Ancient, British and World Coins, Numismatic Books

Miscellaneous, Ten Pence, 1969, ira in small block capitals. Very fine (£30-40)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Irish Countermarked Propaganda Coins.

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In 1969 the Irish Republican Army split into Official IRA and Provisional IRA wings. The Provisional IRA embarked on a 30-year armed campaign against the British presence in Northern Ireland that claimed over 1,700 lives. In 1997 it announced a ceasefire which effectively marked the end of its campaign and last year destroyed much of its weaponry under international supervision. The Official IRA was involved in the Northern Troubles until 1972, when they called a ceasefire; however, their members on the ground engaged in some armed activities for the rest of the 1970s before effectively disbanding. By the 1980s they were an essentially political movement and distanced themselves from traditional republicanism