1723 Wood’s Hibernia Farthing. Martin 3.2-Bc.10, W-12500. Rarity-5. Silver. MS-64 (PCGS).

71.9 grains. An exceptional and original specimen of this popular off-metal rarity. Fully struck and boldly detailed, with highly reflective surfaces at the obverse periphery and across the reverse. Deeply toned with gold in the central obverse fields intermingled with navy blue and deep violet on that side, while the reverse shows more champagne and pastel blue and violet. Scattered fine marks are seen, but this piece is remarkably choice even for this lofty grade. A typical silver Wood's Hibernia farthing often appears hairlined or lacking in originality. This piece fits neither description. The notation in the Ford sale description of this lot remains apt: "These silver farthings were not issued as regular coins, of course, so they must have had some other purpose that escapes us today." While some have conjectured, no one has ever come up with a good explanation of these pieces, why they were struck from several die pairs, or why some varieties are usually high grade and others typically aren't. This piece marries exceptional detail with choice originality and eye appeal in an unusual combination. Only five have been graded finer by PCGS. This variety is known only in silver.

PCGS# 921462. NGC ID: F7HP.

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From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd., March 1970; our (Stack's) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part VII, January 2005, lot 66; Lawrence R. Stack Collection, November 2006.