A sow and piglets from Ireland

Irish Free State

In 1919, a war began against the British forces in Ireland. This war was called the War of Independence. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) wanted to force the British out of Ireland. In 1921, a truce was called and treaty talks took place in London to try to find a way of ending the war.

The Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name initially given to the Irish State, made up of twenty-six of the thirty-two counties on the island of Ireland after the War of Independence. It was set up under the Anglo-Irish Treaty and signed by British and Irish representatives in London on 6 December 1921.

The Treaty was divisive and caused a split in the Irish independence movement, with those against it wishing for greater sovereignty. Those in favour of the Treaty maintained that it was a step towards greater independence, which would be achieved by more peaceful means. A brief but bloody civil war followed.

The Irish Free State lasted until 1937. In that year, “Bunreacht na hÉireann”, the Constitution of Ireland was established, cementing an Ireland more independent from Great Britain.

The official name of the country is “Éire”, named after a goddess, Ériu. Along with her two sisters, Banba and Fódla, Ériu was one of the three goddesses of sovereignty, each representing the land and its people. These goddesses were not just symbols; they were believed to be the very essence of the land, embodying its spirit and power. Ériu, in particular, is central to Irish mythology. She was revered as the protector of the land, a figure of strength and wisdom. Her connection to nature was profound, with every hill, river, and valley seen as an extension of her being. Ériu means abundance or fullness when translated to English. This deep respect for the natural world is a recurring theme in Irish folklore, where the land itself is often portrayed as a living entity with its own will and desires.

Coinage

Following the establishment of the Irish Free State (Saorstát Eireann), in 1922 it was determined that Ireland needed its own coinage distinct from the British coins in use at the time. To guide this process, the Irish government appointed a committee chaired by renowned poet and senator W.B. Yeats.

The decision was taken to issue a sterling currency rather than a completely new currency. That is, the Irish “Punt” or pound was issued in the same denominations and pegged to the UK pound.

After some deliberation, the committee decided that the Irish harp would be used as the national symbol on the coinage as it had been since the 1530’s. The reverse designs would feature a series of animals important to Ireland’s mainly agricultural economy. The alternate suggestion that the coinage should feature Christian saints was ruled out as it was felt that the coinage would be widely abused by being made into religious medals.

A competition was organised and a number of well known sculptors and coin designers were invited to submit patterns for the coinage to the committee. A prize was to be awarded to the winning artist.

The designs of Publio Morbiducci are the only patterns which were produced in metal, a very small number of examples were minted and some are in private collections. IrishCoinage.com has images of several of these.

In the end, designs by Percy Metcalf won. There was some controversy around the designs (with some wanting the aforementioned saints considered, or prominent Irish people), as well as the nationality of the designer. Percy being British did not go down well with those seeking more independence from the UK. Percy Metcalfe was a relatively unknown artist and designer when he won the Irish Free State coin design competition of 1927 – he would go on to become a major force in international coin design.

(The 1928 Irish coin set, designed by Percy Metcalfe, featuring the farthing, halfpenny, penny, threepence, sixpence, shilling, florin and halfcrown designs for the new coinage of the Irish Free State. From OldCurrencyExchange.com).

Obverse

The obverse depicts the Irish Harp. I had a look at the harp on the 1744 Irish Farthing previously.

The 1927 designed had “SAORSTÁT ÉIREANN” (Irish Free State) around the edge with the harp dividing the date. After the change to the constitution in 1937, this was changed to simply “éIRe” to the left and the year to the right of the harp:

Reverse

The reverse features a “Sow and litter, facing left”, with the value below: “1/2d LEAṪ ṖINGIN” (1/2d Half Penny).

In deciding the designs for the Irish Free State coins, the committee said of the pig: “We had at first some hesitation in deciding to recommend the pig as a type for one of the coins, because of the ridicule with which it is associated in connection with this country; but further consideration has convinced us that the idea underlying the series of designs makes the inclusion of the pig inevitable. As a valuable product of the country we believe that it merits a place in the series, and that the objections to it are unworthy of serious consideration.”

Indeed, the pig isn’t the most common animal depicted on coinage. Numista lists 425 circulating coins with pigs. If we narrow that to the last 300 years, however, there are only 8 circulating coins with pigs. Two of those are the Irish half penny, and the others are all 1 cent coins from Bermuda from 1970 – 2009 (with changes to Queen Elizabeth’s portrait and the metal composition rather than the design).

What is your favourite animal on a coin? Let us know!