Irish Pennies of Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III from the Collection of O. Mac Conamhna

Edward IV (1461-1483), Second Cross and Pellets coinage, Dublin, mm. not visible, pellets above crown, rev. pelleted quatrefoil in centre, extra pellets in two quarters, double saltire after tas, 0.54g/4h (Burns Du-11a; S –). Nearly very fine but edge a little ragged £120-150

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Irish Pennies of Edward IV, Edward V and Richard III from the Collection of O. Mac Conamhna.

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This coin illustrates a crude attempt by the undermaster of the mint to replace Barby’s broken bust punch around the period late 1472/early 1473. It followed an act of the Irish Parliament which charged Barby’s former co-mintmaster, William Grampe, with the act of striking underweight and debased coins. Grampe, deflecting the blame onto the undermaster, Patrick Keyn, was pardoned and Keyn presumably removed from office. Mac Conamhna, BNJ 2017, p.114, adds; ‘The comparatively high weight of these coins is consistent with their attribution here to an undermaster immediately succeeding Keyn; given his predecessor’s condemnation, such an individual would be expected to be scrupulous in striking coins of the correct weight’. This coin has an additional pellet in the dvbl quarter of the reverse