- Sixpence (Irish coin)
IrishCoinInfobox
EN-NAME = Sixpence
GA-NAME = Reul
DESIGN = WolfhoundThe sixpence coin was a pre-decimal coin worth 1/40th of an
Irish pound . The coin was originally struck innickel , like the threepence coin, and was very well wearing. The metal was changed tocupronickel in 1942 as nickel increased in value; this coin, which consisted of 75% copper and 25% nickel, was not as well-wearing. Five early coins were minted featuring a design byPublio Morbiducci , which depict the Wolfhound's head looking back; these coins are quite valuable, estimated at several thousandeuro - they remain in the hands of collectors and were never released tocirculation .The general design of the sixpence coin is by
Percy Metcalf . The coin's diameter is 0.825 inches (21.0 mm) and a weight of 4.53593 grams. It was expected that this coin would circulate alongside the new decimal coins, with a value of 2½ new pence as in theUnited Kingdom . With this in mind theCentral Bank of Ireland continued to have the coin minted, last dated 1969, whilst minting decimal coins. However, the coin ended up being withdrawn instead, never to become a decimal based coin; it remains the last predecimal coin to come off the production run.The name in Irish, _ga. "reul", is derived from the
Spanish real .External links
* [http://www.irishcoinage.com/MODCAT.HTM#mod6pe Irish Coinage website - catalogue - sixpence. ]
* [http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZSI204Y1971.html Coinage (Calling In) Order, 1971]
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