New book on Irish coins...

MrEureka

For those with any interest in the history of Irish coinage, this book was released three days ago and is highly recommended.

For Want of Good Money: The Story of Ireland's Coinage
by Edward Colgan

Around AD 997 the first Irish coin, a silver penny, was produced in Dublin by Viking traders and merchants. So began the history of Irish coinage whose fortunes rose and fell in tune with historical events and the succession of monarchs. This chronological history of Ireland's coins from the first Viking coins to the 2002 Euro tracks the motives and needs of each king and queen in striking new coinage, how coinage affected trade and commerce, and people's everyday lives, and looks at periods of decline and debasement and re-organisation. 208p, b/w pls (Wordwell 2003)

Available here.

MacCrimmon

thanks....so, Silkbeard was the first?

Did Brian Boru have any coinage? Looks like a good book to have.

Lloyd

Must get... if only to read another theory about the Woods coinage.

Good Link

Lloyd

MrEureka

Must get... if only to read another theory about the Woods coinage.

I quote:

"The generally accepted view was that (the coins were) gathered in and shipped ....to the American colonies. Modern research, however, suggests that this did not happen. No documentary or legislative evidence semms to exist that points to the export of any large quantities of these coins, and North American archaeological evidence has not thrown up significant numbers. The largest concentration, some 18 coins, were excavated at Perinaquid in Maine, which was occupied by 50 Irish families in about 1729..."

But you should still buy the book.

0john0

Thanks for the tip. I was just on Amazon last week looking for books on Irish coins.
-john