Around AD 997 the first Irish coin, a silver penny, was produced in Dublin by Viking traders and merchants. So began the history of Irish coinage whose fortunes rose and fell in tune with historical events and the succession of monarchs. This chronological history of Ireland's coins from the first Viking coins to the 2002 Euro tracks the motives and needs of each king and queen in striking new coinage, how coinage affected trade and commerce, and people's everyday lives, and looks at periods of decline and debasement and re-organisation.