COLLINS, Michael. Typed Letter Signed in Irish (“Mícheál Ó Coileáin”) as Minister for Finance of Dáil Éireann, concerning the National Loan. Department of Finance, Mansion House, Dublin, 21 July 1920.

One page, quarto, on official bilingual Dáil Éireann / Department of Finance letterhead, dated 21 July 1920, signed in ink "Mícheál Ó Coileáin" as Aire Airgid (Minister for Finance). Addressed to Mr J. P. Cooney, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Collins formally acknowledges receipt of £255 5s. sterling, requests the relevant application forms covering the subscription, and reports the remarkable success of the Dáil Éireann National Loan, writing: "You will be glad to hear that at the time of writing the Loan total is not far short of £320,000." Fine condition.

A superb official letter linking Michael Collins directly to one of the most important financial initiatives of the Irish revolutionary government. An exceptional survival of Collins's ministerial correspondence, signed in Irish at the height of the War of Independence.

The Dáil Éireann National Loan, organised by Collins following the establishment of the First Dáil in 1919, was one of the most successful and innovative fundraising campaigns in Irish history. Denied access to conventional sources of finance, the revolutionary government relied upon public subscriptions to establish and sustain the institutions of the Irish Republic. The funds financed the civil administration, republican courts, diplomatic activity abroad and the wider struggle for independence.

As Minister for Finance, Collins personally directed the campaign and remained closely involved in its day-to-day administration. Written on official Department of Finance stationery, this letter demonstrates the efficiency with which subscriptions were acknowledged and processed, while also providing an important contemporary progress report. By 21 July 1920, Collins records that the National Loan had already reached almost £320,000, a figure that would soon exceed £370,000 within Ireland, with further substantial subscriptions received from the United States.

Letters signed by Collins in his official ministerial capacity are increasingly scarce, particularly those directly connected with the administration of the National Loan, one of the financial foundations upon which the revolutionary Irish state was built. This is an exceptional historical document illustrating both Collins's administrative abilities and the practical operation of Dáil Éireann during the struggle for independence.

(File C)