2020-09-28 Mon

In 1926 the government of the newly founded Irish Free State formed a coinage committee to plan for a new Irish coinage. After some deliberation, the committee decided that the Irish harp would be used as the national symbol on the coinage as it had been since the 1530s and that the reverse designs would feature a series of animals important to Ireland's mainly agricultural economy.

In 1928, the sixpence Irish coins depict the Wolfhound's head looking back. The Irish Wolfhound is a historic sighthound dog breed from Ireland that has inspired literature, poetry and mythology. The Irish Wolfhound is a historic sighthound dog breed from Ireland that has, by its presence and substantial size, inspired literature, poetry and mythology.

The coin was designed by English artist Percy Metcalfe. This coin ended up being withdrawn instead, never to become a decimal-based coin; it remains the last pre-decimal coin to come off the production run. These coins, hence, are quite valuable, estimated at several thousand Euros.

Image Courtesy: eircom.net