Bank ignored Joyce coin warnings

The Central Bank was warned of potential design and copyright problems before issuing a flawed James Joyce commemorative coin last month — but went ahead regardless.

Documents obtained by RTÉ News under freedom of information legislation show that Department of Finance officials flagged the possibility of difficulties with the Joyce estate on a least two occasions.

The coin was issued anyway on Apr 11 and sold out, despite an error in text taken from Joyce’s most famous work, Ulysses. The coin, which also bore an image of the author, was described by Joyce’s grandson, Stephen Joyce, as “one of the greatest insults to the Joyce family that has ever been perpetrated in Ireland”.