1723 Hibernia Pattern Farthing, Silver PCGS MS65 CAC Ford Collection Pedigree

Historical Context

The 1723 Hibernia Pattern Farthing was created during a period of acute monetary strain in Ireland, when the circulation of small-denomination coinage was both inadequate and deeply controversial. At the time, Ireland relied heavily on a mix of worn copper farthings, private tokens, and foreign coinage, none of which adequately served everyday commerce. Efforts to address this shortage were politically sensitive, following lingering resentment from William Wood’s patent coinage (1722–1724), which had provoked widespread opposition and public unrest in Ireland.

In response, alternative designs and metallic compositions were explored, including pattern farthings struck in silver. These were never intended for circulation, but rather served as presentation pieces or trial strikes meant to demonstrate engraving quality, metal suitability, and aesthetic refinement to government officials and mint authorities. The silver strikings allowed finer detail and cleaner execution than copper, effectively showcasing the Hibernia design as a dignified and stable national emblem.

The seated figure of Hibernia, holding the harp and olive branch, symbolized Ireland’s identity and aspirations for peace and economic stability under the British Crown. The use of silver—an impractical metal for a circulating farthing—underscores the experimental and demonstrative nature of the issue. Only a very small number were produced, explaining the extreme rarity of surviving examples today.

These pattern pieces represent a critical moment in Irish monetary history: a crossroads between failed private coinage schemes and the eventual establishment of more regulated copper issues. As such, the 1723 Silver Hibernia Pattern Farthing stands not only as a numismatic rarity, but also as a tangible artifact of early 18th-century economic policy, political tension, and artistic experimentation within the British Isles.