One of the first tasks of a newly free nation is the establishment of coinage as it relays the message to other countries how solid and firm a foundation the country is built upon. That is exactly what happened in this next entry of our blog series covering the 100 Greatest Modern World Coins from Whitman Publishing. After years of struggle breaking from Great Britain, a new coinage system would create the much needed independence for this up-and-coming nation to forge their own identity. With help from authors Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker, we will take a closer look at a specific issue that would update years prior coinage for the better, but never made it to circulation.
#36 – Ireland 1938 Silver Half Crown Pattern
After a five-year conflict to gain independence from Great Britain, the Irish Free State was founded on December 6, 1921. Another five years later in 1926, a committee was formed to choose designs for the coins. That committee was led by Irish poet William Butler Yeats. Chosen as the national symbol, it only made sense that the Irish harp be depicted on the obverse of the coins while the country’s agricultural animals were used for the reverses. This was known as the “Barnyard Collection.” In addition, they held a contest that would ultimately select Percy Metcalfe, an English artist and sculptor, to design the new coins.
Released in 1928, the first coins of an independent Ireland would include the farthing, the half penny, the penny, the three pence, the sixpence, the shilling, the florin, and the half crown. However, nine years later in 1937, the country would be renamed Ireland and the government agreement that created the Irish Free State would be replaced. Inscriptions on the coins would be altered to reflect such changes, going from SAORSTAT EIREANN (IRISH FREE STATE) to EIRE. Patterns were produced in 1938 and the coins were circulated in 1939.
While the changes were being made, a major issue with the prior coinage was also focused on, which was the weak appearance of the harp on the obverse. This occurred due to the metal flow during striking and appeared the most on the penny and half crown. Metcalfe, the designer of the coins, would sharpen the harp design to correct the issue and patterns would be struck showcasing the adjustments. Limited numbers of coins were struck, with only two known 1938 pennies and just one of the 1938 half crown.
The Department of Finance were presented with the patterns from Metcalfe in November of 1938, and they would not resurface again until over 60 years later when they were found in a vault. In July of 2000, the pattern coins were given to the National Museum of Ireland. The one and only 1938 half crown still lives at the museum.