Sixpence (Irish coin)
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| Sixpence Reul |
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| Wolfhound |
The sixpence coin was a pre-decimal coin worth 1/40th of an Irish pound. The coin was originally struck in nickel, like the threepence coin, and was very well wearing. The metal was changed to cupronickel in 1942 as nickel increased in value; this coin, which consisted of 75% copper and 25% nickel, was not as well-wearing. Five early coins were minted featuring a design by Publio Morbiducci, which depict the Wolfhound's head looking back; these coins are quite valuable, estimated at several thousand euro - they remain in the hands of collectors and were never released to circulation.
The general design of the sixpence coin is by Percy Metcalf. The coin's diameter is 0.825 inches (21.0 mm) and a weight of 4.53593 grams. It was expected that this coin would circulate alongside the new decimal coins, with a value of 2½ new pence as in the United Kingdom. With this in mind the Central Bank of Ireland continued to have the coin minted, last dated 1969, whilst minting decimal coins. However, the coin ended up being withdrawn instead, never to become a decimal based coin; it remains the last predecimal coin to come off the production run.
The name in Irish, reul, is derived from the Spanish real.
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