Coin

½ Reul = 3 Pence (1940) — Ireland

Ireland • 1940 • KM# 12, Sp# 6637

½ Reul = 3 Pence (1940) — Ireland

Overview

Pre-Decimal Irish 3 Pence coin from 1940.

Specifications

Country
Ireland
Year
1940
Composition
Nickel
Weight
3.24 g
Diameter
17.6 mm
Thickness
1.72 mm
Mint
Royal Mint (Tower Hill), London, United Kingdom
Shape
Round
Technique
Milled
References
KM# 12, Sp# 6637
Issuer
Ireland

Design details

Obverse

Irish harp with the country name to the left and the date to the right.

Reverse

Seated hare, facing left with the words leat & reul 3d

Collector insights

  • Wartime issue: Struck during the Second World War, when many mints substituted base metals (zinc, steel, low-fineness alloys) for copper and nickel diverted to munitions. Surviving high-grade examples are disproportionately scarce.
  • Design heritage: Percy Metcalfe is credited as the designer for the Pre Decimal 1939-1969 series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
  • Struck at: Royal Mint (Tower Hill), London, United Kingdom. Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
  • Mintage vs. survival: A moderate mintage of 720,001. Grade rarity is usually the driver of value here — mid-grade circulated pieces are common, but original-surface uncirculated coins can command a strong premium.
  • Catalogue reference: Listed as KM# 12, Sp# 6637. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

More from Ireland

Other ½ Reul = 3 Pence issues

Explore more

Browse more items in the full catalog or view Ireland in the country guide.