Starck Reality: Auction Records Provide Guidance on Rare Issues
A rare 1928 Irish Free State pattern florin by Italian artist Publio Morbiducci sells for £12,400, prompting a market price update for this elusive salmon-design coin.
On May 29, Noonans in London sold a rare Irish Free State pattern florin that was discovered more than 40 years ago by a collector at an antiques market in Italy. This pattern was created by Italian artist Publio Morbiducci (1889–1963), who was one of seven artists invited to participate in a 1928 design contest held by the Irish Currency Commission for Ireland’s new coinage. The committee requested specific animal designs across the group of eight denominations from all seven artists. The florin, which is equivalent to two shillings, depicts a salmon.
The famed poet William Butler Yeats spearheaded the committee overseeing the development of independent Ireland’s first coins. A rare but interesting read about this development can be found in the book “W.B. Yeats and the Designing of Ireland’s Coinage,” which was published in 1972 with the assistance of writer Brian Cleeve. The writer referred to the coins as “Yeats’s coinage” and noted that the pieces “will be admired and understood and loved for its beauty as long as men love to collect and handle small works of art.”
While Morbiducci’s designs did not win (he lost to Percy Metcalfe), they certainly have a charm and artistry to them (aided by his background in designing Italian coinage). According to Coin Specialist Oliver Hepburn in a Noonans press release, “these patterns only come up for auction once in a blue moon…This [coin] was never put into circulation and … officially, only two sets were minted for presentation to the Irish Currency Commission. However, after the competition, it is thought that Morbiducci minted several more sets for private use, though exact figures are unknown.” The coin was expected to sell for up to £10,000, which is what it hammered for in the sale. After the 24% buyer’s fee, its total price of £12,400 is equivalent to about $16,768.
For proof examples of this coin, the NumisMaster market price was previously listed at $9,500, with no numeric designation. We adjusted that up to $12,000 and added a note indicating this recent sale.
Jeff Starck can be reached at jstarck@aimmedia.com
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Jeff Starck is the Market Analyst for Numismaster.com and is a lifelong collector and writer. His appreciation for and interest in world coins and writing allows him to share the hobby with others.