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Show NEVER PUT IN CIRCULATION Dean Swift's Notable Victory In Carrv palun Against Unpopular Coin Designed De-signed for Ireland. Wood's halfpence, which was to havo been placed for nse In Ireland by Great Britain about 200 years ago, was nevor circulated In Erin, as a result of the efforts of Jonathnn Swift, at the time dean of St. Patrick's In Dublin, Dub-lin, where he was In "exile," and who had for ten years previously been attacking at-tacking the attitude of the British townrd Ireland. Swift's fight against the circulation of the coin came when Great Britain deckled to farm out the contract for their manufacture to a certain William Wil-liam Wood, on condition that he should pay the government 1,000 pounds a year for 14 years. In his famous Drapler letters Swift gradually gradual-ly built up a picture of the ruinvhlch Wood's halfpence were destined to bring upon Ireland. The government became alarmed. A report to the privy council made in July, 1724, defended de-fended the patent to Wood, but recommended recom-mended thnt the amount to be coined should bo reduced. In the end Lord Carteret was sent to Ireland as lord lieutenant to endeavor en-deavor to settle the matter on the basis of this compromise. Lord Carteret Car-teret offered a reward of 300 pounds for the discovery of the author of the Drnpler letters, and ordered a prosecution prosecu-tion against the printer upon his arrival. ar-rival. Swift boldly reproached him with his tyranny, then looked calmly nn while the grand Jury threw out the hill against the printer In spite of all the efforts of the' chief Justice to secure se-cure Its return. The next grand Jury presented Wood's halfpence as a nuisance nui-sance which marked the end of It all, the coin never circulating In Ireland. |