1723 Wood’s Hibernia Farthing. Martin 3.23-C.1, W-12540. Rarity-8. Silver. EF-45 (PCGS).

72.8 grains. Known to Syd exclusively in silver and listed as Rarity-8 in his book, with only two examples recorded. This piece is lovely even pewter gray, attractively toned and with very nice surfaces. A short horizontal scratch is seen between the back of the head and the second G of GEORGIUS, and another small batch of finer scratches is tucked between the harp and the reverse border. While very attractive, the "Uncirculated, with claims to Choice" description in the Ford sale seems to have been a typo or cut and paste error. A few other scattered marks and fine scratches are seen, but overall the visual appeal is very positive. The reverse die is an unusual one, with Syd mentioning its "unique punctuation (two stops after date)." In the book, Syd wrote that "there appears to be a 'tail' from the second stop." To your cataloger's (JK) eye, it appears to be the vestige of a poorly placed and mostly effaced 3, and the presence of two stops or periods after the date may have been part of the process to obscure the error. This piece was acquired from Edgar H. Adams on the same invoice as the silver 1722 and 1724 Wood's Hibernia halfpence in the Ford Collection, also offered herein.

PCGS# 921387. NGC ID: F7HP.

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From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier perhaps ex Phillip Nelson Collection; Edgar H. Adams, February 1914; F.C.C. Boyd Collection; our (Stack's) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part VII, January 2005, lot 69.