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. 1195 Description: John De Courcy, Lord of Ulster (1177-1205), Farthing, anonymous issue, Downpatrick Mint, 0.36g (Withers Downpatrick 1; D.F. 47; S.6225). Very Fine (VF) Toned, nicely preserved specimen for type Extremely Rare Obverse: Processional cross within beaded circle +PATRICII Reverse: Short cross potent with crescents in angles, within beaded circle +DE DVNO Country:…
Date: c. 1130-1150 Description: Hiberno-Norse. Circa 1110-1150. Silver Penny (20mm, 0.83 g). Phase VII (semi-bracteate) coinage, ‘Scrabo’ with Quatrefoil type. Uncertain mint signature and moneyer. Bust left / · quatrefoil over long cross. O`S 65; SCBI 8 (BM) 251–2; D&F 33; SCBC 6191. Good VF (gVF) Very rare Obverse: bust left IIII+IIIIIIII Reverse: quatrefoil over…
Date: c. 1095/1100-1150 Description: Hiberno-Norse. Circa 1095/1100-1150. Silver Penny (18mm, 0.46 g). Phase VI coinage, Long Cross type. Uncertain mint signature and moneyer. O`S 22; SCBI 8 (BM), 366-75; D&F 32; SCBC 6187. Good VF (gVF) Toned Obverse: Bust left; croizer before, quatrefoil on neck, trifoil behind Reverse: Voided long cross with large pellet in centre; pellets and…
Date: c. AD 1040-60 ??? Description: This coin is one of the great enigmas of Irish numismatics – only 2 are known and no one seems to know who minted it, or where it was minted. The most recent find was excavated by professional archaeologists and it will be interesting to see how far back…
Introduction: Edward joined the Ninth Crusade to the Holy Land – a crusade which accomplished little and was, effectively, the last of the great crusades. By this time, the so-called crusader spirit had waned considerably and there was little appetite shown by the kings of Europe. It also foreshadowed the imminent collapse of the last remaining crusader strongholds…
Background Henry’s Troubled Succession Henry was born in France at Le Mans on 5 March 1133 as the eldest child of Geoffrey the Fair, Count of Anjou, and the Empress Matilda, so titled because of her first marriage to Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor. Henry’s mother was a very powerful woman: She was the…
Introduction It must be remembered that the initial invasion of Ireland by the Cambro-Norman lords was not an invasion but an invitation by a deposed Irish king to foreign mercenaries to help him regain his title. These Cambro-Norman mercenaries fought alongside their Irish host as part of an inter-necine battle for supremacy. It was not…
Introduction Arabic, or Islamic, coins are frequently mentioned in the archaeological literature of the 19th and 20th centuries but there are few accounts that discuss these beautiful coins as a group – which probably reflects our preoccupation for coins with Latin inscriptions. They are found at many dig sites and their ‘deposition dates’ show a…
I am frequently asked the following questions and I openly admit to struggle to answer them adequately – the negative side of being a generalist dealer (constantly buying old attic finds and selling oddments from same), as opposed to being a specialist numismatic expert like so many of my much more knowledgeable customers. Who ordered…
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 