These specimens of antient colonial currency, belong to the collection of the Albany Institute. There is a notice in 3 Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. vii., 282, 283, of the half penny and penny (the latter of 1722) by Dr. Mease, of Philadelphia, who conjectures, though erroneously, that they were probably coins of the Old Thirteen Colonies.

No such coin as tliis was struck by any of the old colonies. Its history, though not much known, is very curious and par-

. En^iaTelfcEnalellTlT! (

,<,

MEDALS AND COINS. 1183

ticularly interesting, especially when found to be intimately connected with the " Wood's halfpence," immortalized by Swift.

About the year 1722, a patent was granted to "William Wood, of England to coin a large amount of copper currency for Ireland, and on investigation it leaked out that the profits of the patent were to be shared with the Dutchess of Kendal, one of the court favorites. ' It seems that Wood succeeded in procuring, about the sam^ time, a patent for coining small money also for the English colonies in America, in pursuance of which he had the conscience to make thirteen shillings out of a pound of brass. ^

We have not been able to ascertain wliich, if any, of the Court favorites had a share in this patent. " We have been informed," says Snelling,=^ "that Kingsmill Eyres Esq., Mr. Marsland, a hardwareman in Cornhill, and several others, were concerned in the scheme ; the dies were engraved by Mr. Lammas, Mr. StflLudbroke and Mr. Harold, some of which were in the possession of Mr. Winthorpe, who went to New York; his father lies buried at Beckingham. They were struck at the French Change, in Hog lane. Seven Dials, by an engine that raised and let fall a heavy weight upon them when made hot, which is the most expeditious way of striking Bath metal, of which they were made."