Elizabeth I Irish Threepence

Elizabeth I's Irish threepence was typically struck from silver recycled from melted Spanish reales, a pragmatic reuse of plunder from England's naval raids.

That made sense in the 1560s, when Tudor officials needed coinage to stabilize Ireland's economy without fresh bullion. The obverse showed the queen's bust, crowned and resolute; the reverse, a harp with the date. Variations in weight suggest hasty production, perhaps amid rebellions.

We don't know the exact mintage; records from that era are scarce, likely destroyed in later conflicts. As for counterfeits, they were rampant—hardly surprising in a lawless time.

Some specimens turn up with a greenish patina, courtesy of buried hoards.