Introduction: The Elizabethan series of Anglo-Irish coinage is a somewhat neglected space in terms of numismatic research since many of her issues were relatively small and their survival rate poor. As such, the availability of suitable study material is limited. The British Museum’s holdings are relatively modest The National Museum of Ireland only has a…
Date: c. 1601-02 Description: Elizabeth I (1558-1603), Third issue, debased silver Sixpence, issued c. 1601-02. The reason for this coinage was to deny good silver to the rebels in the north of Ireland so they would not have anything with which to buy arms from abroad. The idea was to flood Ireland with base money…
Date: 1647 Description: Charles I, Cities of Refuge silver sixpence on an octagonal piece of silver plate. Weight: 2.06g References: S 6561A; DF 329 About Fine (F) Extremely rare Obverse: Crudely struck emergency coinage with the legend “CORK” centred between two circles (outer circle beaded, inner circle wired) with a small pellet below (between “O”…
Date: 1603-04 Description: James I, 1st Irish Coinage (1603-1604), 1st Bust (squared beard), Sixpence, mint mark Bell. Weight: 2.26 g Good Very Fine (gVF) Toned References: DF. 260, S. 6513 Obverse: Crowned (first) bust of James I, facing right. The first bust can be quickly identified via the ‘squared beard’ Legend: IACOBVS D G ANG…
Yes, you read that correctly. A massive €347,404,127 worth of old Irish banknotes and coins have yet to be handed in to the Central Bank of Ireland since the introduction of the Euro on 1st January 2002 – 18 years since the Euro Changeover! To be absolutely precise, that’s: €224,389,631.19 in old Irish bank notes…
Date: 1643-44 Description: Ormonde money, Sixpence, lozenge between CR, large Roman numeral, large D. Weight: 2.53g References: S 6547, DF 301 Well-struck and centred, on an octagonal flan. Nearly Very Fine (aVF) Toned. Obverse: Crowned C·R (for Charles Rex) within a double circle Lozenge between C and R Arm of ‘R’ extends beyond the inner…
Date: c. 1605-06 Description: James I, second Irish coinage, Sixpence. No date, but the mint mark: Rose denotes the year 1605-06. Struck at the Tower Mint, London. Attractively toned, good fine. Weight: 2.22g Mintmark: Rose (1605/6) Reference: S.6517 Obverse: Crowned (third) bust of James I, facing right The third bust can be quickly identified via the ‘decorated…
The gunmoney of James II: August 1689 (timeline)
The introduction of the new ‘gunmoney’ sixpence in June was a qualified success for deposed King James II and he quickly moved to cash in even more when he ordered the issue of shillings and halfcrowns for July. The coin presses in Capel Street were in production 24 hours a day, with mint workers employed…
This was never going to be enough and the answer to James’s financial predicament came from a Protestant – William Bromfield, an English Quaker and one time surgeon who invented the world’s first ‘fiat’ currency based upon a promise to pay at a later date
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 