Th e Lu cky Iris h Pe n n y
IRELAN D KM 11
Ord e r co d e : PEN NYALB
For nearly 10 centuries, during and after British rule, the m onetary system of Ireland
was a confusion of farthings, shillings, florins, crowns, and pence—m ore than a dozen
denom inations, as well as m ultiples and fractions. It took 12 pence—that is, 12 pennies—
to m ake a shilling, and 20 shillings to m ake a pound. One penny, then, was worth
1/ 240 th of a pound sterling. Despite the low value, the pen ny coins ten ded to be large.
This all changed in 1969, when the governm ent decided to retire this com plex and
antiquated system . The so-called decim alization of the m onetary system saw som e
denom inations fall out of use. The new pen ny coins, which were them selves replaced by
Euro cents in 20 0 2, were m uch sm aller than the old “large pen ny” coins, which were
collected by the Central Bank of Ireland and destroyed.
This 1968 coin was the last issue of the “large penny” variety, and becam e an instant
collector’s item . The distinctive design of the 30 .82m m penny features an iconic Irish
harp on the obverse, long a sym bol of good luck. The harp design dates to the reign of
King Henry VIII in 1534. The hen and chicks m otif on the reverse is a hom age to the
rural character of Ireland. Because of the rich sym bolism —and because these are the last
of their kind—this coin becam e kn own as a “lucky Irish penny.”
This genuine bronze coin is an uncirculated Irish one penny. Percy Metcalf designed the
coin in 1928, shortly after the form ation of independent Ireland. This coin was m inted
in 1968, the last year in which this large penny design was struck. The abbreviation for
penny is “d,” from the first letter of the Rom an word denarius.
D ata:
9.4g~30 .82mm
Album open measures: 11” x 7.5”
Album folded measures: 5.5” x 7.5”