1722 Wood’s Hibernia Halfpenny. Martin 4.3-Bc.1, W-12835. Rarity-7+ in this composition. Silver. Fine-12 (PCGS).113.5 grains. A beautiful and evenly worn specimen of this important rarity in the series. One of just two reported in the literature and finer than the other survivor, the slightly more worn Norweb:3425 coin. The Martin piece offers deep sedate olive gray surfaces, even and glossy, with some hints of more silvery color. The surfaces are essentially immaculate, with only a trivial vertically oriented scratch in the right obverse field worth noting, along with some minor hairlines on the highest relief of the design. The strike is fairly well centered, with a complete frame of denticles around the reverse and the orientation of the obverse softening just the denticles past the point at the truncation of the bust. The visual appeal is superb, particularly for a coin of this grade range.<p><p>The reason this coin exists is unclear. Its an off-metal striking, not a pattern (or regular issue) for some exotic denomination. Both specimens known are well worn, so it seems these were not struck just to be placed in a cabinet. Clearly its first owner cared enough about it to carry it - neither this piece or the other one shows the usual marks associated with circulation. Interestingly, Syd never treated the question of why in his book, perhaps because there is simply no evidence or documentation relating to the silver Hibernias at all. <p><p>In 2005, this piece brought $31,625 in its only previous auction appearance. The 1914 "auction" cited in Ford appears to be a private transaction; Edgar H. Adams (the "E.H.A. mentioned on the Boyd ticket) conducted just one public sale, but it was in 1911. The Boyd ticket also mentions Philip Nelson, so it seems that Nelson may have owned this coin. He certainly knew silver examples existed, as he mentioned them in <em>The Coinage of William Wood</em>, published in 1903 and the standard reference for over a century.<p><p>This may also have been the Murdoch coin. Lot 7 in the 1903 Murdoch Irish sale was an example of this coin described as "fairly preserved, believed to be unique in this metal."<p><p>While other silver Woods Hibernias are known (most notably, a fairly substantial population of silver farthings), this piece has additional importance as a significant rarity and the very earliest silver striking known in the series. It is a central highlight in this finest collection of the series ever assembled.PCGS# 921549. NGC ID: F7HX.<strong>To view supplemental information and all items from the Sydney F. Martin Collection, click<a href="https://stacksbowers.com/sydney-f-martin-collection/"target=’_blank’> here.</a></strong>.From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier perhaps ex Phillip Nelson Collection; Edgar H. Adams, February 1914; F.C.C. Boyd Collection; our (Stacks) sale of the John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, Part VII, January 2005, lot 30.
