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Great Britain - 1800

½ Penny - (Wexford, Enniscorthy)

Obverse:

A castle by the sea.

Legend:

PAYABLE AT THE BANK OF R. W. ENNISCORTHY.

Size:

29 mm.

Edge:

plain, rounded

Reverse:

A monogram RW upon a shield suspended from the branch of a tree. A.D. 1800.

Vern's Comments:

BELL: No. 2 D&H 1-4

ENNISCORTHY Woodcock, R.

   Obverse :- Within a sunken oval a view of a castle with three towers; two of them having a flagstaff flying an ensign bearing a cross; standing on a jutting point lapped by water. In the background is a distant landscape with a hill immediately behind the castle, while to the left boats are shown on the river Slaney. Legend : - PAYABLE AT THE BANK OF R. W . ENNISCORTHY
   Reverse :- A shield bearing the monogram cypher R.W. hanging by a knotted ribbon from the branch of a leafless tree. Behind is a castle and three peaks, the central one being Vinegar Hill. Legend :- A.D. 1800.
   Edge :- Plain, struck in a collar.
Diesinker, probably Küchler; manufacturer, Boulton at Soho. Common.

Comments. R. Woodcock was a banker at Enniscorthy, and the reverse design showing Vinegar Hill alludes to a two-year-old tragedy when the token was issued.
   In 1798 the United Irishmen revolted in Dublin, but were soon suppressed. The peasantry in the south also revolted, and armed with fowling pieces, French muskets and long pikes, captured several towns, including Enniscorthy and Wexford, the latter with its garrison and a store of small arms and a few cannon. Armed bands ravaged the countryside, but an attack on New Ross was driven off with the loss of nearly 2,000 men.
   The rebels then organised a large camp on Vinegar Hill as a training ground for neacly six thousand men, some armed with muskets, but the majority with long pikes. In June, General Lake attacked Vinegar Hill and routed the half-trained force. Major-General John Moore recaptured Wexford, and the rebellion degenerated into sporadic gang disorders.
   The bodies of about five hundred men killed in the battle of Vinegar Hill lie buried in a vast pit at its foot.

Great Britain — Wexford

D & H 3 — Enniscorthy

Bell Pg: 231-232

O: Similar to No. 1, but with six perpendicular bars only. The N's as last.

A. 3

R: As No. 1

E: plain, rounded

There are four varieties that have differences in the shape of the Ns or the number of vertical bars or distance the horizontal bar goes through on the portcullis. It took me 30 minutes to determine this was number 3.

½ Penny - (Wexford, Enniscorthy)