Irish penny coin
Encyclopedia
The penny coin was the third smallest denomination of the pre-decimal Irish pound
, worth 1/240 of a pound or 1/12 of a shilling. To express an amount, penny was abbreviated to "d", e.g. 1d, from the Roman denarius
. It was introduced in 1928 to replace its British counterpart, used when all of Ireland was a constituent country of the United Kingdom. The last year of minting was 1968 and it ceased to be legal tender on 31 December 1971.
The coin measured 1.215 inches (30.9 mm) in diameter and weighed 9.45 gram
s. The bronze
coin was made up of 95.5% copper
, 3% tin
and 1.5% zinc
. Its dimensions were the same as that of the British penny
as both currencies were pegged until 1979.
The reverse of the penny was designed by the English artist Percy Metcalfe
. It featured a hen
and four chicks and the coin's Irish name. The obverse featured the Irish harp
. From 1928 to 1937 the date was split either side of the harp with the name saorstát éireann
circling around. From 1938 to 1968 the inscription changed to éire
on the left of the harp and the date on the right.
When the currency was decimalised, pre-decimal pennies became popular for illegal transactions in vending machines, as they had dimensions similar to the Irish pound coin, introduced in 1990.
Irish pound
The Irish pound was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the usual notation was the prefix £...
, worth 1/240 of a pound or 1/12 of a shilling. To express an amount, penny was abbreviated to "d", e.g. 1d, from the Roman denarius
Denarius
In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus...
. It was introduced in 1928 to replace its British counterpart, used when all of Ireland was a constituent country of the United Kingdom. The last year of minting was 1968 and it ceased to be legal tender on 31 December 1971.
The coin measured 1.215 inches (30.9 mm) in diameter and weighed 9.45 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s. The bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
coin was made up of 95.5% copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, 3% tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
and 1.5% zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
. Its dimensions were the same as that of the British penny
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
as both currencies were pegged until 1979.
The reverse of the penny was designed by the English artist Percy Metcalfe
Percy Metcalfe
Percy Metcalfe, CVO, RDI , was an English artist sculptor and designer.He studied art in Leeds, and in 1914 attended the Royal College of Art London....
. It featured a hen
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
and four chicks and the coin's Irish name. The obverse featured the Irish harp
Clàrsach
Clàrsach or Cláirseach , is the generic Gaelic word for 'a harp', as derived from Middle Irish...
. From 1928 to 1937 the date was split either side of the harp with the name saorstát éireann
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
circling around. From 1938 to 1968 the inscription changed to éire
Éire
is the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name.- Etymology :The modern Irish Éire evolved from the Old Irish word Ériu, which was the name of a Gaelic goddess. Ériu is generally believed to have been the matron goddess of Ireland, a goddess of sovereignty, or...
on the left of the harp and the date on the right.
When the currency was decimalised, pre-decimal pennies became popular for illegal transactions in vending machines, as they had dimensions similar to the Irish pound coin, introduced in 1990.