Date: c. 1647

Description:

Charles I, Southern Cities of Refuge, Cork Round Farthing (copper)

• Weight: 2.33g
• References: cf. S 6562B; cf. DF 331-3; cf. SCBI Norweb 6214

About very fine. (aVF)

• Extremely rare

Obverse:

• Crudely struck emergency coinage with the legend “CORKE” across field, crown above, crossed palm leaves below, all within beaded border

Reverse:

• Blank (uniface coinage)

Note:

Unlike the later similar issue by James Ballard (dated 1677) that may or may not have been struck to circulate within the walls of Cork during the Williamite Siege of Cork in 1690, this specimen has a crown on the obverse and not a lion’s head. It is also struck on a copper flan, not brass. As such, it is thought to be part of the Southern Cities of Refuge issues of 1647 when rural Protestant settlers fled to the towns.

Country:

• Ireland

Category:

• Anglo-Norman
  • House of Stuart
• Charles I
  • Cities of Refuge
    • Also known as
      • Emergency Money
      • Money of Necessity
      • Cork
• Hammered

Further Reading:

• Check List: Irish Tudor & Stuart Coinage

Other Irish Coin Issues of Charles I:

• Irish Coinage during the reign of King Charles I
• O’Brien Coin Guide: Richmond ‘Patent’ Farthings (1625-34)
• O’Brien Coin Guide: Maltravers ‘Patent’ Farthings (1634-36)
• O’Brien Coin Guide: Maltravers ‘Rose’ Farthings (1636-49)
• O’Brien Coin Guide: Introduction to the Emergency Coinages of the Great Rebellion of 1641-49
  • Timeline 1640 – Prologue to Rebellion in Ireland & Civil War in England
  • Timeline 1641 – The Great Rebellion breaks out in Ireland
  • Timeline 1642 – The Great Rebellion in Ireland & Civil War in England
• O’Brien Coin Guide: The Ormonde Money of 1643-44
• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: The Confederate Catholic ‘Rebel Money’ Coinage of 1642-43
• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: The Ormonde Gold ‘Pistole’ of 1646
• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Coinage of the Cities of Refuge (Bandon 1646-49)
• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Cork Shilling
• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Cork Sixpence
• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Cork Farthing (rectangular, Cork in double circle)
• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Cork Farthing (rectangular, Cork in circle of pellets)
• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Cork Farthing (Cork, countermarked on a copper coin)   <<< You are here
  • Blog Post – Selected Biographies of the Great Irish Rebellion & English Civil War
  • Blog Post – The Proliferation of Unofficial Irish ‘Farthing Tokens’ in the 17th Century