1724 Farth Hibernia

Coin Details

Auction Record

$23,000 VF 01-01-2005 Stack's

Description

This 1724 Wood's Hibernia Farthing represents the final year of production for the smallest denomination in the Hibernia coinage series. The obverse features the laureate bust of George I facing right with the royal legend, while the reverse shows the seated Hibernia with her harp and the HIBERNIA inscription dated 1724. As the terminal year of production, the 1724 farthing is one of the scarcer dates in the series. The farthing denomination was always produced in smaller numbers than the halfpenny, and the 1724 date saw reduced production as political opposition to Wood's coinage reached its peak. Jonathan Swift's "Drapier's Letters," published throughout 1724, attacked Wood's patent with such devastating satirical force that the British government was compelled to withdraw it. Any farthings produced in 1724 that were not distributed in Ireland would have been sent to the American colonies alongside halfpennies and other Wood's products. The tiny farthing, at approximately 22mm in copper, represented the smallest practical unit of colonial commerce. Its low face value — a quarter of a penny — meant it was useful only for the most minor transactions, such as purchasing a small quantity of food or settling the difference in a barter exchange. The 1724 farthing's scarcity today reflects both its small original production and the tendency for tiny, low-value coins to be lost, damaged, or discarded over the centuries rather than carefully preserved.

Rarity Notes

Rare. The 1724 farthing is the scarcest date in the Hibernia farthing series due to reduced production in the final year.

Cross References

PCGS #187; Breen; Nelson; cf. PCGS #173 (1723 D:G:REX), PCGS #176 (1723 DEI.GRATIA)