James II Irish Crown

One of the more intriguing aspects of James II's Irish crown is that it was struck on planchets recycled from melted Spanish reales, a practical move amid the chaos of his faltering reign.

These silver pieces, minted in Dublin between 1686 and 1688, featured a bust of the king on the obverse and the Irish harp on the reverse, symbols that reflected his tenuous hold on power. The coins were part of a hurried effort to fund his forces during the Williamite War, with quality varying wildly due to makeshift minting conditions. Mintage figures remain uncertain; records from that era were likely destroyed in later conflicts.

I've handled dozens of these over three decades, and they're often mistaken for mere propaganda tokens. Some say they carried curses—nonsense, of course, though finding one in good condition can feel like dodging artillery.