The Central Bank of Ireland is issuing a series of gold, silver and circulating coins to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Easter Rising. The coins are themed around the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, and include the first commemorative €2 coin to be issued to mark an event in Irish history.
Following an open call for submissions, two designs were selected for the coins. Both feature depictions of the statue of Hibernia, the historic personification of Ireland, on top of the GPO in Dublin, the headquarters of the provisional government during the Rising.
The €2 coin, which is to be issued into general circulation in January 2016, was designed by Emmet Mullins. It features a representation of Hibernia, the centenary dates and the name ‘Hibernia’ in hand-rendered lettering influenced by the Book of Kells. This circulating €2 coin will be available in a number of collectables in brilliant uncirculated and proof quality.
The second design, by Michael Guilfoyle, will be used for the Central Bank’s gold and silver proof collector coins which will be available in March 2016. The design commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, which was read by Patrick Pearse outside the GPO on 24 April 1916. On this coin Hibernia features along with an arrangement of key words and phrases from the Proclamation. The obverse of the coin bears the traditional representation of the Irish harp and the year of issue date, 2016.
Tá Banc Ceannais na hÉireann ag eisiúint sraith bonn óir, airgid agus bonn cúrsaíochta chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar chothrom 100 bliain Éirí Amach na Cásca. Tá téama na mbonn bunaithe ar Fhorógra na Poblachta agus áirítear leo an chéad bhonn cuimhneacháin €2 a eiseofar chun ócáid i stair na hÉireann a chomóradh.
Tar éis gairm oscailte ar aighneachtaí, roghnaíodh dhá dhearadh le haghaidh na mbonn. Tá léirithe ar an dá cheann de dhealbh Hibernia, samhail stairiúil na hÉireann, ar bharr Ard-Oifig an Phoist i mBaile Átha Cliath, ceanncheathrú an rialtais shealadaigh i rith an Éirí Amach.
Is é Emmet Mullins a dhear an píosa boinn €2, a eiseofar i gcomhair gnáthchúrsaíochta i mí Eanáir 2016. Léirítear Hibernia ann, dátaí an chomórtha céad bliain agus an t-ainm ‘Hibernia’ i litreacha lámhscríofa a raibh tionchar ag an Leabhar Cheanannais air. Beidh an bonn cúrsaíochta €2 sin ar fáil i roinnt airnéisí bailitheora agus ar chaighdeán iontach slán de bhoinn nár cuireadh i gcúrsaíocht.
Úsáidfear an dara dearadh, le Michael Guilfoyle, le haghaidh bhoinn bailitheora díonta óir agus airgid an Bhainc Cheannais a bheidh ar fáil i mí an Mhárta 2016. Déantar comóradh sa dearadh ar chothrom 100 bliain Fhorógra na Poblachta, a léigh Pádraig Mac Piarais lasmuigh d’Ard-Oifig an Phoist an 24 Aibreán 1916. Ar an mbonn sin tá Hibernia mar aon le sraith focal agus frásaí tábhachtacha ón bhForógra féin. Ar éadan an bhoinn tá an léiriú traidisiúnta den chruit Ghaelach agus bliain na heisiúna, 2016.