1936 GB & Ireland bronze farthing (George V)

O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Bronze Farthings (George V)

Background: After the formation of the Irish Free State in 1922, UK currency remained the formal currency of the Irish Free State until 1928. After this date, UK coins continued to circulate alongside the Irish coins right up until Decimalisation (1971) and well into the 1970s. Irish Free State farthings were minted in London by…

1937 GB & Ireland Pattern Threepence (Edward VIII) in nickel brass

O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Brass Threepence (Edward VIII)

Background By the end of George V’s reign the threepence had become unpopular in England because of its small size. Although it was still popular in Scotland, the government of the day decided to introduce a more substantial thru’penny bit which would have a more convenient weight/value ratio than the silver coinage. The silver threepence…

1870 GB & Ireland silver three-halfpence (Victoria) - proof

O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Silver Three-Halfpence

Introduction: The ‘three-halfpence’ was the smallest silver coin ever struck by the Royal Mint for circulation. It was worth ​11⁄2d (or ​1⁄160 of a pound) and was produced for circulation in the British colonies, specifically for use in British Guiana, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Mauritius, Sierra Leone and the West Indies. They were a rough…