The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-20
ST. PATRICK'S HALF PENCE
IRISH COINS ONCE CURRENT
IN NEW JEPSEY.
The Only known Specimen Struck In Gold
Abeut to lie o In LondOnITney
Originated In Ireland and Mark New
nv RsnnGhf n G.IIr.N,. 20 AmaEiGa


About to lie Sold In L~ondOn-They
Originated In Ireland and Mark New.
by Brought q f;urr'r 10 America
The only specimen gold knSan u
the coin called in America the Mark
Newly farthing is to be sold In London
this month. These farthings have %
interesting history. Many were struck
In silver. copper. brass and even lad.
The diverse shows a CROWNS king
kneeling and playing a harp. Above the
harp is a crown. while around the border
is the inscription .Floreat Rex On the
reverse the principal device shows st.
Patrick, with right hand outstretohed.
banishing the serpents from Ireland. In
his left hand he carries q double or metro
politan cross and at the extreme right y
a church. The inscription of the rever1o
reads -Ouiesoat Plebe.'
There are many varieties Of these fay
things, Of widely differing weights but a
nearly uniform size and with both plat<.
and reeded edges. The silver pieces are
very irregular in their weight. which
ranges from ninety-eight to 17s grains,
but all are about the size OF an old
fashioned copper cent. The coins struck
in copper are moro uniform. averaging
about ninety-eight grains
The coin is supposed to have had ito
origin in Ireland in the reign Of Charles I.
and 1t has been the subject Of much dis
cussion. One theory is that the coin was
devised by the Catholics when they re-
belled in Ireland, another hat it was
minted for the Confederate Assembly
and a third that the coin was issued in
Dublin some time between the Restora-
ton (168O) and 1880 a a private token.
Whatever their origin these pieces cir
culated in this country and constituted
the first copper circulating medium
regularly authorized for use in any Of the
American Colonies.
A party of immigrants from Dublin,
among whom were Mark Eewby Tor
Newbie) and his family, arrived in the
Colony of New Jersey on November 10,
1881. Newby brought with him a guam
tity OF the st. Patriok's half pence. v
they were termed in Ireland. At this
period fractional currency was exceed
8. 1852, the New Jersey authorities passed
an act for the more convenient pay
ment Of small sums which provided
that Mark Newbie's half pence. called
Patrick's half pence. shall from and after
the said 18th instant pass for half pence
current pay. OF this province. provided he.
the said Mark, his e1ecutors and adj
illustrators, shall and will change the
said half pence for pay equivalent upon
demand; and provided also that no per-
son or persons be hereby obliged to take
more than five shillings In one payment
The full text is found in the Grants,
Concessions and Original constitutions
~ tha Drovip1a IF Nayu Iaroap
Newly settled with his party at Eising-
burg, Salem county. N. j.. and it IL
recorded that Immediately there was a
meeting sett up and kept at the house of
Mark Neville and in a short time it
grew and increased Newly soon be-
oame prominent in the affairs Of tho
Colony. and in 1882 was one Of the repre-
sentatives in the General Assembly.
which met at Burlington. In the fol-
lowing year he became Il member OF the
Governors council
1t is not known how many OF the
coins were brought owe by him. but tho
quantity is supposed to have been large.
featured additional coins of similar
design in this country. No repeal Of the
act making the st. Patrick's half pence
current appears on the New Jersey
records.
There were also st. Patrick's half pence
Oh large size, bOIDe Oh tneIU IL lnlFu larger
than those described. The larger pieces
were struck in copper and weighed on
an average l44 grains. The diverse
design is similar to that of the farthings
but the reverse ID entirely different.
1t showed St. Patrick with a trefoil
in his right hand, a crozier in his left,
surrounded by a crowd of people. On
the left side is a shield with three castles.
The inscription is -Ecce Grex." These
coins also occur with plain and reeded
edges. The larger coins were called
half pennies. while the smaller were
termed farthings.
The coins must have passed current
for many years after they we're first made
both in Ireland and in this country. New
Jersey was forced to resort to all kinds of
copper pieces to supply the need Of small
currency up to the time the State began
the mintage of coins bearing its own
stamp in 1885. The coins must have
been used in Ireland long after 1880. for
Swift in the -Drapier's Letters" dated
August rs. 1924, mentions the coins-"the
small st. Patrick's coins which passeth
now for a farthing and the great St. Pat
rick's half penny
The Mark Newly coins in copper are
plentiful even at the present time and
command premiums Of from so cents
to IS, according to condition and variety.
Those of silver are scacer.