Two and a half years ago I wrote an article designed to generate discussion on whether (or not) Irish metal-detectorists were saints or sinners. I had hoped to get more opinions from the professionals involved in Irish archaeology – from both sides of the border – but they have remained quiet. An uneasy three-way ‘stand-off’…
Date: 1601-02 Description: Country: Ireland Category: Anglo-Irish House of Tudor Elizabeth I Third Irish Coinage (debased silver & copper pennies/halfpennies) Tower of London Mint Hammered Notes: The coins are known as Irish pennies. The English minted them in 1601 and 1602 and tried to introduce them as currency in Ireland, however the Irish rejected…
Date: 1927 Description: Sales History: Dixon Noonan & Webb, London Auction: Coins, Paper Money, Tokens and Historical Medals Date: 12 December 2016 Estimate: £4,000-5,000 Hammer Price: ? Country: Ireland Category: Irish Free State / Saorstát Éireann Pattern Notes: This is a ‘pattern’ coin entered by the Roman sculptor Publio Morbiducci (1889-1963) for the competition to…
Date: 1478-1483 Country: Ireland Category: Anglo-Norman House of York Edward IV 2nd Reign Seventh Coinage (Large Rose Penny) Drogheda Mint Hammered Further Reading: Blog Post: Edward IV issues Irish coins of the English standard (1463) Blog Post: Edward IV issues Irish coins of a lower standard (1467) Image Gallery: 1461–1470 Edward IV (York, first reign) O’Brien…
The Irish five pence coin, first introduced in 1971, was 5.65518 grams in weight with a diameter of 2.3595 centimetres. This matched the British five pence coin. As a modern coin it became apparent in the late 1980s that the coin’s physical dimensions were large relative to its value. On 30th April, 1992, Minister for Finance…
Date: c. 1185 Country: Ireland Category: Anglo-Norman House of Anjou Angevin Henry II John as Lord of Ireland First Coinage (Profile Issue) Dublin Mint Moneyer: Roger Hammered Further Reading: O’Brien Coin Guide: Why did Henry II not issue coins under his own name for Ireland? O’Brien Rare Coin Review: John, Lord of Ireland, 1179 (First…
Date: c. 1185 Country: Ireland Category: Anglo-Norman House of Anjou Angevin Henry II John as Lord of Ireland First Coinage (Profile Issue) Dublin Mint Moneyer: Elis Hammered Further Reading: O’Brien Coin Guide: Why did Henry II not issue coins under his own name for Ireland? O’Brien Rare Coin Review: John, Lord of Ireland, 1179 (First…
Among the most remarkable coins found in Ireland are those with Kufic inscriptions. Although these are not evidence for a direct Irish-Arabic trade, they are indicators of the extent of the wider Viking trade networks – particularly the Baltic/Byzantine route. It is thought that they came to Ireland, via Scandinavia. العملات الإسلامية القديمة في أيرلندا aleumlat…
Date: c. 1190-1199 Description: John, as Lord. 1190-1199. Silver Farthing (0.35 gm). Second coinage. Dublin mint. Seaby 6220; D&F 41. Particularly fine style obverse. Very Fine (VF) Deeply toned Very rare. Obverse: Mascle with trefoils at corners Reverse: ADAM counter-clockwise around cross. The D not retrograde, as on most other known specimens Country: Ireland Category: Anglo-Norman…
Date: c. 1190-1199 Description: John (as Lord of Ireland), Silver Halfpenny (0.77 g). Second (‘DOMinus’) coinage, Group II, cross pommée. Waterford mint; Gefrei, moneyer. Struck circa 1198-1199. S.6208 Gefrei; DF39. Good Very Fine (gVF) Toned, well centered Scarce Obverse: Diademed facing head IOHANNES DOM Translates and expands to “John Dominus” (Lord of Ireland) Reverse: Voided…
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 