Introduction:

This webpage is intended as a catalogue and image library of Irish euro coins, i.e. from when we joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism on 30th March, 1979 and after 2002 when we joined the Euro Zone.

• In the 1970s, the European Monetary System was introduced
  • Ireland decided to join it in 1978, while the United Kingdom stayed out
• The European Exchange Rate Mechanism finally broke the one-for-one link that existed between the Irish pound and the pound sterling; in 1979 an exchange rate was introduced
  • This period also saw the creation of the Currency Centre at Sandyford in 1978 so that banknotes and coinage could be manufactured within the state
    • Prior to this, all Irish banknotes were printed by specialist commercial printers in England
    • Our coins, up to this point, were also produced by the British Royal Mint

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.

Ireland & The Single European Currency:

• The ECB & the Euro System explained in 3 minutes (ECB Education Video)

• Preparations for a Single Currency:

  • O’Brien Coin Guide: Official Irish ECU and Euro Commemorative Coins / Proofs  – coming soon !
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: Unofficial ECU Patterns  – coming soon !
    • Images: Privately Produced Irish Patterns (ECU’s and Euro)
    • Images: Irish Euro Starter Packs

• Irish Euro Coinage:

  • Euro Coins for Circulation

  • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Will the Irish 1c and 2c coins ever be scarce ?
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 1c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 2c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 5c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 10c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 20c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro 50c
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish €1 coins
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish €2 coins
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Commemorative €2 coins
      • Irish Coin Daily: 2007 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
      • Irish Coin Daily: 2009 10th Anniversary of the EMU & Birth of Euro
      • Irish Coin Daily: 2012 10 Years of Euro Banknotes & Coins
      • Irish Coin Daily: 2015 30th Anniversary of the EU flag
      • Irish Coin Daily: 2016 Centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising
      • Irish Coin Daily: 2019 Centenary of the First Sitting of Dáil Éireann

  • Brilliant Uncirculated (BU / KMS / FDC) Sets

    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish BU Euro Sets (Presentation Packs)
      • 2002 – Central Bank of Ireland
        • 20,000 sets issued
      • 2003 – The Casino, Marino
        • 30,000 sets issued
      • 2003 – Special Olympics
        • 35,000 sets issued
        • 9 coins, incl. commemorative €5 (Unc)
      • 2004 – Reginald’s Tower, Waterford
        • 40,000 sets issued
      • 2005 – Heywood Gardens, Co Laois
        • 50,000 sets issued
      • 2006 – Glenveigh National Park, Co Donegal
        • 40,000 sets issued
      • 2007 – Dun Aonghasa, Co Galway
        • 20,000 sets issued
      • 2007 – Treaty of Rome
        • 20,000 sets issued
        • 9 coins, incl. special €2
      • 2008 – Newgrange, Co Meath
        • 30,000 sets issued
      • 2009 – Gaelic Games
        • 30,000 sets issued
        • 9 coins, incl. special €2
      • 2010 – Animals of Ireland (Horse)
        • 20,000 sets issued
      • 2011 – Animals of Ireland (Salmon)
        • 20,000 sets issued
      • 2012 – Animals of Ireland (Irish Wolfhound)
        • 17,000 sets issued
        • 9 coins, incl. special €2
      • 2013 – The Irish Harp
        • 15,000 sets issued
      • 2014 – Island Nation (Scientific Studies)
        • 12,000 sets issued
      • 2015 – Island Nation (Marine Flora & Fauna)
        • 10,000 sets issued
        • 9 coins, incl. special €2
      • 2016 – Centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising
        • 50,000 sets issued
        • 9 coins, incl. special €2
      • 2017 – Irish Lighthouses & Coastguard
        • 8,000 sets issued
      • 2018 – Irish Myths & Legends
        • 6,000 sets issued
      • 2019 – Centenary of the First Dáil
        • 8,000 sets issued
        • 9 coins, incl. special €2
      • 2020 – ?

  • Irish Proof Euro Sets

    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro Proof Sets
      • 2006 – First Irish proof Euro set
        • 5,000 sets issued (8 coins)
      • 2007 – 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
        • 10,000 sets issued (9 coins, incl. special €2)
      • 2009 – 10th Anniversary of Economic and Monetary Union
        • 5,000 sets issued (9 coins, incl. special €2)
      • 2012 – 10th Anniversary of the Euro Currency
        • 5,000 sets issued (9 coins, incl. special €2)
      • 2015 – 30th Anniversary of the EU flag
        • 4,000 sets issued (9 coins, incl. special €2)
      • 2016 – Centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising
        • 4,000 sets issued (9 coins, incl. special €2)
      • 2019 – Centenary of the Sitting of the First Dáil Éireann
        • Only 1,000 sets issued (9 coins, incl. special €2) – sold out in 1 week

  • Irish Commemorative Euro Coins (Proofs)

    • O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Euro Commemorative Coins
      • 2003
        • Special Olympics €5 silver (in sealed blister pack)
          • 35,000 units issued
        • Special Olympics €10 silver (boxed)
          • 30,000 units issued
      • 2004
        • EU Presidency & EU Expansion €10 silver (boxed)
          • 50,000 units issued
      • 2005
        • Rowan Hamilton €10 silver (boxed)
          • 30,000 units issued
      • 2006
        • Samuel Beckett €10 silver (boxed)
          • 35,000 units issued
        • Samuel Beckett €20 gold (boxed)
          • 20,000 units issued
        • Samuel Beckett €10 + €20 double set (boxed)
          • 10,000 sets issued
      • 2007
        • Meštrović €15 silver (boxed)
        • Joint Ireland & Croatia Meštrović €15 + 105 kuna silver (Irish box)
          • Only 1,000 sets issued (500 per day)
          • This special ‘limited’ edition set was only available at the Irish International Stamp & Coin Fair at the RDS, Dublin (16-17 February)
            • Sales were limited to only one set per attendee
        • Joint Ireland & Croatia Meštrović €15 + 105 kuna silver (Croatia box)
          • Only 1,000 sets issued
        • Celtic Culture €10 silver (boxed)
          • 35,000 units issued
        • Celtic Culture €20 gold (boxed)
          • 25,000 units issued
        • Celtic Culture €10 + €20 double set (boxed)
          • 5,000 sets issued
      • 2008
        • Sceilig Mhíchil €10 silver (boxed)
          • 25,000 units issued
        • Sceilig Mhíchil €20 gold (boxed)
          • 15,000 units issued
        • Sceilig Mhíchil €10 + €20 double set (boxed)
          • 25,000 sets issued
        • Shackleton & Crean, Polar Explorers €5 silver (boxed)
          • 6,000 units issued
        • Shackleton & Crean, Polar Explorers €100 gold (boxed)
          • 2,000 units issued
      • 2009
        • The Ploughman €10 silver (boxed)
          • 15,000 units issued
        • The Ploughman €20 gold (boxed)
          • 10,000 units issued
        • The Ploughman €10 + €20 double set (boxed)
          • 5,000 sets issued
        • 125th Anniversary of the GAA €15 silver (boxed)
          • 10,000 units issued
      • 2010
        • An Gaisce – President’s Award €10 silver (boxed)
          • 8,000 units issued
        • An Gaisce – President’s Award €20 gold (boxed)
          • 6,000 units issued
        • An Gaisce – President’s Award €10 + €20 double set (boxed)
          • 4,000 sets issued
        • Horse €15 silver (boxed)
          • 15,000 units issued
      • 2011
        • St Brendan the Navigator €10 silver (boxed)
          • 15,000 units issued
        • Celtic Cross €20 gold (boxed)
          • 12,000 units issued
        • Salmon €15 silver (boxed)
          • 12,000 units issued
      • 2012
        • Jack B Yeats €10 silver (boxed)
          • 12,000 units issued
        • Book of Kells €20 gold (boxed)
          • 12,000 units issued
        • Michael Collins €10 silver (boxed)
          • 8,000 units issued
        • Michael Collins €20 gold (boxed)
          • 12,000 units issued
        • Michael Collins €10 + €20 double set (boxed)
          • 6,000 sets issued
        • Irish Wolfhound €15 silver (boxed)
          • 17,000 units issued
      • 2013
        • John F. Kennedy €10 silver (boxed)
          • 15,000 units issued
        • John F. Kennedy €10 + €20 double set (boxed)
          • 10,000 sets issued
        • James Joyce €10 silver (boxed)
          • 10,000 units issued
        • Dublin Lockout / Jim Larkin €15 silver (boxed)
          • 10,000 units issued
        • Medieval Irish Architecture / Rock of Cashel €20 gold (boxed)
          • 10,000 units issued
      • 2014
        • John McCormack €10 silver (boxed)
          • 8,000 units issued
        • Battle of Clontarf €20 gold (boxed)
          • 12,000 units issued
        • John Philip Holland, Submarine €15 silver (boxed)
          • 10,000 units issued
        • Animals triple set, 3 x €15 Proof Set (limited edition, boxed)
          • Only 1,000 sets issued
          • This special ‘limited’ edition set was only available at the Irish International Stamp & Coin Fair at the RDS, Dublin (17-19 October)
            • Sales were limited to only one set per attendee
      • 2015
        • Ernest Walton, Nobel Prize Physics €15 silver (boxed)
          • 6,000 units issued
        • W.B. Yeats, Nobel Prize Literature €15 silver (boxed)
          • 8,000 units issued
        • 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 70th anniversary of peace in Europe €10 silver (boxed)
          • 8,000 units issued
      • 2016
        • Centenary of 1916 Easter Rising €2 cupro-nickel / nickel-brass  (boxed)
          • 4,000 units issued
        • Centenary of 1916 Easter Rising €15 silver (boxed)
          • 18,000 units issued
        • Centenary of 1916 Easter Rising €50 gold (boxed)
          • 5,500 units issued
        • Centenary of 1916 Easter Rising €100 gold (boxed)
          • Only 1,000 units issued
        • Centenary of 1916 Easter Rising €15 + €50 double set (boxed)
          • 2,000 sets issued
        • Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray €10 silver (boxed
          • 10,000 units issued
      • 2017
        • Sir Charles Algernon Parsons €15 silver (boxed)
          • 8,000 units issued
        • Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge €10 silver (boxed)
          • 4,000 units issued
        • Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels €15 silver (boxed)
          • 2,000 units issued
      • 2018
        • 70th anniversary of Rory Gallagher’s birth €15 silver (boxed)
          • 3,000 units issued – sold out in less than 48 hours!
        •  Bram Stoker’s Dracula €15 silver (boxed)
          • 3,000 units issued
        • Centenary of Women’s Suffrage €15 silver (boxed)
          • 3,000 units issued
      • 2019
        • Centenary of First Dáil Éireann €100 gold (boxed)
          • 1,000 units issued
        • Centenary of  First Transatlantic Flight €15 silver (boxed)
          • 3,000 units issued
        • 70th anniversary of Phil Lynott’s birth €15 silver (boxed)
          • 3,000 units issued – sold out in 2 hours!
      • 2020
        • 80th anniversary of Luke Kelly’s birth €15 silver (boxed)
          • ? ,000 units issued
        • Gothic Architecture €10 silver (boxed)
          • ? ,000 units issued
        • Kathleen Lynn €15 silver (boxed)
          • ? ,000 units issued

Other Euro Zone Coins:

• The reverse side design is common to all Euro Zone states
• Each Euro zone state designs its own National Side with emblems that reflect its unique culture and heritage

In preparation for the launch, in January 2002, some countries began minting coins as far back as 1999, thus they date their coins from this year forward.  Greece, on the other hand, joined very late and in order to produce sufficient coins, they sub-contracted production to other European mints.

• Thus, if there is no mint mark, the coins were produced in Greece by the Greek Mint, and those with a mint mark were produced elsewhere: Finland (S), France (F) and Spain (E).
• Five different mints produced coins for Germany: A: Berlin, D: Munich, F: Stuttgart, G: Karlsruhe and J: Hamburg

Euro Zone ‘Foundation’ States (ECB pages)	Pre-Euro Coins	Previous Coin Set(s)
Austria (2002 to date)	Austria (pre-Euro coin set)
Belgium (1999 to date)	Belgium (pre-Euro coin set)
Finland (1999 to date)	Finland (pre-Euro coin set)
France (1999 to date)	France (pre-Euro coin set)
Germany (2002 to date)	Germany (pre-Euro coin set)
Greece (2002 to date)	Greece (pre-Euro coin set)
Ireland (2002 to date)	1990-2000 (Pre-Euro set)     1969-85 (Decimal set)	1928-1969 (Pre-Decimal)
Italy (2002 to date)	Italy (pre-Euro coin set)
Luxembourg (2002 to date)	Luxembourg (pre-Euro coin set)
Netherlands (1999 to date)	Netherlands (pre-Euro coin set)
Portugal (2002 to date)	Portugal (pre-Euro coin set)
Spain (1999 to date)	Spain (pre-Euro coin set)

The 2004 enlargement of the European Union was the largest single expansion of the European Union (EU), in terms of territory, number of states, and population; however, it was not the largest in terms of gross domestic product. It occurred on 1 May 2004. The simultaneous accessions concerned the following countries, sometimes referred to as the “A10” countries: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

• Seven of these were part of the former Eastern Bloc(of which three were from the former Soviet Union
• Four were members of the Visegrad Group), one of the former Yugoslavia (together sometimes referred to as the “A8” countries)
• The remaining two were Mediterranean islands and former British colonies.
• Part of the same wave of enlargement was the accession of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, who were unable to join in 2004, but, according to the Commission, constitute part of the fifth enlargement.

On 1st January 2007, the first of these ‘accession countries’ joined the Euro Zone, i.e. Slovenia.

Euro Zone ‘Accession’ States	Pre-Euro Coins	Previous Coin Set(s)
Slovenia (2007 to date)	Slovenia (pre-Euro coin set)
Cyprus (2008 to date)	Cyprus (pre-Euro coin set)	Cyprus (pre-Decimal coin set)
Malta (2008 to date)	Malta (pre-Euro coin set)	Malta (pre-Decimal coin set)
Slovakia (2009 to date)	Slovakia (pre-Euro coin set)
Estonia (2011 to date)	Estonia (pre-Euro coin set)
Latvia (2014 to date)	Latvia (pre-Euro coin set)
Lithuania (2015 to date)	Lithuania (pre-Euro coin set)

•  Non-EU States that use the Euro Currency
  • Four non-EU ‘micro-states’ use the euro as their currency, minting coins with their own ‘obverse’ designs
    • O’Brien Obsolete Currency Guide: Andorra (2014 to date)
    • Monaco (2001 to date)
    • San Marino (2002 to date)
    • Vatican City (2002 to date)
  • Two other European states, outside of the EU, use the Euro de jure but cannot issue their own Euro coins
    •  O’Brien Obsolete Currency Guide: Kosovo
    •  O’Brien Obsolete Currency Guide: Montenegro
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina, another state formally ‘tied’ to the German Mark, is now ‘tied’ to the Euro
    • O’Brien Currency Guide: Bosnia & Herzegovina Convertible Mark

• Commemorative €2 Coins:

  • ECB Special €2 Coin Designs & Rules for Issue
    • Image Gallery 2004 (6 coin images)
    • Image Gallery 2005 (8 coin images)
    • Image Gallery 2006 (7 coin images)
    • Image Gallery 2007 (7 coin images + the “50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome” coin by 13 states)
    • 2008 (10 coin images)
    • 2009 (9 coin images + the “10th anniversary of Economic & Monetary Union” coin by 16 states)
    • 2010 (12 coin images)
    • 2011 (16 coin images)
    • 2012 (12 coin images + the “10 Years of the Euro” coin by 17 states)
    • 2013 (23 coin images)
    • Image Gallery 2014 (24 coin images)
      • O’Brien Coin Guide: Commemorative €2 coins of 2014
    • Image Gallery 2015 (19 of the 26 coins planned, including the 2 that have been cancelled)
      • O’Brien Coin Guide: Commemorative €2 coins of 2015 (work in progress)
        • There will be an additional issue by all 19 ‘Euro Zone’ states later on this year
        • Five designs out of 62 entries were shortlisted and you can vote for your favourite design HERE

• Map of the Euro Zone (2015)

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If you have any queries regarding Irish euro coins, proof sets or euro banknotes, please email us on

old.currency.exchange@gmail.com

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