1689 Gun money Shilling.Following his abdication in England, James spend some time in France and in an attempt to regain his throne he landed in Dublin in 1689. To support the cost of his campaign in Ireland James issues a coinage of brass in the denominations of halfcrown, shilling and sixpence. The so-called gunmoney coins were not only made of melted cannon as is the folk-tale but were made from brass from a variety of less romantic sources including church bells.