Reverse of the Coin (Ireland) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Woodcock

Percy Metcalf designed the "barnyard" series of coins, named for the various animals. A woodcock appeared on the farthing, the smallest value coin of the series. Woodcock refers to several species of birds found in various locations in the northern hemisphere. As a low-value coin, the farthing saw little circulation in Ireland by the 1960s.

Answer: Sow and litter

Like the farthing and the penny, the halfpenny was made from bronze. The reverse of the coin featured a sow and litter of piglets. This series of coins features a somewhat simple but pleasing design with an Irish harp dominating the obverse, which also has the name of the country and date. In 1969, the halfpenny ceased to be legal tender in Ireland.

Answer: Hen and chicks

This penny was much larger (30.9 mm) than the decimal penny introduced in 1971 (20.3 mm). The reverse of the coin showed a hen with five chicks. The bronze of the penny, half penny, and farthing was 95.5% copper, 3% tin, and 1.5% zinc. British and Irish coins were pegged in value to each other until 1979.

Answer: Irish hare

Threepence were minted in nickel until 1942 when the composition of the planchets was changed to cupronickel. The coin features an Irish hare on the reverse. The Irish hare can be found in large parts of Europe and Asia. Unlike the British threepence of the mid 20th century which was dodecagonal in shape (twelve sided), the Irish three pence was a round coin.

Answer: Wolfhound

The Irish wolfhound was bred to hunt animals by speed. It is also the image on the reverse of the Irish sixpence. The sixpence has an identical composition to the threepence. As with other denominations, the subject of the sixpence was laid out by statute law.

While there were initial plans for the six pence to circulate for a time alongside decimal coinage, this idea was ultimately abandoned.

Answer: Bull

The shilling, florin, and half crown were minted in 75% silver until 1942 and in cupronickel thereafter. A bull (male cattle) is the subject of the coin's reverse. After decimalization in Ireland, the shilling continued to circulate for a while in Ireland as it had a new value of five pence. The shilling would finally be withdrawn from circulation in 1993.

Answer: Salmon

salmon refers to several species of fish that can be found in freshwater and saltwater in a large part of the world. The salmon also appears on the reverse of the florin (two shilling coin). On the coin, the denomination actually read as 2s (rather than a reference to the florin). After decimalization, the coin circulated as 10 pence before being withdrawn from circulation in 1994.

Answer: Irish hunter

The Irish hunter, a breed of sporting horse, is found on the reverse of the half crown. The half crown was the highest denomination of Irish coin in common circulation before decimalization. The coin had a diameter of 32.4 mm. With a value not convenient for decimal coinage, the half crown was withdrawn from circulation in 1970.

Answer: Cu Chulainn

The ten shilling coin was only produced in 1966, a few years before decimalization came to Ireland. The reverse showed Cu Chulainn, a mythical Irish hero. The coin was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising in Ireland. Its composition in 83.5% silver and 16.5% copper is unique in 20th century Irish coins.

The coin was officially withdrawn from circulation in 2002 although it had stopped seeing significant circulation long before.

Answer: River Lee

For Series A (the first issue of Irish banknotes), the one pound banknote was issued from 1928 to 1976. The reverse of the banknote showed the River Lee in County Cork. The dominant color on this banknote was green. The one pound banknotes would eventually be replaced in 1990 by one pound coins.