Eileen Gray €10 Silver Proof Coin 2016

The 2016 €10 silver proof coin is the first in a new five-year Europa Star silver coin programme commemorating the ‘Ages of Europe’. The 2016 theme is ‘Modern 20th Century Europe’ and is inspired by the architectural designs as featured on the €500 banknote. This coin is also the Central Bank of Ireland’s first collector coin to commemorate the achievements of an Irish woman.

Eileen Gray was born in Enniscorthy in 1878 but lived the majority of her life in France. She became a pre-eminent figure within the Modernist movement and was initially acclaimed for her work with lacquer. Her notable later works include the modernist villa E-1027, the accompanying ‘E-1027 table’ and her armchair 'Fauteuil aux dragons', which sold at auction in 2009 for €22m. Gray’s designs were often praised for their functionality in addition to their aesthetic form. Gray lived to see a resurgence of interest in her work in the 1970s and her famous Brick Screen has become an icon of modernist design.

This silver proof coin was designed by Sandra Deiana. Sandra says she was 'immediately struck by the idea of designing a coin to pay tribute to a female artist who worked in a period when it was still difficult to succeed in the world of work, especially in the arts [...]  I wanted to emphasize Gray’s great contribution to the "International Style” of twentieth century Europe [...] Among her many works, I find "Screen" to be emblematic of her entire artistic career and therefore ideally represents the best of her artistic potential'.

This proof coin comes in a presentation box with a certificate of authenticity. The diameter of this coin is 38.61mm and it weighs 28.28g. The coin is struck in .925 Sterling Silver and is strictly limited to 6,000 pieces.