Experts leave collectors all smiles

THERE were smiling faces all round yesterday as delighted collectors of coins, photographs and other priceless memorabilia left Waterford City Archives.

As part of Heritage Week celebrations, city archivist, Donal Moore, arranged for five experts to be on hand to offer free valuations and advice to those who dropped in to the city centre office.

“This has been an eye-opener,” Mary McCarthy from Co Waterford said as she left the office beaming. “I brought in books, historical books, which have been in the family.

“I was told that they are extremely valuable and that I should have them insured. They also gave me information about how best to store and preserve them. I have no intention of selling them but it’s great to know they are worth a lot too.”

It was a very personal journey for a Kilkenny woman who brought in a coin.

“They were very good. They looked up loads on the internet for me and everything. I brought in this old five-shilling piece, an 1889 Queen Victoria.

“It came from my mother-in-law, who got it from a friend. She gave it to my husband, who handed it to me as a token on our wedding. That was 43 years ago on our wedding day. It’s worth about e50, maybe a bit more. I’m not selling it. But it was lovely to get to know more about it,” the woman, who declined to give her name, said.

Derek McCarthy from Ballybeg in Waterford had hoped to get a valuation on a coin he brought in — a 1643 William and Mary.

“They told me I should go to Dublin to get it valued,” he said. “They advised me who to see. It’s not of massive value because of the condition it’s in.

“I found it in the house. I don’t know where it came from. I’m a little bit disappointed I didn’t hear more about it but that’s the way it goes.”

City archivist Donal Moore was thrilled with the response. “We’ve had queries from people all over the country, from Derry to Donegal to Limerick,” he said.

“It’s been a huge team effort. I roped in a few friends to help with the valuations. Orla Scully, an archaeologist, has been tremendous, as has Rosemary Ryan from the Museum, who has been looking at various objects.

Mary Conway from the city library has been doing book evaluations and Tom Carroll, who is an expert in book bindings and repairs, has also been busy.”

Mr Moore was busy examining old photographs and archive material and was thrilled with the response. “The whole idea to run something like this came to me on a hammock in the Algarve in June,” he said. “I came home, bounced the idea off a few people and we decided to run with it.”