An important collection of Irish coins dating from 1928 to 1969, including a rare 1943 florin, is set for auction this week.

On September 20th, John Weldon of Temple Bar, Dublin, will hold a live online auction of jewels, coins and banknotes. One of the highlights, along with a two carat diamond solitaire ring (€8,000-€12,000) and a diamond necklace by Stefan Hafner (€2,000-€3,000) is a collection of Irish coins.

Listed with an estimate of €10,000-€15,000, the collection includes a rare Irish 1943 florin and 1943 half-crowns, along with Irish farthings, half pennies, pennies, three pence, sixpence and shillings.

The most valuable coin in this collection is the 1943 florin, followed by the 1943 half-crown. “While the 1943 half-crowns and florins were struck in normal circulating quantities, they were however not issued for use to the public. Both of the coins were minted for only testing purposes,” explains Weldon.

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At the time, such coins contained silver. Then, it was decided that 1943 would be the last year for coins having 75 per cent silver.

“Numismatic researchers believe between 40 and 50 1943 florins are now available to collectors worldwide. One sold in Whytes for €7,500 in 2017,″ says Weldon. As the collection covers all circulated coins 1928-1969, it would have taken years to collect, so may well be one to watch at the auction.

Emeralds

At the Fonsie Mealy Chatsworth sale, September 27th-28th in Castlecomer and online, top lots include an emerald and diamond bracelet with 11 carats of emeralds set in platinum (€15,000-€20,000).

Originally from Mallow Castle in Co Cork is Astley David Middleton Cooper’s painting, Landscape at Eagle Peak, Montana, with meeting of Lakota, Sioux and Cheyenne Warriors. Measuring a colossal 2.4m by 1.8m, this work, like so many of his paintings, depicts the decline of Native American culture as tribal lands were encroached upon by European settlers (€10,000-€15,000).

Georgian interiors

The Irish Georgian Society is running a lecture series called Georgian Homes: Material Culture of the Domestic Interiors in 18th-century Ireland. The thematic talks, focusing on interior decoration, furniture and fine art, will examine homes of the elite and “middling” sorts, and look at “how objects in domestic settings acted as social signifiers of the inhabitants’ taste and status”.

Taking place on consecutive Tuesdays, the lectures, which started this week, include Shopping for the Home in Georgian Dublin: Retail, Taste and Morality, delivered by Sarah Foster, lecturer in history of design at MTU, Crawford College of Art and Design, while John Adamson will talk about Great Irish Households: Understanding their Inventories, ahead of the launch of his book Great Irish Households: Inventories from the Long Eighteenth Century.

Online lectures are €12.50 per class, with in-person attendance for the full series €120.

Joseph Walsh

Sotheby’s in London is holding a selling exhibition of works by Corkman Joseph Walsh (September 17th-29th). The Gestures series, which has taken three years to complete, includes his signature creations in ebonised form.

igs.ie, fonsiemealy.ie, sothebys.com, jwa.ie