Old coin found in ballymahon road area

A coin believed to be of French origin and around 170 years old was found today in the garden of a house in the Ballymahon Road area.

The dix centimes (ten centimes) Napoleon III coin was found by a homeowner digging weeds out of a flower bed.

"I've dug this bed many many times before - but obviously not thoroughly enough!" said the woman.

The coin is in poor condition, but by checking on the internet, it appears to be a coin dating from the mid 1850s.

Unfortunately, there's no fortune to be made from it: they can be bought online for around €1 on auction sites.

"But it's nice to have it - and it would be nice to know in whose pocket it came to Mullingar!" said the finder.