Irish twenty pence (decimal coin)
Encyclopedia
The twenty pence coin was a subdivision of the Irish pound
. It was introduced on 30 October 1986. It was first Irish decimal coin that was of a different size to the corresponding British coin, as the Irish pound had not been pegged to the British pound since 1979. Its last issue was in 2000, two years before Ireland withdrew its pound for the euro
.
It features the horse (an Irish Hunter) that was on the pre-decimal half-crown coin, produced for the Irish Free State
from 1928 to 1967.
The coin has a yellow-brass
colour due to its composition which is 79% copper
, 20% zinc
and 1% nickel
, it was determined that this composition would reduce production costs by 25% as against cupronickel
then used. The edge of the coin has six bands, alternately finished smooth and grained. The mass of the coin is 8.47 gram
s, whilst the diameter is 2.71 centimetre
s. The coin was provided to relieve the expense of creating the lower value coins and also to assist the public and traders alike by creating higher value coin which could assist in the removal of some five and ten pence coins. In 1982 the Minister for Finance
, Ray MacSharry
, announced that a twenty or twenty-five pence coin might be designed, in August 1984 the twenty pence was chosen, the Arts Council
recommended the horse design.
The coin was worth 1/5 of the Irish pound and was withdrawn in 2002 with the advent of the euro
.
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 £...
. It was introduced on 30 October 1986. It was first Irish decimal coin that was of a different size to the corresponding British coin, as the Irish pound had not been pegged to the British pound since 1979. Its last issue was in 2000, two years before Ireland withdrew its pound for the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
.
It features the horse (an Irish Hunter) that was on the pre-decimal half-crown coin, produced for the Irish Free State
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...
from 1928 to 1967.
The coin has a yellow-brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
colour due to its composition which is 79% 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...
, 20% 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...
and 1% nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
, it was determined that this composition would reduce production costs by 25% as against cupronickel
Cupronickel
Cupronickel or copper-nickel or "cupernickel" is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. Cupronickel is highly resistant to corrosion in seawater, because its electrode potential is adjusted to be neutral with regard to seawater...
then used. The edge of the coin has six bands, alternately finished smooth and grained. The mass of the coin is 8.47 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s, whilst the diameter is 2.71 centimetre
Centimetre
A centimetre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one hundredth of a metre, which is the SI base unit of length. Centi is the SI prefix for a factor of . Hence a centimetre can be written as or — meaning or respectively...
s. The coin was provided to relieve the expense of creating the lower value coins and also to assist the public and traders alike by creating higher value coin which could assist in the removal of some five and ten pence coins. In 1982 the Minister for Finance
Minister for Finance (Ireland)
The Minister for Finance is the title held by the Irish government minister responsible for all financial and monetary matters. The office-holder controls the Department of Finance and is considered one of the most important members of the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Finance is...
, Ray MacSharry
Ray MacSharry
Raymond MacSharry is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician, who served in a range of cabinet positions, most notably as Tánaiste, Minister for Finance and European Commissioner.-Early life:...
, announced that a twenty or twenty-five pence coin might be designed, in August 1984 the twenty pence was chosen, the Arts Council
Arts council
An arts council is a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing events at home and abroad...
recommended the horse design.
The coin was worth 1/5 of the Irish pound and was withdrawn in 2002 with the advent of the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
.