Giving a Luck Penny is a very old Irish tradition originally associated with the buying and selling of farm animals. After buyer and seller agree terms, the deal is sealed by each spitting into the palm of their hands, followed by a firm (and wet!) handshake.

Luck plays a vital part in Irish folklore, so traditionally the seller then immediately gives back the buyer a "gift" of a sum of money for "Good Luck". This is an important ritual because failure to give back a Luck Penny could bring ill fortune to them both, and the Irish, being a highly superstitious people, avoid tempting Fate! Typically, both buyer and seller then retire to the local pub where the "Luck Penny" is used to buy the first round of celebratory drinks for them both.

In times gone by, when a penny had real value, this "Luck Penny" was just that, a penny. These days the "Luck Penny" gift is of much greater monetary value. Nevertheless, the tradition of referring to this gift of cash as a "Luck Penny" remains.

$14.97 $11.97

The detailed photo on the left shows why these pre-1970 pennies became known as 'hen' pennies. These pennies with the image of a hen and chickens on one side and the Irish harp on the other are now extremely rare and have become collector items. Their rarity will ensure they only increase in value making them a true good luck token!

Since these coins have not been made since the 1960's, we are very fortunate to have acquired a very limited number of uncirculated pennies! It is extremely unlikely that we will ever find their like again so, if you want to own an important piece of Irish history, act now.

A chimney sweep is another traditional good luck omen, especially if one appears at a wedding. So for extra good luck, we have shown Evin, our Irish chimney sweep holding his brush in his right hand and a Luck Penny in his left!