1723 Woods Hibernia Farthing. Martin 3.2-Bc.10, W-12500. Rarity-5. Silver. MS-63 (PCGS). 73.5 grains. A highly desirable silver example of the type, these likely struck as presentation or pattern pieces for the coinage. Woods Hibernia farthings in this metallic composition were once considered to be incredibly rare, and Eric P. Newman had marked his own as "probably unique" at some point in the early 20th century. However, a small hoard of about two dozen pieces came out of hiding in England during the late 1950s. First brought to light by Baldwins of London, the pieces were housed in a silver tube with silver halfpenny ends; the group had descended directly from the Wood family into the hands of Albert Baldwin, whose firm then dispersed the lot. We later offered the silver tube with silver halfpenny ends in our (Stacks) September 2009 Americana Auction. The present example, likely from that source, is surely one of the nicest that the discerning collector will encounter in todays market. No PCGS# 921462. NGC ID: F7HP. <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 ex Lawrence R. Stack Collection, November 2006.
