Ireland St. Patrick Coinage 1641 to 1690

St. Patrick coppers, as they are known, are very interesting and very valuable coins. They were minted in Ireland and some were used in America (New Jersey) during the colonial period of the 17th century. There is a great page on them, lots of details, at Old Currency Exchange [PRESS HERE].

The example in our picture upper left is well worn but with pleasing eye appeal. It comes from Spink in London where it sold for 1700 British pounds (about $2400 US dolllars) during a 2016 auction. CoinQuest thanks Spink for use of their coin photo.

Not surprisingly, each of these rare and valuable coins stands on its own merits. Nice looking specimens will be worth more than repulsive ones, regardless of wear. Damage, such as spots, gouges, cleanings, stains, and scratches lower value substantially. Very approximateley:

repulsive, damaged coins: $500 US dollars approximate catalog value
coins with good eye appeal: $2500

The request from Mervyn about his St Patrick copper included a picture. His picture appears below.

The state of preservation of Mervyn's coin is superb. This can mean one of two things: (1) it is a genuine old piece that has been carefully preserved since the 17th century, or (2) it is a modern reproduction meant to fool collectors, i.e., a counterfeit.

We hope, for Mervyn's sake that it is a genuine coin. However, we cannot ascertain authenticity from Internet photos. Indeed, no one can. As far as we can tell, Mervyn's coin is authentic. But he should:

1. Care for the coin with much diligence
2. Never clean the coin, as cleaning ruins value
3. Seek professional authentication from PCGS, ICG, NGC, or ANACS

If Mervyn's coin is certified genuine by one these services, his coin could bring $4000 or more. Contact us, Mervyn, if you need more information about how to proceed with your coin.
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