The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-02-15
ST. PATRlCk'S HALF-PENCE.

of the coin called in America the
Mark Newly farthing was sold re-
Gently in London. These farthings
have an interesting history Many
We're struck in silver, copper, brass
and even lead. The diverse shows a
crowned king kneeling and playing
harp. Above the harp is a crown
while around the border is the in
scription "Floreat Rex" On the re-
verse the principal device shows st.
Patrick, with right hand outstretched,
banishing the serpents from Ireland.
In his left hand he carries double
or metropolitan cross and at the ex-
IRENE right is a church. The inscrip-
ton of the reverse reads "Quiescat
Plebs."
There are many varieties of these
farthings, of widely differing weights
but of nearly uniform size and with
both plain and reeded edges. The sill
Yer pieces are very irregular in their
weight, which ranges from ninety
eight to one hundred and seventysiX
grains, but all are about the size of
an old copper cent The coins struck
in copper are more uniform, aver
aging about ninety-eight grains. The
coin is supposed to have had its origin
in Ireland in the reign of Charles |,
and it has been the subject of much
discussion. One theory is that the
coin was devised by the Catholics, an
other that it was minted for the Con
federate Assembly and a third, that
the coin was issued in Dublin some
time between the Restoration 1890
and 1680) as a private token. What
ever their origin these pieces circu-
lated 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 Newly Tor
Newbie) and his family, arrived in
the colony of New Jersey on Novem
Der 10, 1851. Newly brought with
him a quantity of the ST. Patrick's
half-pence, as they were termed in
Ireland. At this period fractional cur
rency was exceedingly scarce in the
colony and on May s, 1852, the New
Jersey authorities passed an act for
the more convenient payment of small
sums which provided that Mark
Newby'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 executors and
administrators, shall and will change
lo II hole fD,- INot
upon demand and provided also that
no person or persons be hereby obliged
to take more than five shillings in one
payment
The Coin LOCALIZED by Act of Colony.
Newly settled with his party at Ell
singburg, Salem county, \. j., and it
is recorded that Immediately there
was a meeting set up and kept at the
house of Mark Neville and in a short
time it grew and increased" Newly
soon became prominent in the affairs
of the colony, and in 1852 was one
of the representatives in the General
Assembly which met at Burlington.
In the following year he became a
member of the governors council. 1t
is not known how many of the coins
were brought over by him, but the
quantity is supposed to have been
large Indeed, he is thought to have
manufactured additional coins of a
similar design in this country. No
repeal of the act making the st. Pat
rick's half-pence current appears on
the New Jersey records. There were
also ST. Patricks half-pence of large
size, some of them a third larger
than those described. The larger
pieces were struck in copper and
4755-Bulletin-Thos II
weighed an average of one hundred
and forty-tive grains. The diverse de
sign is similar to that of the farth
ings but the reverse is entirely differ
ent.
1t showed st. Patrick with tire
foil in his right hand, a crozier in his
left, surrounded by a crowd of PEG
pie. On the left side is a shield will
three castles. The inscription is
"Ecce GreX" These coins also occur
with plain and reeded edges. The
coins must have passed current fol
many years after they were frs
made, both in Ireland and in this
country. The coins must have beer
used in Ireland long after 1880, fol
Dean Swift in the ''Drapiers Letters.
dated August %. 1924, mentions thu
coins-"the small st. Patrick's coins
which passeth now for a farthing, ant
the great st. Patrick's half-penny."