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1/2 Penny - George II small letters
| Issuer | Ireland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1736-1738 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Penny (1⁄480) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A crowned Irish harp occupies the centre of the field, its forepillar elegantly carved in the form of a winged female figure with flowing drapery, characteristic of the Gaelic cláirseach tradition. An arched royal crown surmounts the harp, adorned with fleurs-de-lis and cross pattée finial. The Latin legend HIBERNIA• arcs around the upper periphery, with the date 1736 positioned in the lower field below the harp. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Ireland's copper coinage in this period was not produced by the Irish Mint — there was none — but contracted out to private minters in Britain, a system that had caused serious political friction since Wood's Halfpence scandal of the 1720s, when Swift's Drapier's Letters mobilized Irish public opinion against a private patent granted to William Wood. By the 1730s the Crown was more cautious, but the contracted production model remained. The "small letters" distinction separates this emission from the preceding large-letter varieties and reflects a die modification mid-series rather than any change in issuing authority or monetary policy.