Ireland 1939 1/2 penny

Heritage sale 3010, lot 22848

photo courtesy Heritage sale 3010

This specimen was lot 22848 in Heritage sale 3010 (Boston, August 2010), where it sold for $161. The catalog description^[1] noted, "Republic 1/2 Penny 1939, choice UNC, seldom found in this state of preservation." After winning independence from Great Britain after World War One, Ireland went thru a civil war before settling on a free state completely separate from Britain. The first coinage of the new country was in 1928; in 1939, the obverse legend was revised from "SAORSTAT EIREANN" to plain "EIRE", which title still obtains.

Recorded mintage: 240,000 plus proofs (a better date).

Specification: 5.67 g, bronze, 25.5 mm diameter, designed by Percy Metcalfe.

Catalog reference: KM 10.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of Scotland, Ireland and the Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Man & Lundy), Pre-Decimal Issues, 2nd edition, London: Spink & Son, 2003.
• ^[1]Tucker, Warren, Scott Cordry and John Kraljevich, Heritage Sale 3010: World Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2010.

Link to:

• 1933 ½ penny
• 1937 penny
• 1939 farthing
• 1939 threepence
• 1939 florin
• Coins and currency dated 1939
• return to coins of Ireland