O’Brien Coin Guide: Maltravers ‘Patent’ Rose Farthings (1636-42) for Charles I

Introduction In 1636, directions were given to Lord Maltravers and Sir Francis Crane “to make a new sort of farthing token which should have a little brass in the middle of the copper to distinguish the true farthings from forgeries.” The harp on the reverse was replaced by a rose, and hence these pieces are…

An example of an Irish evasion halfpenny token - so long as the piece looked reasonably similar to the real coins, the public were likely to accept them – and given that over 60% of the halfpennies in circulation were fakes – this wasn’t difficult. The public accepted them for a variety of reasons.

O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Evasion Halfpennies (1770s to the 1790s)

Introduction These coins are contemporary counterfeits and most of them were produced between 1782-1799, although some ‘dates’ are significantly earlier (and there is a good reason for this). They are easily spotted due to their unusual legends – a deliberate ploy in order to “evade” the counterfeiting laws of the time. In 1742, an Act…

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The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes

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O’Brien Coin Guide: Maltravers ‘Patent’ Rose Farthings (1636-42) for Charles I

O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Evasion Halfpennies (1770s to the 1790s)