Cork, under Commonwealth authority, Farthing token, overstruck on a Double Tournois of Louis XIII

The Proliferation of Unofficial Irish ‘Farthing Tokens’ in the 17th Century

By the first half of the 17th C, the copper coinage in both Britain and Ireland was in complete disarray. Neither James I nor his son, Charles I, took much interest in providing small denominations and ‘farmed out’ the Royal prerogative of minting copper coins to ‘favourite’ courtiers as patentees – Lords Harington, Richmond, Lennox and Maltravers were the principal…

coins, numismatics, irish free state, eire, ireland, florin, two-shillings, The rare 1943 Ireland florin - approx. known examples exist.

O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Why is the 1943 Irish Florin so valuable?

Introduction The 1943 florin is the rarest ‘modern’ Irish coin to have actually circulated. The 1985 Irish 20p was not intended to circulate The 1992 Irish 10p was not intended to circulate Both of the coins listed above were minted for only testing purposes, i.e. to calibrate vending machines and they were supposed to have…

Ireland 1928 threepence coin ireland saorstat eireann eire percy metcalfe

O’Brien Coin Guide: Irish Pre-Decimal Threepence

The threepence (3d) (Irish: leath reul) coin was an Irish pre-decimal coin and a great favourite of golfers who often used it as a green marker.  There were 4 threepences to a shilling and 80 to an old pound.  The Irish name (leath reul) literally meant “half a sixpence” and, unlike many other Irish coins of the time, it…