Irish Tavern Tokens
John Sweeney Collection
Supplemented by other collections
The Numismatic Society of Ireland worked with Fr. Gerry Rice to publish a full colour and hardback edition of Irish Tavern Tokens. This publication is the result of many years research based on the John Sweeney Collection of Irish Tavern Tokens which has been supplemented by tokens from other collections. The result is the most comprehensive publication of Irish tavern tokens to date and it brings new dimensions to the study of this branch of numismatics. The 2017 hardback edition includes a First Supplement with text and illustrations by Garry Byrne. Following its softback publication in 2013 the book has become the definitive source for these tokens and is cited by leading auction houses and researchers. Irish Tavern Tokens
Irish Tavern Tokens is written for numismatists, be they collectors or students of the subject, and it illustrates 350 examples from a catalogue of over 400 Irish tavern tokens. Most were struck by the company controlled by John Craig Parkes at the Coombe in Dublin. Individual tokens are fully described and are cross-referenced to other popular tavern token catalogues. When known, the provenance of an individual token is listed. Each piece, including the issuing proprietor, has been carefully researched and recorded and where a ‘social context’ is understood, that too is included, making the finished volume a comprehensive commentary on the licensed trade as evidenced by the tavern tokens of post-famine Dublin. For easy reference the book includes an index of types, an index of places and an index of issuers.
A feature of the book publications of NSI is to be named as a subscriber in each book. Those who avail of this pre-publication feature can opt to be named in the List of Subscribers which will be printed in the book. This is an old tradition often used for specialist publications and since its introduction many collectors have enjoyed the provenance that such a listing gives to their copy.
