One pound (Irish coin)

Pound / Punt

Republic of Ireland
Value	1 pound
Mass	10 g
Diameter	31.11 mm
Thickness	3.15 mm
Edge	Milled
Composition	Cupronickel
Years of minting	1990–2000
Catalog number	—
Obverse
Design	Irish harp
Design date	1971 (first use 1928)
Reverse
Design	Red deer
Designer	Tom Ryan
Design date	1990

The one pound (£1) (Irish: punt) coin was a subdivision of the Irish pound. It was used in the Republic of Ireland from 20 June 1990 to the currency's withdrawal for the euro in 2002. The last issue was in 2000.

The coin was the largest Irish coin since decimalisation at 3.11 centimetres in diameter. Its mass was 10 grams. The coin was almost identical in dimensions to the old penny coin that circulated before 1971, and was quite similar in diameter to, but thinner than, the half-crown coin. The edge was milled, and a dotted line runs along the edge of each face. Unlike previous Irish coins, it was very different to its British equivalent, as the Irish pound separated from being equivalent to the British pound in 1979.

The design on the rear is of a red deer, by the Irish artist Tom Ryan, and based on photographs taken by Sean Ryan of the species from the Irish national deer herd in Killarney National Park.

Broighter Boat

In 2000 a coin was issued of the pound in honour of the new millennium. The design on the rear was based on the "Broighter Boat" in the National Museum of Ireland. Alan Ardiff and Garrett Stokes designed the coin. This coin was first issued on 29 November 1999.

During the early circulation of the coin, many payphones and vending machines which had been changed to accept the pound coin also accepted the old penny, the latter coin no longer legal tender and of little value to collectors. As a result, losses accrued to vending machine operators due to the illegal use of the penny coin, and further costs were associated with updating the machines so they would no longer accept the pennies improperly. Further, coins dated 1999 (produced by the Royal Mint of the United Kingdom and not the Central Bank of Ireland) were refused by many vending machines (including but not limited to parking meters in Dublin), as, although they conformed to standard dimensions, were significantly lighter having been produced from a different alloy than standard.

External links

• Irish coinage website – catalogue – pound coin
• Decimal Currency Act, 1990, part introducing one pound coins
• Coinage (Dimension and Design) (One Pound Coin) Regulations, 1990