NEW BOOK: OUR OWN COINAGE

The Numismatic Society of Ireland is pleased to announce the publication of Edward Colgan's new book:

OUR OWN COINAGE
THE POLITICAL AND LEGAL BACKGROUND
TO THE COINAGE OF IRELAND 1926 – 2002

Written by NSI member Edward Colgan this important book brings together many years of research and study which embrace the records of the Houses of the Oireachtas, holdings of the National Museum of Ireland, the Archives of the Central Bank of Ireland, holdings of the Royal Mint, and image libraries of leading auctioneers and other numismatists. Permissions have been granted by them to publish images some of which have never been published previously.

OUR OWN COINAGE traces the story in fourteen chapters of how the coinage of Ireland evolved from the highly acclaimed and now fondly remembered 1928 set of silver, nickel and bronze coins of Saorstát Éireann through the coins of Éire and the Éire Decimal series to the Euro coins of 2002. The early chapters bring insights to the debates in the Houses of the Oireachtas and Seanad, to the work of W B Yeats' Committee and to the engagement of Percy Metcalfe when designing and modelling the first coins. The middle chapters explain the change to cupro-nickel and a new design. These chapters also explain the change to decimal. The final chapters are concerned with the introduction of the Euro series.

The fourteen chapters are fully illustrated with high quality images and explain the background to the coins that are in Irish collectors' trays. They also tells the story of coins that were planned but never came to production. For some proposals they illustrate plaster models and other designs that were never used. The background to commemorative coins and principal varieties is also mentioned.

It is one hundred years since 1926 when the Irish Government commenced the process of having our own coinage and Edward Colgan's work is the first time that the story of the coins of Ireland have been published as a comprehensive account in book form. OUR OWN COINAGE is the third title in the Numismatic Society of Ireland book series and is a full companion to the first two - IRISH TAVERN TOKENS and GUNMONEY. It is an essential volume for the Irish numismatics library.

 

Illustrations
The book is extensively illustrated and all of the images are enlarged.

Description
Hardback; x, 124; 178x252mm; bibliography and comprehensive index; ISBN 978-0- 902605-04-6. This edition will be traditionally lithograph printed in Dublin on 130gsm gloss paper in full colour, thread stitched and hardbound by a Dublin antiquarian bookbinder with buckram cloth finish and gold lettering.

Citation
COLGAN, E. (2026) OUR OWN COINAGE: THE POLITICAL AND LEGAL BACKGROUND TO THE COINAGE OF IRELAND 1926 – 2002, Numismatic Society of Ireland, Dublin.

OUR OWN COINAGE is recommended as an essential reference for all Irish numismatics libraries.

Edward Colgan has been a collector for over 50 years, with a special interest in Irish, Scottish, British colonial and Commonwealth coins. This interest began during family holidays to Kerry when he first came across Percy Metcalfe's animal designs of the barnyard series. The bull on the shilling was his favourite then and it still remains to this day - after all it was meant to be a Kerry Black.

Edward is a member of the Numismatic Society of Ireland, a Fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society, a Member of the British Numismatic Society, and is a past President of the Wessex Numismatic Society. Over several years he has been a regular contributor to COIN NEWS a leading coin publication. He is the author of FOR WANT OF GOOD MONEY - THE STORY OF IRELAND'S COINAGE published in 2003 and for which he was awarded the Royal Numismatic Society's Lhotka Prize. Edward's writing has also been recognised by the American Numismatic Literary Guild.

Subscriber Edition 2026
The publication price of OUR OWN COINAGE is €65 and it is being offered to members and friends of NSI at a special discounted pre-publication price of €52, plus postage and packing, provided their completed Order Form and payment are received before 22 December, 2025. There is also the popular package of 3 copies for €145. Simply note that on your Order Form.

As part of this special offer the author and the Society are offering the free-of-charge opportunity to be named in the book among the List of Subscribers to this edition and to receive the NSI Subscriber's Provenance Medallion for affixing to their individual copy. This old tradition was well received for our previous books and it is being continued for this book too. We know from experience that collectors enjoy the provenance that their naming in this listing gives to their copy. The offer is also available to dealers who want to include a customer's name in the List of Subscribers. Members who do not wish to be listed in the List of Subscribers may also avail of the special discounted pre-publication offer. Simply note your preference to remain unlisted in the space provided on the Order Form.

All orders and full payment for the discounted pre-publication offer must be received before 22 December, 2025 to enable the final manuscript and List of Subscribers to be prepared.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web