2000 Irish Euro Set

The 2002 Irish euro set included a 2-euro coin featuring the Celtic harp, a design rooted in 9th-century manuscripts and used on Irish coins since 1928.

That harp, with its 28 strings, symbolized Ireland's cultural identity on currency for decades before the euro's arrival. The set comprised eight denominations, each with unique national designs drawn from Irish flora, fauna, and ancient art, such as the prehistoric bull on the 1-euro coin. These were struck at the Irish Mint in Dublin, using standard euro alloys like copper-coated steel for the smaller values.

Mintage figures for the initial release are imprecise; records from that period weren't always meticulous. While some enthusiasts claim these coins marked a seamless transition from the Irish pound, the reality was more bureaucratic than magical.

Every set I handle reminds me how collectors overromanticize these; they're practical currency, not relics.