No more eloquent testimony to the effect of inflation can be given than the estimate for an Irish florin dating from the 1940s which is being sold by Whyte's of Marlborough Street in Dublin next week.

The florin, then the equivalent of 10p, is expected to make in the region of £10,000-£12,000 at this auction. However, it should be pointed out that the coin, dated 1943, is one of only four known in uncirculated condition and therefore is extremely rare.

In fact, only one other example of similar grade has appeared on the market during the past 10 years; this was sold by Whyte's in 1998 for £10,000. Although Friday's sale contains a number of complementary categories, many of the most interesting lots relate to money and coinage.

It is interesting to note how quickly items can increase far above their face value, provided they remain in good condition.

Such is the case, for example, with a 1961 Irish half-crown carrying the figure of a horse; as with the 1943 florin, very light wear means this item has an estimate of £350-£400. Similarly, an uncirculated sixpence from 1946 is expected to make £180-£200 and a 1930 shilling, also uncirculated, £200-£250. These are the kind of prices which would be expected for much older coinage but some examples of such actually fetch relatively low amounts.

At Whyte's next week, three contemporary forgeries of George III regal half-pennies, two dated 1775 and the third 1783, carry a collective figure of just £45-£60, and a pair of William and Mary 1692 and 1793 half-pennies £25-£30.

The earliest piece of Irish coinage on offer on this occasion is an Edward I penny from the Dublin mint; its somewhat worn condition explains why this coin bears an estimate of £30-£35.

But there are higher prices expected for later pieces, such as the £2,000-£2,500 estimate carried by a Charles I Great Rebellion period "Inchiquin" crown; another crown from the same era has the still greater price of £2,500-£3,000.

No other Irish lots in the sale approach these figures, although the £280-£300 expected for a 1804 George III Bank of Ireland six shilling token is impressive, as is the £600-£750 estimate for a 1940 Irish penny in impeccable condition. Turning to bank-notes in the same auction, an unissued three-guinea note from French's Bank in Dublin around 1810-20 should fetch £90£100 and a Provincial Bank of Ireland one-pound note from December 1839 has an estimate of £150-£200.

More recent lots in this section of the auction sometimes carry estimates barely over their original worth, such as a central bank one-hundred pound note from 1972, which is now thought to sell for between £20 and £40 more than its original face value. But a £50 note from five years later, on the other hand, has a top estimate of £200. As already mentioned, there are plenty of other categories in this sale.

These include telephone cards - a mint condition Telecom Eireann album carries an estimate of £350£400 - medals, militaria and weapons. The sale starts at 2 p.m.