Victoria Irish Penny

The Victoria Irish penny was one of the first coins to introduce bronze as the standard for Irish circulation, replacing the unwieldy copper pennies that had worn out pockets for decades.

These pennies, minted from 1860 to 1894 at the Royal Mint in London, bore Queen Victoria's portrait on the obverse and the iconic Irish harp on the reverse. That harp, a symbol of Ireland since medieval times, was rendered in fine detail, though variations in the bust design appeared over the years. Mintage figures vary by date, but exact numbers for many issues remain unclear, lost to the fog of bureaucratic history.

Proof strikes were occasionally produced, appealing to the more obsessive collectors, but they're rare birds in the numismatic world. As for myths about hidden treasures, I've seen enough fakes to know better.