Irish Bronze Farthing Woodcock Coin 1953

A 1944 bronze (an alloy of .995 copper, 0.15 zinc and 0.32 tin) farthing showing an Irish woodcock in flight. 

Irish Coins

The Irish Government appointed a committee, headed by William Butler Yeats, to advise them on coin designs and in 1928 the new coinage made its appearance. The designs finally selected were the work of Percy Metcalfe. The obverse of each coin carries the traditional Irish harp and the reverse a series of animals indigenous to the Irish countryside. These are a woodcock on the farthing, a pig with piglets on the halfpenny, a hen with chickens on the penny, a hare on the threepence, a wolfhound on the sixpence, a bull on the shilling, a salmon on the florin and a horse on the halfcrown. Because a head of the ruling monarch formerly appeared on the obverse and harp on the reverse, many people erroneously think of the animals as being 'heads' and the harp 'tails'. Apart from a change of legend when Ireland became a republic (on coins dated from 1949 onwards) these designs remained the same until decimalisation on the 15th of February 1971. The farthing was only minted in 1966 to complete the set. It was never used as currency because of it's low value. The last minted farthing used as currency was in 1959.

Condition:  Near mint - see image.

Measures:  00.75" diameter.

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