Undated (ca. 1652-1674) St. Patrick Farthing. Martin 3h.1-Ba.27, W-11500. Rarity-7-. Copper. Sea Beasts Below King, Masonic Punctuation. EF-45 (PCGS).

A sharp and well centered, dark brown specimen featuring fully detailed devices and complete legends on both sides. A bit porous in the fields with a few extremely faint scratches behind King David's portrait and in the upper left reverse field. The brassy-olive splasher is prominent on the obverse, but it is misshapen and poorly placed almost entirely below the crown. The 2018 Martin census lists only four specimens of this die pairing, assigning a Rarity-7+ rating. An earlier study quoted by the consignor to our (Stack's) January 2009 Americana Sale, however, reports eight known, which seems more appropriate to us. In either case, the present example in EF-45 is the finest confirmed specimen of this rare and conditionally challenged Martin number.

PCGS# 915225. NGC ID: AUAR.

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From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Robert Rhue, 2001; our (Stack's) sale of the Brian Danforth Collection, January 2009 Americana Sale, lot 7031; Jim LaSarre, December 2009.