A small number escaped and these surviving 1943 florins are the great rarity of the modern Irish series. So these coins and some of the 1942 coins were returned to the mint for melting. The decision to issue change the coin's metal content to cupro nickel was made before the 1943 coins were issued. The 1951 issue was the first in cupro nickel. The coin was originally struck in silver (750/1000). The salmon represents both the sea fisheries and the freshwater game fishing. The fishing industry was (and is) very important to the Irish economy. The animal chosen for the florin is a salmon. There was an additional issue in 1966, some of these 1966 farthings were used in the coin sets issued for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary 1916 rising.Ĭatalogue of prices of Modern Irish Shillings The farthing was first struck in 1928 and last struck for circulation in 1959. Despite its diminutive size the woodcock was both an important game bird and an occasional addition to the table of the poorest agricultural labourer. The animal chosen for the farthing is a woodcock in flight.
SILVER CONTENT IN US COINS TRIAL
These coins are trial strikings in proof quality but without frosted fields. The new design was introduced in 1939 but two pennies and one halfcrown are known dated 1938 which use the newer design.
SILVER CONTENT IN US COINS FREE
The change of the official name of the country from the Irish Free State to The Republic of Ireland in 1938 required a change in the legend on the obverse of the coin.Īt the same time the harp was modified to impact the reverse design less and the legend was modified to Eire (Ireland in Irish) and the date was moved to one side of the harp. This is why many 'Saorstat' pennies and halfcrowns in otherwise uncirculated condition show weakness at the top of the sound box on the right of the harp and occasionally in the halfcrown at the handle on the left of the harp. The obverse design caused some metal flow problems particularly associated with the penny and halfcrown reverses. The legend Saorstat Eireann (Irish Free State, in Irish) surrounds, and the date is divided either side of the harp. The design chosen for the common obverse was of a 16 string Irish harp modelled on the 'Brian Boru' harp in Trinity College Dublin. The reverse design of each coin has its denomination in Irish script as well as in numbers and also features the initials PM (Percy Metcalf) within the field. For some reason the Irish coins are frequently described with an incorrect attribution of sides. This is in-line with common numismatic terminology where the side with the monarch or symbol of the state is termed the obverse. Note: The harp side of a modern Irish coin is the obverse. Seven denominations were designed and produced and the first coins of each denomination were struck and issued dated 1928. The designs submitted by Percy Metcalf were awarded the prize and after some modifications to the submitted designs the coinage went into production in the Royal Mint in London. The designs of Publio Morbiducci are the only patterns which were produced in metal, a very small number of examples were minted and some are in private collections. A prize was to be awarded to the winning artist. The alternate suggestion that the coinage should feature Christian saints was ruled out as it was felt that the coinage would be widely abused by being made into religious medals.Ī competition was organised and a number of well known sculptors and coin designers were invited to submit patterns for the coinage to the committee.
SILVER CONTENT IN US COINS SERIES
The government decision had already been taken to issue a sterling currency rather than to establish an independent Irish currency.Īfter some deliberation the committee decided that the Irish harp would be used as the national symbol on the coinage as it had been since the 1530's and that the reverse designs would feature a series of animals important to Ireland's mainly agricultural economy. The chairman of the committee was the Irish poet William Butler Yeats.
In 1926 the government of the newly founded Irish Free State formed a coinage committee to plan for a new Irish coinage. Catalogue of Irish Decimal Coin Prices 1969-2000
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