Ireland, 1910 Brian Boru Crown

Ireland, Fantasy Crown, 1910, privately struck in white metal under the auspices of the New York Numismatic Club to celebrate Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, sponsored by dealer Thomas Elder, facing half-length bust with sword and shield wearing winged helmet and chain mail, H. below for engraver Frank C Higgins, modelled by John Gellert, Gaelic legend and toothed border surrounding bRIAN bOROI mE Ard RIG 'EIRINN. For "Brian Boru, High King of Ireland", dates in Roman numerals below bust "mxiv-mcmx" "1014-1910" rev. struck en medaille, American eagle over Irish harp, wolfhound below, all over emblematic shamrock leaf, lower left circle with round tower and ruin, lower right with Celtic cross, sun burst in top circle, all within circular frame, divided by raised hand at bottom, denomination either sides in Gaelic "AON CROIN" for One Crown, legend in Gaelic and toothed border, "MUINTIR NA h-'EIREANN IN AmERI'CEA" which translates as "The people of Ireland in America" edge plain (D&F 650; HK 392; KM X7). Brilliant, extremely fine, graded and slabbed by NGC as MS63, extremely rare.

NGC certification 3833486-010

Brian Boru (941-23^rd April 1014), reigned as High King of Ireland from 1002-1014 and this fantasy piece was designed to look back at 900 years of Irish history to the High King of Ireland who died at the Battle of Clontarf on Good Friday 1014. The medallions were produced for New York coin dealer Thomas Elder, a prominent member of the New York Numismatic Club, modelled by John Gellert and engraved by Frank C Higgins. The edition limit was 225 pieces in white metal, 75 in silver and only 8 pieces in bronze. The actual physical production is thought to be less than these limits and from what has been seen offered for sale in the intervening years even the white metal versions can be deemed extremely rare, this cataloguer having only ever seen three pieces, plus one silver version.