Drapier's Letters
Archived: 13 October 2026
In 1724, opposition to William Wood’s London-authorised copper coinage transformed a dispute over halfpence into a national argument about economic trust, political consent and Irish interests. Jonathan Swift’s anonymous Drapier’s Letters, printed by John Harding, encouraged householders, merchants and bankers to refuse the coins, despite official assurances of their quality. Dublin declarations, grand jury support and Harding’s prosecution threats demonstrated print’s political power, while Lord Lieutenant Carteret confronted mounting resistance. The patent remained valid until 1725, but could not circulate effectively. The year also saw Hugh Boulter’s primacy, the Neal brothers’ landmark Irish tune collection, and a total solar eclipse.
