There is no accounting for taste if you consider that a medal awarded to an Irish-bred pigeon used by the RAF during the second World War is expected to fetch £7,000 - £8,000 at today's auction of coins, tokens, banknotes, medals, and militaria in Whyte's salesrooms at 30 Marlborough St, Dublin.

However, upon further reading one discovers that the pigeon, the name of which was Paddy, was the first pigeon to bring back the news of the D-Day landings of June 6th, 1944.

A range of Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins owned by the late Emil Szauer, one of the foremost professional numismatists in Ireland, will also be for sale, as will medals from past GAA All-Ireland Football Finals and historic medals relating to the Fenian, John Devoy. The auction of 1,200 lots begins at 1 p.m. Also to be held in conjunction with the former is an international coin fair in the coach house of Dublin Castle, where leading Irish and English dealers will buy, sell or exchange coins, medals, stamps and banknotes. Opening hours are from 10.30 a.m.-6 p.m.