The one euro coin (€1) is the new basic unit of currency for the Euro Zone – an area where a common currency (the Euro) is used. This new economic area was implemented on 1st January 2002 when 12 national currencies of varying values were replaced with new coinage and banknotes. The rates of exchange were…
The Irish 50 cent euro coin (€0.50) has a value of one half of a euro and is composed of an alloy called Nordic gold. Value 0.50 euro Mass 7.80 g Diameter 24.25 mm Thickness 2.38 mm Edge Regular, fine indentations Composition Nordic gold Nordic gold is the gold-coloured copper alloy from which the middle three denominations of euro…
The 5 cent euro coin (€0.05) has a value of one twentieth of a euro and is composed of copper-covered steel. The coin has been used since 2002 and was not redesigned in 2007 as was the case with the higher value coins. Value 0.05 euro Mass 3.92 g Diameter 21.25 mm Thickness 1.67 mm Edge Smooth Composition Copper-covered…
The 2 cent euro coin (€0.02) has a value of one-hundredth of a euro and is composed of copper-covered steel. The coins of every Euro country have a common reverse and each has a country-specific (national) obverse. The coin has been used since 2002 and was not redesigned in 2007 as was the case with…
The 1 cent euro coin (€0.01) has a value of one-hundredth of a euro and is composed of copper-covered steel. The coins of every Euro country have a common reverse and each has a country-specific (national) obverse. The coin has been used since 2002 and was not redesigned in 2007 as was the case with…
Rules regarding the issue of €2 commemorative coins Thus far, the Central Bank of Ireland has resisted the urge to ‘optionally’ issue commemorative €2 coins as per their statutory allowance. This is not true of many of our continental cousins in the Euro Zone who, it seems, have taken up their options with increasing zeal…
It may come as a bit of a surprise to many that although Celtic coins have not (yet) been discovered in Ireland, there have been a lot of Roman and Anglo-Saxon coins found – especially the latter. Conservative Irish historians have always said the Romans never got here but they rarely even mention the Anglo-Saxons…
Long before the introduction of struck coinage into ancient Celtic Europe, copper and gold rings were used as currency by Celtic tribes and were often worn on clothing or tied together by ropes. These particular rings, often referred to as “proto-currency”, were created in ancient Moesia (now Bulgaria) as long ago as 7th century BC.…
In order to understand the ‘situation’ of the Irish Celts and, therefore, theorize as to “why they did not produce coins like their English cousins”, we first need to understand the situation of the English Celtic tribes. By the 2nd century BC (the Late Iron Age in Britain) the locals were trading iron “currency bars”…
Introduction The late 18th century is a complicated time from the perspective of collecting tokens insofar as several dealers began to manufacture their own tokens for collectors, i.e. these did not circulate. They doubled and tripled their profits by deliberately producing mules, i.e. mis-matching obverse and reverse dies. They then increased their profits further by…
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 