We often talk about the circumstances that make a coin or set of coins a part of a list such as this 100 Greatest Modern World Coins by Whitman Publishing. Rarities occur by accident, by design, or sometimes by uncontrollable forces surrounding the time in which said coins are produced. In this next entry, a chain of events occur that authors of this publication, Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker, attribute to the high profile status of this next coin.
#90 - Ireland 1985 20 Pence
The Irish 20-pence coin made its first appearance on October 30, 1986. The coin would bring back the famed horse design that would serve as the constant on the Irish Republic’s highest denomination coin at the time, the half crown. Designed by Percy Metcalfe, the reverse was seen on the half crown from 1928 to 1967 with a pause in between as the Second World War would throw a wrench in production as it would affect many goings on in economies across the world. Pre-war issues would be struck in .750 silver but the post-war issues would be changed to a heavier copper-nickel alloy composition.
While the half crown was a constant in the Republic’s coinage system, it would eventually be put on the backburner and held out of circulation in favor of a new decimalized system that would introduce the 20 pence. It was a smaller coin overall and would be worth a fifth of the Irish pound. Looked at as a coin with which to make change, it would be used in the country to pay tolls, make telephone calls with a pay phone, etc. For this need alone, the preparation of tens of thousands of the 20-pence denomination were being made. However, in 1985, a year before the official launch date of the new coin, the Central Bank of Ireland issued a small number of them for calibration purposes. It was later thought to be believed that it would be 500 pattern examples, carrying the date of 1985 (as per legal specifications). Because of this very thing, a rarity would be born.
Survival rate of the 20 pence coin is unknown, however, Ian Whyte, an Irish coin expert and auctioneer knows of ten pieces that have landed in the hands of private collections. Authors make note that buyers of the 1985 20-pence coin should be careful as there are a number of counterfeits out there.
The Irish 20 pence was produced and circulated from 1986 to 2001. It was then that the national coinage would be left behind in favor of the euro system.