We used to be someone

The European Union has brought a lot to Ireland, some good and some bad. Losing our coinage was sort of a death in itself, it was part of what we are. I don't know if other people in Europe feel the same about their coinage. The coins above were the first we had when we gained our indepencence. They were the coins I grew up with as a kid. They changed with decimalisation in 1970 but still retainded most of the symbols.

I don't think their is anything wrong in a people having its own identity. It was sad to see their demise.

A bit of information about the Irish currency.

In 1926 the government of the newly founded Irish Free State formed a coinage committee to plan for a new Irish coinage. The chairman of the committee was the Irish poet William Butler Yeats.

The government decision had already been taken to issue a sterling currency rather than to establish an independent Irish currency.

After some deliberation the committee decided that the Irish harp would be used as the national symbol on the coinage as it had been since the 1530's and that the reverse designs would feature a series of animals important to Ireland's mainly agricultural economy.