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1 Farthing - Charles I Maltravers issue, type 4
| Issuer | Ireland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1634-1636 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | An eagle-headed harp with either seven or eight strings dominates the central field, rendered in the heraldic style characteristic of Irish farthing coinage of the period. A circular Latin legend surrounds the device, terminating with a large lis privy mark followed by a stop. The eagle-headed harp is a distinctive Irish heraldic motif employed consistently across the Maltravers issue farthings of Charles I. |
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| Additional information |
The Maltravers farthing takes its name from John Mowbray, Lord Maltravers, who obtained the patent to produce copper farthings for Ireland in 1634 — part of the Crown's ongoing effort to privatize small-change coinage rather than fund it from the royal mint. The patent system meant production quality was dictated by profit margin, not monetary standards, and these pieces are accordingly irregular. Type 4 is distinguished from earlier Maltravers issues by its inner circle configuration, a detail that occupied contemporaries more than it may seem: the dies were frequently recut and poorly aligned.