Introduction: In 1922 Ireland won its independence from Britain and, after the initial distraction of a civil war, the country began to move on and set about its primary task of nation-building. The process that followed was difficult and divisive and one of the things deemed essential for the new state was its own currency.…
Introduction: The idea of a separate currency goes back to the sitting of the First Dáil Éireann in 1919 as this newly declared independent parliament declared its intention to govern all 32 counties of Ireland. Many Irish politicians declared that they wanted a completely independent republic – as called for in various speeches in the…
Withdrawal from Circulation: According to Central Bank of Ireland records, all £20, £50 and £100 ‘ploughman’ notes were successfully withdrawn from circulation, i.e. there are no ‘circulating’ examples left for collectors to collect. That said, the remaining £1, £5 and £10 ‘ploughman’ notes aren’t exactly common nowadays either – as per table below: Estimated Number…
Upon hearing the news that “The Central Bank of Ireland has opened its archives to the public” I just had to book an appointment for a quick, initial visit … and I was not disappointed ! The Central Bank of Ireland has employed a professional archivist and the fruits of this investment can be seen…
The Central Bank of Ireland moved from its old HQ in Dame Street, Dublin to a new premises in North Wall Quay earlier this year. One of the exciting features (for coin and banknote collectors) is their new Visitor Centre. It has wheelchair ramps and it very family friendly, with plenty of room to amble…
The Central Bank of Ireland has opened its archives to the public for the first time and we hope that many unanswered questions of Irish numismatic interest can, at last, be answered. These archives include a range of materials created and acquired by the bank – such as objects, documents and ledgers dating from 1786…
Introduction A currency board is an institutional arrangement for managing a currency with a fixed parity. The currency board is much more constrained than a central bank, insofar as these constraints help ensure that the fixed parity is maintained. The board’s main activity is to issue a local (slave) currency at a fixed rate of…
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 