1 Farthing - Charles I Maltravers issue, type 4

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.