1722 Farth Hibernia, BN MS(PCGS#161)

November 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Commissaire-priseur

Stack's Bowers

Numéro du lot

1110

Grade

MS65BN

Prix

15 600

Description du lot

60.2 grains. Medallic alignment. A classic rarity in the Wood's series, an issue widely considered a pattern, with all known specimens the product of a single pair of dies. And this is one of the most famous and highly regarded examples, which we first offered in our (Bowers and Merena's) November 1988 Norweb III sale, in which it was cataloged as:<p><em>Deep golden brown with traces of mint red. Bright and reflective surfaces, a few spots on the reverse. Microscopic flan crack from obverse rim at 8 o'clock through O, touching lower ribbon end. Perfectly centered reverse, with full denticulation showing; obverse slightly off center to the left, but affecting only the outer points of the denticles there. Obverse bust right, GEORGIUS . D:G :REX .. Reverse harp on viewer's left, . HIBERNIA . 1722..</em><p>Syd Martin's 2007 census, published in his reference <em>The Hibernia Coinage of William Wood (1722-1724)</em>, lists only eight examples of this die pairing traced in major collections, including the Norweb-August coin offered here. We have handled a total of six in Mint State: this one; the spectacular Ted L. Craige specimen in PCGS MS-65 BN that brought $21,150 in our March 2013 Baltimore Auction; the Robison-Archangel coin in PCGS MS-63 BN that realized $19,200 in our October 2018 Baltimore Auction; and the two Ford VII coins from our (Stack's) January 2005 sale, one cataloged as "Gem Uncirculated, Prooflike," the other as "Uncirculated, or slightly finer." The Roper-E Pluribus Unum coin is also technically Mint State, but was certified Unc Details--Tooled by PCGS when offered in our November 2020 sale of the latter collection.<p>The Archangel cataloger described the Craige specimen as "probably finest known," but the Norweb-August specimen is also a strong contender for that coveted title. In any event this is a landmark example of a celebrated type. It is a highlight of the Wood's coinage in Mr. August's collection, and will be a highlight in the next cabinet in which it is included.