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LM40787

Ireland, 1943 Halfcrown, rarest date for the Republic issue currency halfcrown

Republic of Ireland, silver Halfcrown, 1943, Harp with 14 strings, eIRE to left, date to right, toothed border and rim surrounding both sides, rev. horse standing left, denomination in Gaelic surrounding with value 2s 6d in exergue, PM to upper right of exergue for designer Percy Metcalfe, weight 13.96g (DF.708; S.6633). Toned with circulation wear, good fine, rarest currency date for the Irish Republic Halfcrown.

A very rare piece, seldom seen for sale. Mintage of just 1000, with approximately 500 believed to have been melted. The coins of Éire were expensive to make. The three highest denominations - the halfcrown, florin and shilling were all minted in 0.750 silver alloyed with 0.250 copper with the intention of the coins discolouring less with wear in comparison to the UK mainland coinage which was struck in 0.500 silver-copper. By 1943, the price of silver was rising and it became uneconomic to mint the coins in 0.75 silver and so no shillings were issued and very few halfcrowns and florins made it out of the mint. Production of the larger denominations was paused until 1950 when the Coinage Act specified that the coins would now be issued in a cupro-nickel alloy.

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