אירלנד – Ireland

אירלנד                      
The first recorded Irish currency came into existence as far back as 995 – 997. Up until the advent of the Euro (more on that later…) Ireland always operated with an Irish pound closely related to the English pound. This meant that each pound comprised of 240 pence, or twenty shillings, each worth twelve pence.
This Irish pound, known locally as a punt, first featured the heads of current kings and the word “Dyflin” to represent the capital.
This close relationship continued for centuries, with slight changes or variations here and there, but modern Irish currency, as we’ve known it, really began from 1928 onwards.
This newly minted currency retained parity with English sterling, on a de facto, basis for upwards of 50 years!
It comprised of coins including the punt, farthing, halfpenny, penny, threepence, sixpence, shilling and florin, until the introduction of the Decimal Currency Act in 1969.
This change resulted in an Irish punt now being worth 100 pence, rather than 240, and followed the English model. From then this model was retained until the introduction of the Euro between 1998 and 2002.
During this time Ireland agreed to join a common European Union currency and did so alongside other founding members, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain!