Republic of Ireland bond certificate with printed signatures of Seán Ua Núnaín, Registrar and Eámon de Bhailéara, President, dated January 21st, 1920.
Bonds were sold to raise funds for Dáil Éireann and the Irish Republic during the War of Independence – Éamon de Valera, president of the first Dáil, issued the bonds in 1920 during the War of Independence. During his American tour, de Valera raised over five million dollars through the sale of republican bonds. In the aftermath of the Irish Civil War, a dispute arose regarding the money raised by the earlier sale of the republican bonds in America. De Valera claimed the funds on behalf of his party. The Free State government, under President William T. Cosgrave, claimed the funds on its behalf. While the Irish High Court remitted half the funds to the Irish government, the other half remained on deposit in New York. In 1927, the New York Supreme Court ruled for neither Cosgrave nor de Valera and ordered that the balance of the funds be returned to the original subscribers.
