Remember when the 20p coin arrived ?

Exit

I was really looking forward to the euro coins coming in, but now I wouldn't mind seeing the Irish currency come back. They just felt nice.

Capt'n Midnight

LSD - yeah

We Irish are supposed to be the worst handlers of notes in the EU. How about a compromise and bring in a €2 note

At least a lot of retailers have got the message - pre-christmas sales.

Loved the little rabbit on - was it on the 3d coin ?

Odd little fact - land rover used to have a part to seal part of the axel - it was an old penny (1d). they had a box of them in the factory ! - not sure if they ever copped that Punt coin was the same size..

sceptre

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
Loved the little rabbit on - was it on the 3d coin ?

Yup. Always my favourite.

kelle

Another annoyance about the Euro - my husband works in a crap job working long hours for paltry wages, but the only solace was at Christmas he would get gifts of £50 or £100 from each supplier. Now the gifts are the exact same amounts but in Euro, so worth a lot less!

Capt'n Midnight

And next year the Gifts and Meals will be subject to BIK
actually they are already but no one reports it

kelle

"And next year the Gifts and Meals will be subject to BIK
actually they are already but no one reports it"
Cap'n Midnight, It's terrible how we're supposed to pay tax on that, when we already pay enough bloody tax in this country!

Blisterman

I remember being amazed how small the euros were. Now when I find Irish money, I'm amazed how big it is.
Anyway, what I want to know is, what are the point of 2 cent coins. I understand 1 cent coins, because then you can pay any amount with coins, instead f rounding to 5 cents. But why can't you just use 2 1 cent coins, for the few times you need an amount less than 5 cents.

Just my 2 cents.



Ok, crap pun. I'm sorry

Walter Ego

Originally posted by BrianD3
just dug out some of my old coins. The ones I have are:
-farthing (woodcock)
-halfpenny (pig)
-penny (hen)
-3 pence (rabbit)
-6 pence (wolfhound)

I may be wrong but I am old enough to have used these coins. Ok not the farthing.

- farthing (lapwing) later on 50p coin
- halpenny (pig) and piglets
- penny (hen) and chicks
- 3d (hare) not a rabbit
- 6d (greyhound) not a wolfhound. I remember when it was only a pup said old Mr. Brennan.

wiggy69

ah yeah back in 1986 , there was this lady down the road who owned a shop and she couldnt see very well so we used to go in with 10p and ask for 5 2p coins , we nearly always got 5 20p coins instead , ah yeah chomps and alien spacers for everyone !!

Blisterman

The best memories are always the ones that involve stealing from old ladies.:)

hamster

Yes! I remember this... Autumn 1986... 5th class primary... Fine Fail Posters "Support the Recovery" (The country was a wreck - 'him and his shirts)... Commodore 64... 2.65 for a student meal and dessert.

I collected quite a few 20p's and annoyed shopkeepers to exchange them for pennies! And then I couldn't wait to spend them a few days later. Ah hell, I wanna go back (well those days weren't so bad if you weren't working!)

kelle

Yes, Hamster, it must have been awful working in those days in Ireland (I was a fifth year student in 1986 so I had a good time too). A colleague of mine worked as a secretary between 1985 and 1988 and got paid £52 per week! She worked Monday to Friday 9-6. She says things were so expensive then and she had virtually no disposable income after paying her mother rent (surprise surprise). In 1988, she asked for a small raise, to which her lovely employer responded by sacking her! It was 3 months before she got another job, one which paid £100 a week - she felt like a millionaire! What did happen eventually was when a friend of hers found out what her previous employer did, told her it was illegal and that she should claim unfair dismissal. She did that, and was awarded £500. She decided to go to Australia with that money and worked there for a few years, earning MUCH more money over there.

BrianD3

- farthing (lapwing) later on 50p coin
- halpenny (pig) and piglets
- penny (hen) and chicks
- 3d (hare) not a rabbit
- 6d (greyhound) not a wolfhound.

You're right about the hen + chicks and pig + piglets. I also suspect you're right about the hare, as it would make more sense to use a native Irish animal such a hare as opposed to a rabbit which is not native. However, I'm almost sure that the 6d uses a wolfhound not a greyhound, the animal on the coin seems to be a much heavier build than a greyhound and again it would make sense to use an animal which is associated with Ireland such as the wolfhound rather than a more generic animal such as a greyhound. Also pretty sure that it is a woodcock on the farthing and 50p due to the shape of the wings.

BrianD3

DMC

I have a Lakelands Dairies Calander from 2002 which had pictures of all the coins, pre-and-post decimal day. If I get the chance to dig it out, I'll post up a few scans of it. Lovely calander.


And I dont want a €5 coin, or get rid of the 1c or 2c coins, as much as I dislike them, that will only fuel inflation.

DMC

eh, why bother when you have Google!



And thats a greyhound on the 6d.

Walter Ego

Originally posted by BrianD3
Also pretty sure that it is a woodcock on the farthing and 50p due to the shape of the wings.

BrianD3

I think you may be correct there.

But for bonus points can anyone out there tell me which Irish coin had a raven on it?

sceptre

Originally posted by Silent Death
But for bonus points can anyone out there tell me which Irish coin had a raven on it?

The 2p?

(penny looks like a peacock to me, the design on the 2p doesn't look like the harbinger of evil but it doesn't look all that happy either)

(dammit to hell, just realised I don't have an Irish farthing either. I have only one UK one at that)

Walter Ego

And the answer is:

In 1966 a special 1916 year commemorative 10 shilling coin was issued. It had a picture of Padriag Pearse on one side and a statue of Cu Chullain on the other. There was a raven on Cu Chullain's shoulder. The original of this statue is in the GPO in Dublin.

sceptre

Now that's interesting - I idn't even realise we'd ever had a 10s coin, even a commerative one. Anyone got pictures?

Walter Ego

Afaik the 10s coin is the only Irish coin issued that did not have a harp on the obverse.

[IMG]http://members.boards.ie/silentdeath/Pearse 10s.jpg[/IMG]

Walter Ego

There was also another coin. A UN commemorative which had a dove on it.
I never saw this one but I have a Pearse coin.

[IMG]http://members.boards.ie/silentdeath/UN Pound Coin.jpg[/IMG]

LoneGunM@n

I remember exactly [well not exactly, but fairly exact :dunno:] when I got my first 20p in 1986. My dad was in Best's [O'Connell Street] getting a new suit & the salesman gave him 2 in the change which my mam gave to me!!

I love memories

I have to say, I love the old money! This €uro cr@p really annoys the hell out of me. The notes are forever tearing & the coins are awful! I'm too young to remember the really old money [before decimalisation], but I have a few of the old coins in a jar somewhere.

PBC_1966

I remember when I first visited Ireland and finding most of the coins familiar in size and shape, but the 20p really stood out as being totally different to the British version, ditto the £1 coin. Just another of those things about Ireland that seemed to be similar enough to home to feel comfortable, yet different enough to remind you that you're in another country.

I have a couple of old pre-decimal Irish coins floating around here. It seems as though they were kept the exact shape and size as British versions with just the designs changed. Is that the case?

ALLGOOD

Ya remember it well, I was in national school and the teacher showed us one, it was so shiney and golden I wanted her to say that I could keep it - but she didn't - CNUT !

Sarky

When the 20p coin came out, a game of pacman down the pub suddenly became twice as expensive.

Kersh

Ah ye, I was in 5th class. The Girl in front of me had one. I was so jealous. Lovely shiney gold...

Kêrmêttê

Originally posted by yellum
Notes last 11 months in circulation isn't it, compared to a good few years for coins ?

The average €5 note lasts approx. 2 weeks. Lower value currency is circulated more frequently than the larger value notes.
I heard some form or rumour/speculation that there is a plan to make the €5 & €10 Notes from cotton instead of paper... which should make their life approx. 6 weeks.

After that, there is a debate as to make the €5 & €10 like they do in Australia, ie. mostly plastic content in the paper, or else to turn them into coins.

I reckon a coin should be used for the €5 note... I'm sick of gettin mouldy old fivers that resemble ribbons of lettuce!!

I was in 1st year in secondary school when the "new" 20p was introduced. I didn't get my hands on one for nearly 2 weeks... Oh the excitement and anticipation!

I think the Lottery Scratch Cards were introduced that year too, around October i think?? And then the Lotto came about 4 yrs later? There was such a scandal about the scratch cards in my school... Catholic country introducing gambling etc etc.
Wot a loada horse poo!

PBC_1966

Originally posted by Kersh
Lovely shiney gold...

Is that the coin, or the girl?

Two weeks seems an awfully short average life-span for a note. Hardly worth the trouble of printing them if they last that short a time. Surely it has to be a little longer than that?

Kersh

Ah the girl was nice too:cool:

kelle

I think the Lottery Scratch Cards were introduced that year too, around October i think?? And then the Lotto came about 4 yrs later? There was such a scandal about the scratch cards in my school... Catholic country introducing gambling etc etc.

The Lotto actually came here in 1987, a year later. My neighbour made headlines when she won £721243 (I remember the figure exactly) in August 1988, it was the biggest amount ever won at the time. I think it was a triple rollover. Now a triple rollover is worth so much more, and as for the English lotto......