Undated (ca. 1652-1674) St. Patrick Farthing. Martin 4k.1-Gb.5, W-11500. Rarity-7-. Copper. Sea Beasts Below King, Stars in Legend. Fine-12 (PCGS).

80.8 grains. Blended golden-brown, deep rose and olive-copper surfaces are a bit lighter on the obverse. Pleasingly smooth surfaces show only a few minor, widely scattered pits, reverse with an ancient scratch across the saint's upper body. Well defined despite the fact that the upper right borders are tight to the peripheral letters in those areas. The splasher is toned down fairly deeply to brassy-gold and flint-gray; it covers most of the crown and extends to King David's face and the top of the harp. Griffee called this the PLERS variety due to the use of a broken B punch in the reverse legend. Syd points out the curious devices on the obverse, before the letter F in FLOREAT, that look like flames. He recorded only nine examples of this Martin number in his 2018 census.

PCGS# 915249. NGC ID: AUAR.

To view supplemental information and all items from the Sydney F. Martin Collection, click https://stacksbowers.com/sydney-f-martin-collection

From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Tom Rinaldo, June 20, 1994; McCawley-Grellman's sale of the John Griffee Collection of St. Patrick Farthings, November 2003 Ninth Annual C-4 Convention Sale, lot 194; Jim LaSarre, December 2009. Both the obverse and reverse are plated in the 2018 Martin reference on St. Patrick coinage, pp. 178 and 347, respectively.