The Strange Story of the Northern Irish Two Pence

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This is the strange story of the Northern Irish two pence that never was - but might have been. The scans you see are of photocopies I made at the National Archives, Kew, England.

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Back in the mid-1960s, when the UK decimal designs were still being prepared, the emblem of the Prince of Wales was to appear on the reverse of the 2p, whilst a Scottish thistle was to be depicted on the 5p. The English lion was destined to appear on the reverse of the 10p coin. The Northern Irish, meanwhile, complained about the lack of a design for their nation. That great champion of minorities (!), The Duke of Edinburgh, who at the time was President of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC), suggested an alternative 2p design for the Irish. It was to be distributed in Northern Ireland only but would be legal tender throughout the UK. 

The Royal Mint accepted the Duke's suggestion, and Christopher Ironside, the designer of the UK's first decimal reverses, set to work producing designs for Northern Ireland, which were mainly based on the Red Hand of Ulster.

What happened next was that history intervened. "The Troubles" started in 1969, and the British Troops were sent into Ulster to pacify the population. Once into the 1970s, there was much discomfort at the Royal Mint about the idea of the Red Hand design for the 2p. It was thought it could be inflammatory. The Northern Irish Protestants claimed that it would not be inflammatory, as it already appeared on Northern Ireland's definitive stamps. Yes, said the RMAC, but that design predated the Troubles, and they were anxious not to upset the apple cart.

In the meantime, the Troubles only got worse, and there were deaths on all sides. Letters from the public to the Northern Irish press discussing the matter became more and more polarised. The RMAC therefore tried to find all-Irish designs instead of the Red Hand symbol. Shamrock designs were presented to the Committee but not liked. There was great embarrassment at the lack of progress at the RMAC, because the Northern Irish 2p design idea was originally suggested by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, who was not only a royal but also of course the President of the RMAC. 

It was also suggested that any such design would confuse the English if it reached the mainland. Would they know the difference between the Northern Irish 2p and the non-legal tender Republican 2p? The arguments and discussions dragged on through the first half of the 1970s, but by 1976 the idea was definitely a dead duck and was quashed for good by the UK Labour government of the day.

[Galapagos]

I photocopied the images I have posted a few years ago. I do not remember whether any examples of the shamrock versions were provided. If they were, I evidently did not find them interesting enough or well designed enough to take a copy of them.

Interestingly, when the pound coin was introduced in 1983, it was meant to carry designs of the constituent nations of the UK. In 1986 a Northern Irish design was released that depicted the flax plant, and in 1996 the Northern Irish pound design was released of a Celtic cross and pimpernel. Neither of these designs caused any controversy. Perhaps the would-be designers of the abortive 2p coin could have tried a little harder to find a satisfactory design for Northern Ireland.

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This is real history, not the glossy pink "aren't we great" stuff.

So typical civil servant, to realize that a separate design for Northern Ireland is no longer a good idea and to be totally unable to tell it to the boss, but to come up with all kinds of lame excuses instead. Any coin collector could have told them that the British public could handle English and Scottish shillings without any problem, but that's not the point, is it? You just can't say "no" to a royal. No matter how anal retentive he is.

Can you tell I have been a civil servant and I love "yes prime minister?"

Peter

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Some minor additions from my latest trip to the National Archives.

They are scans of photocopies of old documents, so the quality is not great.

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I can see how the designer wrestled to come up with an idea. The protestants would have hate the harp, the catholics the hand and both would have found fault with the "breeches" double arms. Mighty interesting, all!

Peter

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Here a couple of sketches of designs seen above.

They are taken from the British Museum collection.

See also:

1] Ironside produced TWO sets of designs for the UK's decimals.

2] Christopher Ironside designed coins for many countries.

3] Medals by Christopher Ironside.

4] Wikipedia webpage on Mr Ironside: Christopher Ironside.

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Our forum member eurocoin recently ordered from the National Archives a photocopy of Royal Mint documents, with the reference MINT 20/3977 and the title "Decimalisation: design of reverse of 50p coin". The documents cover the whole of the years 1967, 1968 and 1969.

Interestingly, these documents contain several references to the proposed two pence coin with a Northern Irish theme. They show that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was President of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, wrote to the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill, and asked for his advice about a suitable theme. The post of Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was abolished in 1972, when Britain introduced direct rule from Westminster, as a result of "The Troubles". Prime Minister O'Neill was a Protestant and the leader of the ruling Ulster Unionist Party. He advised Prince Philip that the Red Hand of Ulster should be used on the proposed coin - advice that proved to be very controversial.

I am grateful to eurocoin for allowing me to post extracts from the photocopied documents.

Below we see the Deputy Mint Master, Sir John Hastings James, informally known as Jack James, writing to William Armstrong, the Permanent Secretary of the Treasury, in May 1968. The Master of the Mint is always the Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister or treasury minister, in other countries).

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Royal Mint minutes from July 1968.

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Jack James writing to Prince Philip in August 1968.

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Prince Philip's reply.

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Jack James to William Armstrong at the Treasury.

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More.

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Jack James writing to Sir David Hancock, private secretary to Roy Jenkins, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

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Roy Jenkins, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, writing to James Callaghan, Home Secretary.