left and points down. The curls of his hair rest behind the neck and on both shoulders. A brooch of 6 beaded jewels catches the drapery on the right shoulder. The lowest fold of the drapery is plain. The legend which is contained within a thin raised rim and beaded border and reads as follows: GEORGIUS III · D: G · REX. all evenly spaced. A small flaw occurs on the neck. A minor hair-like defect occurs in the field behind the bow. This example is free of any contact marks, and the legend is fully struck with no die breaks. The deeply mirrored fields are highly glossy and are a rich chocolate brown. This is an exceptional example of a bronzed proof Irish Farthing.
Reverse: The reverse portrays a crowned harp with nine strings. The left side of the harp consists of a half-clad woman; her lower half is adorned with what I describe at a mermaid-like fin. Her top half is exposed with her arms depicted as wings that make up the top part of the harp where the crown rests. The bottom band of the crown is decorated with a pattern of precious stones that appears as the following: (
· · ● · · ● · · ● · ·). The top of the crown consists of two bridges, one on the left and on the right, which convenes the top center of the cross located on the top middle of the band just described. Both bridges are decorated with eight beads resting upon a curved bar; however, the three beads closest to the cross appear more tooth-like than beaded on both sides. The inner ring of the crown is slightly striated. No flaw occurs under the arch of the harp. Note the design of the right arm of the harp; this becomes less elegant as the denomination decreases. The legend reads as follows: HIBERNIA with the date 1806 appearing below the primary device. Although the 1806/5 variety is most often encountered on gilt examples, this bronzed proof shows clear evidence of the overdate. Although not noted on the holder, one can see the lower tail of the five to the left of the six, and part of the rounded side protrudes from the right edge of the six. The entire reverse design is contained within a thin raised rim and beaded borders. This coin is immaculate. The fields are highly reflective, and the color is even brown.
Edge: Engrailed
Notes: This coin is the epitome of what you would expect from a proof piece struck at the Soho Mint. The details are bold and pop out against the mirrored fields. The craftsmanship allows the observer to see leaf veins and tiny hair details. Beyond the technical merits, eye appeal is abundant. The main devices of the obverse are slightly frosted, giving a near cameo effect. In fact, had the frost been more consistent on the reverse, I believe this piece would be deserving of the coveted cameo designation.