History, Literature & Collectibles 17 october 2015

280

The Scott Medal for Valour, Third Class, unissued.

First type, plain ring suspender and cast two-piece construction, in the form of a stylised Celtic cross, the left arm bearing

the heraldic eagle of the United States of America, the right arm a harp superimposed on a sunburst, the upper and lower

arms inscribed ‘’Walter - Scott - Medal - For - Valor’’, the reverse centred by the arms of New York city surrounded by the

arms of the four provinces of Ireland and ‘’Garda Siocana na Eireann’’, with original tricolour ribbon and brooch pin (un-

named, the panel for recipient’s details unengraved).

The bronze 3rd Class medal that is offered here is produced from the same pair of dies used by Alwright & Marshall to pro-

duce the 1923 hallmarked silver 2nd Class Medal (Private Collection). The dies bear flaws, for instance, the reverses of both

medals have a small diagonal raised line of excess metal between the letters ‘A’ and ‘R’ in GARDA”.”

Estimate €800-€1,200 £590-£880

281

1927 Joseph Brennan, Chairman of the Currency Commission and Governor of the Central Bank.

A large silver cigarette box on trumpet shaped feet, engraved to the lid: Presented to Mr Joseph Brennan - by his col-

leagues in the Department of Finance - on his retirement from the Secretaryship - 12th October 1927.” London, 1926.

Together with a silver Christening cup to Joseph Brennan Jnr. dated 15th Nov. 1919. Birmingham, 1909.”

Born in Bandon, Co. Cork in 1887, Joseph Brennan studied Mathematics, then Classics at Christ Church, Cambridge. In 1911

he joined the Civil Service, rising to the finance division of the Chief Secretary’s office in Dublin Castle. In 1921 he met Mi-

chael Collins who appointed him financial adviser to the team negotiating the Anglo-Irish Treaty.In April 1922, he became

the Irish Free State’s first Comptroller and Auditor - General and in April of the following year he was appointed Secretary

of the Department of Finance, a post he held until his retirement from the Civil Service in 1927, an event marked by the

presentation of this box. Later that year he was appointed Chairman of the Currency Commission. He later became the

Governor of the Central Bank. From 1928 until his retirement in 1953 his signature appeared on all Irish Banknotes.

3 x 9_ x 5in. (7.62 x 24.13 x 12

Estimate €400-€600 £290-£440