Irish Florin Two Shillings Salmon Coin 1959

Two shillings  was the value of this cupro-nickel 1959 coin.  See enlarge image.

"Flóirín" - Florin.

1967 was the last year these 2/- coins were minted.

The Salmon of Knowledge

In the north of the present County Tipperary there was the beautiful Connla's Well, in which there were a number of salmon swimming about, and from which flowed a stream to the Shannon.  Over this well there grew nine beautiful hazel trees, which produced blossoms and crimson nuts simultaneously.  Whenever a nut dropped into the well a salmon darted up and ate it;  and whatever number of nuts any one of them swallowed, so many bright red spots appeared on it's belly.  All the knowledge of the Arts and Sciences were in some mysterious concentrated in these nuts;  and the salmon that ate of them became a "Salmon of Knowledge" and swam down the stream into the Shannon.  Whoever could succeed in catching and eating one of these salmon, his student drudgery was ended;  for he became at once a great poet and was, besides, imbued with knowledge of all the Arts and Sciences. 

Irish Coins

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.

Decimalisation was with us for over 30 years and is now replaced with Euro currency since the 1st January 2002.

PLEASE NOTE WORLD WIDE SHIPPING RATE 

IF YOU LIVE ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND
DIVIDE THE RATE IN HALF.

Allow $4.00 for insurance, packing and shipping.

Good Luck!

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