1722 P Hibernia PCGS XF45, CAC. THIS IS THE ONLY 1722 Hibernia Halfpenny approved by CAC in XF-45! This is a glossy, chocolate brown colonial Hibernia 1722 halfpenny. Its colors are gun-metal gray, chocolate and tan, indicating that the surfaces are uncleaned and completely original. Truly original coins like this are rare. They are also clean for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions. Strongly struck and premium quality. The CAC sticker tells us that this coin is a premium quality specimen and remarkably its the only one approved by CAC in such grade as of 2/2/2014..

The coin shows a large laureate profile bust of King George facing right. The inscription GEORGIUS DEI GRATIA REX, which means George, King by the grace of God, is separated by dots and surrounds the portrait. The reverse shows a sitting goddess, Hibernia, another name for Ireland, facing left. Her left hand rests on an angel-harp a leaf is held in her right. The inscription HIBERNIA and the date are above. Dots are before and after the date.

 In 1722 William Wood received a patent to make coinage for the American Colonies and Ireland. His coinage was made from an alloy called bath metal. It was rejected by the Irish people because the King had not consulted with the Irish Parliament before it was authorized. Perceived as an insult, the coinage was spurned. Both houses of the Irish Parliament petitioned the King to withdraw it. Coinage was suspended in March of 1723. Although unaware of the suspension, satirist and author of Gullivers Travels, Jonathan Swift wrote The Drapiers Letters, in which he ridiculed William Wood for making an inferior coinage and accused him of bribery and fraud as well. Finally, in 1725 Wood gave up his patent and accepted a pension. In 1737 all of William Woods coins were withdrawn from circulation and bought for their bullion value. They were then shipped to the American Colonies where they remained in circulation until the Civil War. Examples have been found in parts of New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. 

All of Woods halfpennies were dated 1722, 1723 or 1724. The first type showed a reverse with the harp on the left of the goddess. The present coin is the second design type, which shows the harp on the right. A variety of farthing abbreviated the obverse inscription D.G.REX.

William Wood (1671-1730) was a mint master and a hardware manufacturer. In addition to making the Hibernia coins for Ireland, he made the Rosa Americana coins specifically for the colonies of British America. Wood believed that it would be profitable to make coins for Ireland and the other colonies. He purchased the patent for ten thousand pounds from the Duchess of Kendal. Authorized to make up to 360 tons of halfpence and farthings for Ireland at 30 pence to the pound, he paid an annual fee of 800 pounds to the king. The Hibernia coins were heavier than the Rosa Americana issues. When including the costs of production and the fee paid to the Duchess of Kendal, Wood would have lost over 4,800 pounds over the 14 years of the patent. Later he created a new method of producing iron, which was part of a fraudulent investment plan. He tried to use patents for an iron making process invented by his son, Richard. They planned to finance operations by agreeing to supply a large quantity of iron to the United Company of Mines Royal and Mineral and Battery Works, but they delivered much less than was contracted. Because Wood lost his coin manufacturing patents, he was compensated with a pension of 3,000 pounds a year for eight years. He died on August 2, 1730, after he had collected his pension for three years.

In its population report, PCGS shows only 5 1722 halfpennies in XF45 condition. CAC, as of June 2013, has confirmed only the present coin in XF45 condition . This is the ONLY 1722 Hibernia Halfpenny approved by CAC in XF-45.