Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals

Tokens, IRISH COINS, Tokens, Co KILKENNY, Castlecomer, a plated counterfeit MEXICO, Charles IIII, 8 Réales, 1801ft, Mexico City, obv. countermarked payable at castlecomer colliery around 5s 5d in oval, 20.34g (Manville X108a, this piece [recté ft]; Seaby, BNJ 1965, no.15, this piece). Test mark in field before bust, otherwise coin and countermark fine, a most interesting and unique relic as an allegedly genuine countermark on a false coin and with an impeccable provenance back to the Dowager Countess of Ormonde; sold as viewed and not subject to return £300-500

Provenance: Anne, Dowager Countess of Ormonde, and by descent to Capt R.C. Prior-Wandesforde.

The Castlecomer colliery, located north of Kilkenny, was inherited by Anne, Dowager Countess of Ormonde, wife of John, the 17th Earl, from her father, Sir John Wandesforde, 5th Viscount Castlecomer. Anne (†1830) was the patron of the village of Castlecomer, leasing the operation of the local coal mines to entrepreneurs; the colliery remained under the control of the Wandesforde family until operations ceased in 1969. Richard Cambridge Prior-Wandesforde (1902-97), who lived at Evington, co Carlow, told the late Wilfred Seaby that he inherited the coin, with other family relics, from his father, Richard Henry Prior-Wandesforde (1870-1956), who in turn had been given them by his grandmother, Sarah Prior-Wandesforde (1814-92). R.C. Prior-Wandesforde postulated that, because of its obvious falseness, the piece was identified djuring its period of circulation, put aside by the management of the colliery and later became a keepsake. Sold with related file of copied papers