Date: 1927 Description: 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 design Ireland’s new money in 1928. Although unsuccessful, Morbiducci’s designs are considered to be some of the finest in terms of their classical Italianate…
The King’s Norton Mint Collection In 1889, Thomas Richard Bayliss in conjunction with his son, Thomas Abraham Bayliss, founded King’s Norton Metal Co. They would go on to become an important private mint and even supplied the Royal Mint via sub-contracting. In 1911 and 1912, the King’s Norton Metal Co supplied bronze blanks for pennies,…
GB & Ireland copper pennies (1825-60) are very sought after by collectors. They are often found in attic clearances and car boot sales in Ireland. The comparatively soft metal results in few coins surviving in higher grades. Many varieties exist and the main ones have been listed below. George IV Prior to ascension, George IV…
Introduction In 1911, the National Insurance Act, introduced on July 1st, created created an unusually large demand for bronze and silver coins. The Royal Mint could not meet this demand, so some of its production was sub-contracted to a private mint – The Heaton Mint, Birmingham. A massive 16,800,000 pennies were minted here in 1912…
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: 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…
Date: Second reign, c. 950-952 AD Description: Hiberno-Norse (Northumbria). Anlaf Sithtricsson (Cuaran). Second reign, c. 950-952. Silver Penny (21mm, 1.31 g, 8h). Circumscription Cross type. York mint; Radulf, moneyer. CTCE Group VI b, c, and q; SCBI 4 (Copenhagen), 639 var. (legends); BMC –; North 541; SCBC 1029 (this coin illustrated). Almost Extremely Fine (aEF) Slight deposit in…
Date: c. 943-944/5 AD Description: Hiberno-Norse (Northumbria). Ragnald Guthfrithsson. Circa 943-944/5. Silver Penny (19mm, 0.95 g, 5h). Cross Moline type. York mint; Avra, moneyer. CTCE Group VI; SCBI 34 (BM) 1257 var. (obv. legend); North 547; SCBC 1025. Good Very Fine (gVF) Light tone, good metal Extremely rare Obverse: Cross moline + RE·G·N·A·L·D CVNVΓ (V’s as inverted A’s)…
Date: First reign, c. 941-944/5 Description: Hiberno-Norse (Northumbria). Anlaf Sihtricsson (Cuaran). First reign, 941-944/5. Silver Penny (19mm, 0.96 g, 11h). Triquetra type. York mint; Farmann, moneyer. CTCE Group V, b-q; SCBI 30 (American), 278 var. (obv. legend); SCBI 34 (BM), 1249-52 var. (legends); North 540; SCBC 1020. Almost Extremely Fine (aEF) Rich old tone, lightly creased with minor…
Date: c. 939-41 AD Description: Hiberno-Norse (Northumbria). Anlaf Guthfrithsson. 939-941. Silver Penny (20mm, 1.14 g, 7h). Eoferwic (York) mint; Athelferd, moneyer. CTCE group IV, a-al; SCBI 4 (Copenhagen) 628-33 var. (legend); BMC 1092-6 var. (legend and stops); North 537; SCBC 1019. EMC 2015.0099 (this coin). Almost Extremely Fine (aEF) Lightly toned An excellent example of this iconic…
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 