Picture St. Patrick’s Day: leprechauns, shamrocks, rainbows, and most importantly, pots of gold. Have you ever wondered about the origins of these iconic Irish symbols? Fascinated by all things gold, the Garfield team was curious. We did some digging, and here’s what we learned!
The Origin of St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick was a patron saint of Ireland and is credited with converting many of the Irish people to Christianity. By the time he died on March 17, 461 CE, he had established Christian churches, schools, and monasteries in Ireland.
People say that St. Patrick would use a shamrock to explain the Trinity, which is how the shamrock became one of the first images of St. Patrick’s Day. In the early days, the Irish would don a shamrock or a green article of clothing to commemorate the holiday. When Irish citizens immigrated to America, they brought those original traditions with them. Over time, the Irish-Americans expanded on traditional ways of celebrating, and St. Patrick’s Day evolved into the holiday we know today.
In the mid-19th century, Irish-Americans began ramping up St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to further honor their heritage. Several major cities became known for their St. Patrick’s Day parades, including our home city of Philadelphia. Nowadays, “St. Paddy’s” festivities include all sorts of fun – corned beef and cabbage, green beer, and even green rivers (looking at you, Chicago)!
So, how do pots of gold fit into the story of St. Patrick’s Day? It all starts with the legend of the leprechaun.
The Man, the Myth, the Leprechaun
One of the most famous emblems of St. Patrick’s Day is the leprechaun. Leprechauns originated in Irish folklore, and the legend of the leprechaun describes these small men as cunning and cranky fairy creatures who could use magical powers to trick humans. Portrayed as shoe cobblers for other fairies, leprechauns are paid for their work in gold coins.
The legends say that leprechauns keep their gold hidden, and if a human were to catch a leprechaun, they could force him to reveal where he hides his pot of gold. Of course, leprechauns typically vanish out of sight before revealing their hiding spots, but the legend continues to be shared through generations.
Gold at the End of a Rainbow
We’ve all seen the quintessential image of a leprechaun sliding down a rainbow into a pot of gold. The concept of a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow comes from a famous Irish folktale, involving two poor farmers who stumbled upon a leprechaun after a rainstorm.
As the farmers (husband and wife) pulled their last carrot out of the ground, a leprechaun came up with it, dangling from the roots. Albeit by accident, the leprechaun was captured by the farmers – so he offered them one wish in exchange for his freedom. But the farmers couldn’t come up with just one thing to wish for. They wished for many things – new tools, a new house, jewelry and more. Shocked by the farmers’ greed, the leprechaun said that they could have all they wanted and more if they found his pot of gold, which was hidden at the end of the rainbow. (Of course, there is no “end of the rainbow,” as rainbows are an optical illusion with no physical or defined endpoint.)
As with most famous lore, there’s a moral to the story: too much greed is no good. After all, leprechauns work hard making shoes to earn their gold. And they’re smart to do so, because gold is a valuable investment!
How Much is a Pot of Gold Worth?
One can’t help but wonder: if someone did find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, just how wealthy would they be? Let’s be honest – the experience itself would be priceless – but a pot of gold’s value technically depends on the size of the pot, how many coins are inside, and the current market price of gold. As of now (March 2025), gold prices are through the roof: over $2,900 per ounce. For example’s sake, let’s say that a pot of gold contains about 500 1-ounce coins. If you found that pot today, it’d be worth over a million dollars!
We may not be leprechauns, but Garfield Refining is fully stocked with gold coins! If you’re looking to invest in precious metals, browse our selection of gold and silver bullion today.
Garfield Refining has been North America’s premier precious metals refinery since 1892. If you have unwanted precious metal items that you’re looking to sell, we’ll provide you with the highest payment for your scrap!