1934 - Two Pristine Crisp Irish Sweepstakes Tickets
Here are two beautiful engraved Irish Sweepstakes Tickets from the 1934 Series
Wonderful mementos from the Great Depression when Lotteries and Gambling were illegal in England and the United States, but here was a dream of riches

Document Specifications: Each Sweepstakes Ticket measures approximately 5" wide x 2⅞" tall. They were printed by Dollard Ltd., Hely's Ltd., and A. Thom & Co. Ltd., Dublin Company. The ten shilling "Derby" coupon is watermarked "Warranted Swift Brook Paper made in Saggart, Ireland" on safety paper, along with intricate detailed scroll engraving to foil counterfeiting. The ten shilling "Grand National" coupon is watermarked "Warranted Irish Made by Swift Brook Paper Mills, Limited." on safety paper, along with intricate detailed scroll engraving to foil counterfeiting. These are Extremely Fine crisp mint-like coupons and guaranteed to be genuine without limit.

The Irish Sweepstakes was established in 1930 to raise funds for Hospitals in Ireland. Each of the tickets had two parts. One the purchaser kept (these coupons for example) and the other half was sent to Ireland where a limited number would be drawn from a large barrel. These tickets would be qualified for a sure cash prize  of $2000, but they would also be matched to horses running in the premier English horse racing events. In this case these two tickets were linked to the Derby and the Grand National events. The winners of the first round with their tickets matched to horses in the races stood to collect $150,000 (£30,000 which then was worth $4.80/per US dollar) if there horse came in first, $75,000 for second and $50,000 for third place. The possible winning tickets sold back and forth many times as the races approached. This particular year was memorable and a movie called Irish Sweepstakes 1934 was made about the event. A nice piece of history during the depression when lotteries and gambling were illegal in both England and the United States, but the black market supplied the customers for this lottery for a good cause.

As to the results? In the November Race that year (there were four a year) the results reached the U. S. about 10 a. m. the same day. A horse named Wychwood Abbot had come from behind to beat Commander III by a half length. Highlander was third. For the U. S. that meant the biggest slice of sweepstakes prizes it had ever won. Total receipts of the lottery had been about $16,000,000, of which an estimated $3,750,000 had come from the U. S. Back now to the U. S. in prizes would come some $2,600,000, of which the U. S. Government expects to collect about $400,000 in income taxes. Three U. S. residents held tickets on the winning horse; eight on the second; four on the third. All three top winners lived in New York City.

Price $45 for the set of 2

Offered by Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd.

End of Item - BSL - 1893 Columbian Expo Tickets

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