The decimal one penny (1p) ( ga, pingin) coin was the second smallest denomination of the
Irish pound
The pound (Irish: ) was the currency of the Republic of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the symbol was £ (or IR£ for distinction). The Irish pound was replaced by the euro on 1 January 1999. Euro currency did not begin cir ...
. There were 100 pennies (pence) to the pound. The coin was first issued on
Decimal Day
Decimal Day in the United Kingdom and in Ireland was Monday 15 February 1971, the day on which each country decimalised its respective £sd currency of pounds, shillings, and pence.
Before this date, the British pound sterling (symbol "£" ...
, 15 February 1971. It was the second of three new designs introduced all in
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
, the others being a half-penny and a two pence coin. All featured ornamental birds designed by Irish artist
Gabriel Hayes on the reverse.
The coin originally had a diameter of 2.032 centimetres and mass of 3.564
grams consisting of
copper,
tin and
zinc. This was identical to the
British decimal penny as the two countries' pounds were
pegged until 1979.
The coin's official designation was "new penny" and this was changed in 1985 to "penny". In 1990 the decision was taken to produce the coin on a copper-plated
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
base as the bronze had become too expensive. The steel base coins are magnetic.
The coin was designed by the Irish artist
Gabriel Hayes and the design is adapted from the
Book of Kells
The Book of Kells ( la, Codex Cenannensis; ga, Leabhar Cheanannais; Dublin, Trinity College Library, MS A. I. 8 sometimes known as the Book of Columba) is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New ...
held in
Trinity College, Dublin
, name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin
, motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin)
, motto_lang = la
, motto_English = It will last i ...
.
In 1990 it was announced that the penny would be redesigned to incorporate the wolfhound design from the
pre-decimal sixpence,
but this plan was abandoned in the face of the imminent adoption of the
euro. The penny was withdrawn with the introduction of
euro coins on 1 January 2002.
References
External links
Irish coinage website - catalogue - decimal penny
* ttp://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1990/en/si/0100.html Coinage (Weight and Composition of and Remedy for Certain Copper Coins) Regulations, 1990
{{Irish currency and coinage
penny (decimal coin)
One-cent coins