Ireland 1 farthing 1941 - Snipe

Ireland · 1941 · 1 farthing

Circulating coinCommon

€4.80estimate

480,000coins minted

N4574 KM9

JSReference number JSJS-N3LKN

Circulating coin

Farthing of Percy Metcalfe's farm animal series, ÉIRE type (1939-1966)

The coin's story

The farthing (feoirling in Irish), the smallest Irish coin, was worth a quarter of a penny. It belongs to the “Barnyard series”, the farm animal series designed by the English sculptor Percy Metcalfe for the first coinage of independent Ireland in 1928, and chosen by a committee chaired by the poet W. B. Yeats. The woodcock, a small game bird, could also feed the humblest farm labourers. After the Constitution of 1937, the legend SAORSTÁT ÉIREANN was replaced by the simple ÉIRE from 1939. This 1941 coin was struck during the Second World War, which Ireland, having remained neutral, called “The Emergency”. Ireland is one of only four countries, with the United Kingdom, South Africa and Jamaica, still to have struck farthings in the twentieth century. The coin ceased to be legal tender on 1 August 1969, and the woodcock was taken up on the new decimal 50 pence coin from 1970.

ObverseThe Irish Harp

éIRe1941

Design: The Irish harp (cláirseach) in the centre, the national emblem of Ireland.
Legend: éIRe (Ireland), in Gaelic script, to the left of the harp.
Date: The date 1941 is inscribed to the right of the harp.

PMDesigned by Percy Metcalfe

ReverseThe Woodcock

1/4dfeoiRlingPM

Design: A woodcock in flight, diving to the left, wings spread, this small game was appreciated even on the tables of farm labourers.
Denomination: The value 1/4d is inscribed at the top, and the name of the coin feoiRling (farthing) in Gaelic script at the bottom.

PMDesigned by Percy Metcalfe