Top 10 Most Valuable Rare Old Irish Coins From 1930 To 1985

Did you know you could have some valuable old Irish coins in your house? Well, those rare Irish coins could bring you in some extra cash. Many of us have valuable old Irish coins lying around the house and do not know about it.

Today I break down the top 10 most valuable old Irish coins.

Previously I shared a post I published on 1985 20p that fetched €20k at auction!

The website Ireland Coins was kind enough to allow me to share this information with you. They have a bunch more information on each coin on their site.

These old Irish coins range from $750.00 to $9200!

Did you ever wonder why there are so many animals on old Irish coins? In 1926, the Irish Free State government enacted the Coinage Act, granting the Minister for Finance the authority to produce and distribute silver, nickel, and bronze coins. A committee was formed to determine the designs for these new Irish coins, with WB Yeats at its helm. Recognizing the paramount significance of native animals to Ireland’s predominantly agricultural economy, the committee recommended featuring a series of these animals on the coins. You can see the whole collection on the Central Bank website.

As the site reports all the details in US$, I will keep it consistent with US$ on this post as well.

So what are the top 10 most valuable old Irish coins?

The most valuable Irish coins

10th Most valuable old Irish coin: 1931 Half Crown

Produced between the years 1928-1937 at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill Site, London Mint.
In total, 3,534,001 of these coins were minted.
The 1931 Half Crown is valued at up to $750

9th Most valuable old Irish coin: 1961 Half Crown

Produced between the years 1951-1967 at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill Site, London Mint.
In total, 16,980,000 of these coins were minted.
The 1961 Half Crown is valued at up to $750

8th Most valuable old Irish coin: 1934 Florin (2 Shilling)

Produced between the years 1928-1937 at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill Site, London Mint.
In total, 3,551,001 of these coins were minted.
1934 Florin is valued at up to $875

7th Most valuable old Irish coin: 1937 Florin (2 Shilling)

Produced between the years 1928-1937 at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill Site, London Mint.
In total, 3,551,001 of these coins were minted.
The 1937 Florin is valued at up to $875

6th Most valuable old Irish coin: 1937 Half Crown

Produced between the years 1928-1937 at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill Site, London Mint.
In total, 3,534,001 of these coins were minted.
The 1937 Half Crown is valued at up to $2,000

5th Most valuable old Irish coin: 1985 Half Penny

In total, 169,895,000 of these coins were minted.
The 1985 Half Penny is valued at up to $2,000

4th Most valuable old Irish coin: 1937 Shilling

Produced between the years 1928-1937 at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill Site, London Mint.
In total, 4,366,001 of these coins were minted.
The 1937 Shilling is valued at up to $2,300

3rd Most valuable old Irish coin: 1943 Half Crown

Produced between the years 1939 -1943 at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill Site, London Mint.
In total, 3,534,001 of these coins were minted.
Approximately only 500 of these coins are known to exist.
The 1943 Half Crown is valued at up to $4,600

2nd Most valuable old Irish coin: 1985 20 Pence

The coin wasn’t officially introduced until 1986, and only a tiny number were produced the year before.

Not only that, but they were only released to vending machine engineers for recalibration.

All were supposed to return to the Central Bank to be melted, but some got through.

Additionally, the Central Bank of Ireland allowed the 1985 coins to be used as legal tender in the public domain.

Back in 1985, there were a lot of parking meters and coin-operated machines, so there is a good chance you might have an old coin.

The 1985 20 Pence is valued at up to $8,000. Although, in an auction in Dublin, it went for €9’000 recently.

The Most Valuable Old Irish Coin: 1943 Florin (2 Shilling)

The rarest of the lot! If you are lucky enough to find one of the most valuable Irish coins, then please comment and let me know.

Produced between the years 1939 -1943 at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill Site, London Mint.
In total, 2,259,000 of these coins were minted.
Approximately 35 of these coins are known to exist.
The 1943 Florin is valued at up to $9,200

Did you find any rare Irish coins?

Be sure to comment below and let everyone know. I am sure there are a lot of people searching through the house right now! You also know the most valuable Irish coins and what exactly to look for.

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