1. Surrender letter from Pádraig Pearse - €700,000In May 2005, previous records were shattered when a letter of surrender penned by Pádraig Pearse sold at the James Adam's Salesrooms for €700,000.
The letter was signed and dated April 30th, 1916. This remains the highest price on record for an artifact dating back to this period of Irish history.
2. The Proclamation of Independence - €390,000
This is the highest price achieved for an original copy of the Proclamation of Independence. It was sold in 2004 through an auction at Adam's. It is believed that approximately 30 copies have survived, but the exact number is not known.
It is likely that there were more in existence, but due to the flimsy paper from which they were made, many copies are thought to have been destroyed.
3. Anglo-Irish coin - €127,000
A record price of €127,000 was paid for an Anglo-Irish 1642 gold coin sold through Whyte's auction house in 2000. Known as a pistole, it is Ireland's only medieval gold coin, and only eight are believed to be in existence.
4. Belleek pottery - €23,300
The record price for Belleek pottery sold in Ireland is €9,500 for a porcelain piece of two ballet dancers sold at Adam's last November. However, according to Belleek, distinguished provenance can catapult value, and in the mid-1990s a Belleek tea set once owned by US president John F Kennedy fetched $32,000 (€23,300) at auction.
