Catalog
1 Shilling - James I Fourth Bust
| Issuer | Ireland |
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| Year | 1604-1607 |
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| Currency | Second Irish Pound (1460-1826) |
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| Obverse description | Fourth bust effigy of King James I facing right, depicted with curly hair and a long beard, wearing an ornate lace ruff collar and royal robes, surmounted by a closed imperial crown. The portrait is rendered in the hammered style characteristic of early Stuart coinage, set within a beaded inner circle. The surrounding legend, separated by pellet stops, reads in abbreviated Latin around the entire circumference of the coin. |
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| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
James I inherited a monetary mess in Ireland. The Nine Years' War had ended in 1603 leaving the island flooded with debased and clipped coinage, much of it the product of Elizabeth I's deliberate debasement policy toward Irish silver issues. The 1604 recoinage was an attempt to restore credibility to the Irish monetary system under unified Stuart rule, though the shilling issues of this period still circulated well below their nominal English equivalents in practice.
The KM#15.1 and 15.2 distinction reflects a die variation in the bust treatment documented by Spink — collectors working this series should consult Simon's works alongside Dowle and Finn for attribution.