Introduction: Queen Victoria’s predecessor, William IV, issued a short run of silver threepences (minted in London) for use in the British West Indies, where the British Administration was trying to increase its influence by introducing a strong currency based on ‘good silver’ in British denominations. Silver threepences continued to be minted for the West Indies…
Introduction: In numismatic terms ‘unknown’ means that none have been found – therefore asking the question “did they ever exist?” There are many instances where we know of a king commanding that coinage be produced but none have been found. Ironically, when ‘one’ is found, we begin to ask another set of questions: Is it…
Introduction: James Swift registered his bank in Dublin in 1721 but he was operating in Dublin beforehand, probably as a Goldsmith notory or banker of some description – as can be seen by this ‘sight note’ from Sir Francis Child (a London Goldsmith and banker). Sight note, 14 May 1713, ‘At three days sight pay…
Date: c.1804 Few people had silver or gold coins, and those who did, hoarded them and did not use them unless they really had to. Most of the smaller change in circulation was unofficial, illegal tokens. In short, there was a local currency crisis. The solution was small notes (an IOU) like the one below…
Date: 1804 Many people scoff at the thought of towns being so bereft of coinage for small change that they had to issue notes for very small amounts in Weimar Germany, Austria and France after the first world war, but a similar situation existed throughout Ireland in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Few people…
Introduction: The short-lived Gibbons & Williams Bank issued some of the most attractive banknotes of the period – being printed on both sides and featuring many beautiful vignettes of Dublin and agricultural themes. As such, they are highly sought after by collectors. Their one pound, thirty shilling and three pound notes were payable in Dublin…
Date: 1603-04 Description: James I Silver Shilling, First coinage, struck at the Tower Mint, London. No date but the mint mark: Bell denotes the year 1603-04. This issue of Irish shillings were of good silver but, being only three-quarters of the weight of an English shilling, they were accepted as legal tender in England and…
Date: c. 1020-1035 Hiberno-Norse Phase II Long Cross Penny, Sihtric of Dublin, with Dublin mint signature of Færemin (Moneyer of Dublin) – the most common moneyer of this phase. Weight: 1.37 g Diameter: 18mm Near Extremely Fine (nEF) A bold and attractive example of this variety References: SCBI Hiberno-Norse 64-66 var. (no pellets behind bust…
Gibbons & Williams Bank: Gibbons & Williams was one of the last private banks to be founded in Ireland. Founded in 1833, it spectacularly collapsed in 1835 when the senior partner, Hutchins Thomas Williams, was found to have been embezzling client funds. James Gibbons had parted company with him in 1834 and wasn’t involved in…
Date: c. 1016-1020 Hiberno-Norse. Phase I, Class E silver penny, c.995-1020, imitating the Quatrefoil type of Cnut, in the name of Sihtric (Silkenbeard) Anlafsson, with a Dublin mint signature. Also known as: Sihtric, Sitric and Sitrick in Irish texts Sigtryg and Sigtryggr in Scandinavian texts Of around twenty known Irish Quatrefoil copies (ten are recorded in SCBI), four…
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 