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1690 Irish Gunmoney Crown Price Check


dil2211

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I know nothing about the coin itself (I can't say for instance if it's genuine or not), but (at least by US grading standards) it is in far, far better than "Fair" condition (perhaps you are not in the US and Fair means something different where you are from). Fair denotes a 2 on a scale of 1-70. I can't find a description of this right off the bat, but About Good-3 (one step better) says the coin will have much of its lettering worn smooth and the date will be barely readable. This coin is at least a Fine-12 and that's me being as strictly anally conservative as the descriptions could justify. (I know that European grading is more conservative than US grading.)

 

On your coin some parts of the design are a bit weak but that is more than likely the way the coin was made with the actual minting process resulting in an uneven strike.

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When you say it is gold, do you mean gold in colour? Because I believe your example is brass. The Irish called "gunmoney" "brassmoney". The later gold, silver and copper crowns were struck by Bolton from the original dies in the early 1800's as commemorative boxed pieces, these are usually in perfect condition.

 

The whole idea of gunmoney was that it was intended as temporary coinage, until James regained his kingdom and then you would exchange your base metal temporary coinage for genuine silver coins. Guns, bells etc were melted down to produce gun money, this is not my area of collecting but I have never heard of an original 1690 gunmoney crown made of gold, but I could be wrong.

 

 

EDIT http://www.londoncoi...s/IrelandO.html

 

The reverse on this has crud above ANO similar to yours, both might have been struck from the same die.

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  • 3 months later...

I have to agree with Constanius that this is most likely brass, made from melted cannons and bells.

 

These were struck in gold and silver but those examples are exceptionally rare.

 

Here's my (brass) gunmoney, found in a hidden compartment of an old desk by a London antiques dealer...

 

1689GMcomp2.jpg

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