There are 4 gold coins currently minted by the US Mint – 1 oz., 1/2 oz., 1/4 oz. and 1/10th oz. They are sold by the US Mint at a premium over the gold market spot price. They are not proofs, nor are they limited edition commemorative issues. They are sold as an investment and…
Gold Coin Values Last updated – Friday, 18th September Daily updates have been discontinued I am frequently asked to value gold coins and this is a list of the more popular gold coins usually found in Ireland. In perfect condition, a gold coin has a fixed weight but, as they get worn and polished over…
It is every metal detector’s dream to find something worth a million, although most of them do it for the exercise, the fresh air and the fun they have in researching their smaller finds. Its about the history. I was very surprised and impressed to discover that most detectorists donate their finds to local museums…
The First Coins Minted in Ireland It is fairly well accepted that Sihtric, Hiberno-Norse King of Dublin was the first to mint coins in his own name in Ireland. To date, all 7 phases of Hiberno-Norse coin production in Ireland have been attributed to Dublin rulers. But, who brought the first coins into Ireland and…
Introduction On 23rd October 1680, letters patent were granted to Sir Thomas Armstrong and Colonel George Legge) to manufacture copper halfpennies for use in Ireland for a period of 21 years. They were to be dated 1680, 1681, 1682, 1683, 1684 and 1685 but, since Charles II died in 1684, no coins dated 1685 have…
Introduction When James II succeeded his father in 1685, he continued to issue copper halfpennies, albeit via a ‘patent’ like his father did before him. This maintained the flow of small change but the same ‘decades old’ problem persisted with the large proportion of under-weight ‘clipped’ silver in circulation. This might have sufficed for transactions…
Introduction On 6th June 1680, the Lord Lieutenant (The Earl of Arran) issued a proclamation that a new table for the calculation of foreign coin values. This was done in response to the large amount of foreign (non-English) coins that were circulating in Ireland at this time but the monetary challenges that faced Charles II…
Introduction Though fresh attempts were being made in the reign of Charles II to strengthen Britain’s currency, these efforts did not prevent the monetary crisis of the 1680s which saw a fast decline of England’s currency on the international exchange markets. The basic unit of account was the pound sterling defined as the equivalent of 240 pennies…
Introduction Amongst the rarest coin issues of the turbulent times that covered the Wars of the Three Kingdoms are the gold pistole and double-pistole of 1646. These are the only gold coins struck and circulated in Ireland. They were produced by Dublin goldsmiths Peter van Eindhoven and Gilbert Tonques, on behalf of the Duke of Ormonde,…
Introduction The Provincial Bank of Ireland was established in 1825, pioneered branch banking in Ireland. The terms, rights and privileges of the Bank of Ireland allowed it to effectively strangle the development of banking in Ireland until the Irish Banking Crisis that followed the post-Napoleonic War Depression. The Bank of Ireland effectively held a monopoly…
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 