Introduction

This webpage is intended as a catalogue and image library of Irish coins from 1927-2002, i.e. post-Independence issues up to 2002 when we joined the Euro Zone.  By way of illustrating what we buy and sell, please link to our Pinterest image pages and/or read the relevant blog posts on Irish numismatic topics.

• All of the hyperlinks (in blue) link to a Pinterest image gallery, unless otherwise stated,
  • e.g. Blog Post, Coin Guide or Rare Coin Review
  • This website is updated on a frequent basis, so do please ‘re-visit’ as often as you can.

Please note: this is a constant “work in progress” and I will be adding more links + more images on an on-going basis.  Collectors are quite welcome to send me images of coins that I do not already have, or better images of the one’s I have posted.

The concepts behind this page are as follows :-

• Irish coins are placed in their historical context
• Relevant historical articles will be added to give additional insights into why these coins were issued and/or withdrawn
• The technical details, such as dates, varieties, proofs and patterns are all listed
• Where possible, the multiplicity of commercial or academic reference numbers are correlated and simplified
• We all have a single reference point and image source to share

Where possible, a simplified chronological order has been applied to coins minted in Ireland, minted elsewhere but intended for circulation in Ireland, or (in the instance of the earliest coins) those found in Ireland as a result of trading, gifts, votive offerings, or other forms of transaction.

Modern Irish Coins

In 1928 the newly independent Irish Free State (at last) issued its own coins.  They mirrored the denominations used by the UK and most of the coins were the same size and weight as their British counterparts, except for the threepence and sixpence.  Another exception was the fact that Irish silver coins contained 75% silver, as opposed to the 50% silver comprising the UK shillings, florins and halfcrowns of the time.  Irish coins were ‘minted’ by the Royal Mint in London up until 1978 when the Central Bank of Ireland opened its own mint in Sandyford, Co Dublin.

• Modern Irish Coin Patterns (1927)

  • Blog Post – The controversial 1927 Irish coin design competition
  • Blog Post – How the Irish coin designs of 1928 influenced modern international coin design

• • • O’Brien Coin Guide: Albert Power’s Irish Coin Designs (1927)
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Oliver Sheppard’s Irish Coin Designs (1927)
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Jerome Connor’s Irish Coin Designs (1927)
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Carl Milles’ Irish Coin Designs (1927)
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Paul Manship’s Irish Coin Designs (1927)
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Percy Metcalfe’s Irish Coin Designs (1927)
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Publio Morbiducci’s Irish Coin Designs & Proof/Patterns (1927)
      • Alloy Varieties of the Morbiducci Patterns/Proofs (1927)

• Irish Pre-Decimal Coinage

  • Proof Sets
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Proof Sets – coming soon !
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Unofficial Proof Coins / Medallions – coming soon !
  • Irish Pre-Decimal BU Sets
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal BU Sets – coming soon !
  • Farthing
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Farthing
    • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Farthing (2018 coin values)
  • Halfpenny
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Halfpenny
    • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Halfpenny (2018 coin values)
  • Penny
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Penny
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Penny Errors & Varieties
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: How to Identify the Irish “Chickless” Penny Variety
    • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Penny (2018 coin values)
    • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: The 1938 Irish Penny
  • Threepence
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Threepence
    • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Threepence (2018 coin values)
  • Sixpence
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Sixpence
    • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Sixpence (2018 coin values)
  • Shilling
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Shilling
    • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Shilling (2018 coin values)
  • Florin
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Florin
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Florin Errors & Varieties
    • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Florin (2018 coin values)
      • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: The Irish 1943 Florin
  • Halfcrown
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Halfcrown
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: How to Identify the Irish 1961 Halfcrown “Mule” Variety
    • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Halfcrown (2018 coin values)
      • Coin Forgery Alert: Ireland 1937 Halfcrown
      • Coin Forgery Alert: Ireland 1943 Halfcrown 
  • Ten Shillings
    • • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Ten Shillings 
        • • Image: 1966 Ten Shillings – obverse design
          • Image: 1966 Ten Shillings – reverse design

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Decimalisation

In February 1971, Ireland switched from the old (Imperial) currency to a new decimal currency.

In the old (Imperial) system,

• 12 pennies = 1 shilling
• 20 shillings (240 pennies) = 1 pound
  • Other denominations (although obsolete) were still spoken about, e.g.
    • 24 pennies = 1 florin
    • 30 pennies = 1 half-crown
    • 60 pennies = 1 crown
    • 252 pennies = 1 guinea
    •   
    • 2 shillings = 1 florin
    • 5 shillings = 1 crown
    • 21 shillings = 1 guinea

Although the gold guinea coin was withdrawn before Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, people still used the guinea for pricing luxury goods such as jewellery, fur coats, cars, racehorses and houses.  It was a symbol of the upper classes and they preferred to pay in guineas because it sounded better. Accountants, solicitors and doctors also charged their ‘private clients’ in guineas.  Even today, the guinea persists in the Irish (and British) psyche in the first two horseracing ‘classic’ races of the year – the Group 1 “1000 Guineas” (for 3 yr old fillies) and “2000 Guineas” (for 3 yr old colts) in each country – run at at The Curragh and Newmarket, respectively.

In the new (Decimal) system, this was simplified to 100 new pence = 1 pound.

• Irish Decimal Coinage

  • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Decimal BU Sets (Presentation Packs) – coming soon !
    • Blog Post: Irish Specimen Coins from the King’s Norton Collection

• Halfpenny
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: The Irish Decimal Halfpenny
  • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Decimal Halfpenny (2018 coin values)

• Penny
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: The Irish Decimal Penny
  • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Decimal Penny (2018 coin values)
    • Image: 1980 Planchet Error – struck on scalloped edge brass blank (Philipines 5 centimos)
    • Image: 1982 Planchet Error – struck on scalloped edge brass blank (Philipines 5 centimos)
• Twopence
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: The Irish Decimal Twopence
  • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Decimal Twopence (2018 coin values)
• Fivepence
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: The Irish Decimal Five Pence
  • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Decimal Fivepence (2018 coin values)
    • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Does an Irish (small) 1991 5p coin exist?
• Tenpence
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: The Irish Decimal Ten Pence
  • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Decimal Tenpence (2018 coin values)
    • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: The 1992 Irish 10p

• Twenty Pence
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: The Irish Decimal Twenty Pence
  • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Decimal Twentypence (2018 coin values)
    • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: The 1985 Irish 20p
    • Image: 1980 Full Mirror Brockage Error

• Fifty Pence
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: The Irish Decimal Fifty Pence 
  • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Decimal Fiftypence (2018 coin values)
    • Image: 1988 Dublin Millennium 50p
    • Image: 1988 Dublin Millennium Proof 50p

• One Punt
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: The Irish Decimal Pound Coin – coming soon !
  • O’Brien Coin Price Guide: Irish Decimal Pound (2018 coin values)
  • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: The 1945-1995 United Nations Silver Proof £1 – coming soon !
    • Image: 1995 Proof £1 coin
    • Image: 2000 Millennium £1 coin

 

 

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If you have any queries regarding modern Irish coins, please email us on

old.currency.exchange@gmail.com

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