The Confederation of Kilkenny, established in 1642, was the de facto government of Catholic Ireland during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms — a remarkable political entity that administered courts, collected taxes, and fielded armies while nominally professing loyalty to Charles I. These crowns were struck at Kilkenny and represent one of the very few occasions in Irish history when a native Catholic administration produced its own silver coinage, however briefly.
The dies were cut under difficult wartime conditions, which accounts for the crude workmanship consistent across the type. By 1649, Cromwell's campaign had destroyed the Confederation entirely.
The Confederation of Kilkenny, established in 1642, was the de facto government of Catholic Ireland during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms — a remarkable political entity that administered courts, collected taxes, and fielded armies while nominally professing loyalty to Charles I. These crowns were struck at Kilkenny and represent one of the very few occasions in Irish history when a native Catholic administration produced its own silver coinage, however briefly.
The dies were cut under difficult wartime conditions, which accounts for the crude workmanship consistent across the type. By 1649, Cromwell's campaign had destroyed the Confederation entirely.