MONEY OF NECESSITY ISSUED IN IRELAND IN THE REIGN OF CHARLES THE FIRST. BY AQUILLA SMITH, M. D., M. R. I. A. (Concluded from page 20.) SECTION V. That the Confederate Catholics intended to issue silver coins, is quite clear from the following words in their Proclamation of the 15th of November, 1642:- And we doe further order, publish, and declare, that the plate of this kingdom be coined with the ordinarie stamp used in the moneyes now currant." The only coins of silver hitherto believed to have been coined by order of the Confederates are the rebel crown and half-crown (see Section VII.); but these pieces do not present "the ordinary stamp used in the moneyes now currant," and therefore, the only coin which, from its "stamp" and peculiarities, affords such evidence as will suffice, if not to prove, at least to render it very probable that it was issued by order of the Confederates, is the piece commonly known as the "blacksmith's half-crown." This appellation seems to have originated with Snelling, who, in his account of the coins from "unknown mints," in the reign of Charles I., observes that "amongst the very great variety of this king's money, although we meet with many very rude, and of bad workmanship, yet we think none of them comes up to the half-crown, No. 13, Plate XIV., the barbarous work of which was certainly that of a smith, and not of an engraver." In Folkes's "Table of Silver Coins," published in 1763 by the Society of Antiquaries in London, Snelling's engraving seems to have been copied in Plate XXVI., Fig. 5, and is described as follows: "very poor workmanship: whether the mark on the front is a flower-de-luce or a cross, must be left to the curious to determine. No account has yet occurred of its place of mintage." Its weight is said to be 231 grs. Ruding, who republished Folkes's plates, observes on the mint-mark on the front: "Is it not more properly a quatrefoil?" and adds: "It is called the blacksmith's halfcrown from its rude workmanship." Mr. Hawkins, in his account of the "Uncertain Half-Crowns" of Charles I., describes the following varieties: "1. Exceedingly rude imitation of the half-crown type 2 c. [Fig. 482] but M. M. obv. cross, M. M. rev. harp (499) M. B." [The harp mintmark does not appear in the engraving referred to.] "View of the Silver Coins," &c., fol. 1762, p. 42. 2 Second edit., 8vo, vol. v., p. 167. "2. Similar, but the housings very slightly indicated, M. M. obv. cross, rev. harp, Rud. xxvi., 5; Sn. 14, 13, M. B. It is called the blacksmith's half-crown on account of its rudeness." "3. Similar, but without any housings on the horse. Sir H. Ellis." In the foregoing extracts, which, I believe, comprise all that has been published respecting these coins, no attempt is made to appropriate them to any particular mint. . OBVERSE. The king on horseback to the left, sword resting on right shoulder; the horse with housings marked with a broad cross over the hind quarters, and a small plume on his head. Mintmark, a cross; legend, CAROLVS D.G. MAG. BRI FRA · ET · HIB REX., the defects in the legend supplied from a duplicate. Reverse, royal arms on an oval shield, garnished, between the initial letters, C. R. Mint mark, a harp; legend, CHRISTO AVSPICE REGNO; weight, 227 5 grs. Fig. 1, Pl. V. The initial letters C. R. are transposed and reversed, a peculiarity which distinguishes this coin from others of the same type. Another, with housings on the horse, has the legend, CAROLVS. D G MA BR FR ET HI REX; it weighs 2314 grs.; it is similar to the coin published by Snelling and Ruding. . The variety of type without any housings on the horse has the legend CAROLVS D G MAG BR. FR. ET HIB REX. Fig. 2 weighs 211.3 grains; the defects in the legend have been supplied from duplicates. It was ordered by the proclamation that a "half-crown peece doe pass henceforth for 10 groats," no mention being made of the crown; and it was further ordered, "that the plate of this kingdome be coined with the ordinarie stampe used in the moneys now currant." From the mention of plate, it is clear that a silver coinage was intended, and in proof of the professed allegiance of the Confederates, the "stampe" or type of these coins is almost identical with some of the English coins of Charles I., which were then current in Ireland. The obverse of Fig. 3, Plate V., is from the same die as the obverse of Fig. 1. The cross-the only mint mark which occurs on the obverse— is similar to the cross on the rebel crown and half-crown. See Plate VI. The harp mint mark, which is always on the reverse when the coin is in good preservation, is similar to the harp mint mark on some of the Confederate's copper halfpence, Plate IV., Figs. 1 and 4. The peculiar form of the bow of the harp in the arms on Figs. 1 and 3 is remarkably like the harp on the reverse of the halfpenny, Plate IV., Fig. 1, and the resemblance between the harp in the arms "Silver Coins of England," 8vo, 1841, p. 176. on Fig. 4, Plate V., and that on the halfpence, Plate IV., Figs. 2 and 3, is very striking. The letters have been cut with a graving tool, like the copper coins, and not made with punches, as on the English half-crowns of Charles. I trust that the preceding observations will suffice to establish my opinion, that blacksmith's half-crowns were minted in Ireland by order of the Confederate Catholics. SECTION VI. The class of coins next in chronological order is the Ormonde money, which was made current by proclamation, on the 8th of July, 1643. I have nothing to add to the description of the Ormonde money, published in 1854 in the "Transactions of the Kilkenny Archæological Society," vol. iii., (first series) p. 16. SECTION VII. The coins next to be described are known to collectors as the "rebel" crown and half-crown. CROWN. This piece, when in perfect condition, has on the obverse a large plain cross within a linear circle, outside which is a beaded circle, and between the circles a small star opposite one arm of the cross. Reverse, a large Roman numeral "v," with the letter "s" above, within two circles like the obverse. Fig. 1, Pl. VI., weighs 16 dwts. 4 grs.; and Fig. 2, only 14 dwt. 20 grs. Ruding's Fig. 2, Plate XXVIII., which is from a different die, weighs only 14 dwts. 17 grs. HALF-CROWN.-The type of the obverse is the same as the crown; reverse, 11 vi, with the star and circles like the crown. Fig. 3, Plate VI., weighs 8 dwts. 12.3 grs.; and Fig. 4, which is from a different die, weighs only 7 dwts. 95 grs. Simon's Fig. 173 has only a beaded circle, and the numerals for the pence are smaller than those for the shillings. Bishop Nicolson, speaking of the "Crown-piece," says:"Whether this was coin'd at the siege of Dublin, 1641, Mr. Thoresby, who has one of the pieces, cannot surely inform us; but it is certain that soon after the rebellion there were some coined of a different stamp from those that afterwards had C. R. under a crown." Harris says there is another Irish crown supposed to be minted about the same time as the Ormonde money; it has on one side a plain cross, and on the other vs.3 1 The siege of Dublin took place in 1617; the city was surrendered on the 18th of June to the Parliament Commissioners.—Borlase, "Reduction of Ireland," 8vo, 1675, p. 246. |