Keeping You Abreast: What’s this about a misquote on the James Joyce commemorative coin?

The Central Bank has begun rolling out a limited edition €10 silver coin featuring James Joyce's face on it, but there seems to be a bit of a problem...

If you were going to fork over €46 for a limited edition €10 coin with James Joyce’s face on it, you’d expect it to be error free, right? Well, that’s not the case with the brand new limited edition €10 silver coin featuring Joyce’s face and a quote from his epic novel Ulysses.

The quote written on the coin comes from chapter three and reads as follows: "Ineluctable modality of the visible: at least that if no more, thought through my eyes. Signatures of all things that I am here to read."

The coin was designed by Mary Gregoriy and struck at Mayer’s Mint, in Germany with an issue limit of 10,000 units. It’s currently available to the public from the Central Bank on Dame Street in Dublin at a cost of €46.

But like we said, there’s been a slight problem with the printing process... Here’s what the Central Bank has to say on it’s website:

“The Central Bank acknowledges that the text on the Joyce coin does not correspond to the precise text as it appears in Ulysses (an additional word “that” has been added to the second sentence). While the error is regretted, it should be noted that the coin is an artistic representation of the author and text and not intended as a literal representation.

“The coin will continue to be available for purchase. Anyone purchasing the coin will be informed as to the error in the text. Anyone who may already have purchased the coin and wishes to return it will be facilitated with a full refund.”

In fairness, the extra misprinted word will probably only help to increase the value of the coin in years to come, but for now all you can do is leave it on your mantle and wait, or try to get it’s €10 value at the bar in Coppers. Your move.