I would have referred J. N. C. to either Pinkerton or Lindsay, where he
would find a full account about his Irish halfpenny, but as he may not
possess a numismatic library, perhaps you will allow me to trouble you
with the extracts. Pinkerton says:
"In 1760 there was a great scarcity of copper coin in Ireland upon
which a society of Irish gentlemen applied for leave, upon proper
conditions, to coin halfpence; which being granted, those appeared
with a very bad portrait of George II., and 'VOCE POPULI' around
it. The bust bears a much greater resemblance to the Pretender;
but whether this was a piece of waggery in the engraver, or only
arose from his ignorance in drawing, must be left to doubt."
Pinkerton does not here specially refer to the type, where "the letter
P is close to the nose:" but if J. N. C. can turn to Lindsay's _Coinage
of Ireland_, 1839, he will find his coin engraved in the fifth
supplementary plate, No. 16., and in the advertisement, p. 139., the
following remarks on it:
"This curious variety of the 'voce populi' halfpence exhibits a P
before the face, and illustrates Pinkerton's remark that the
portrait on these coins seems intended for that of the Pretender:
it is a very neat coin, perhaps a pattern."