1787 Hibernia Penny

The 1787 Hibernia Penny was struck in Birmingham by private mints to circulate in Ireland, filling a void left by the official currency shortage. This token, though unauthorized, bore the Irish harp on its obverse, a design choice that echoed national symbols without royal approval.

Weighing around 12 grams of copper, it was produced in varying dies, some showing wear from rushed manufacturing. Records of exact mintage figures were never kept, likely lost amid the era's chaotic token production.

As for myths, the idea that it was minted in Dublin is nonsense; it came from England, like so much else at the time. Collectors sometimes quip it's the original 'fake news' of coins, but I'll leave it at that.