Northern Ireland

The Bank of Ireland , like other Northern Ireland banks, decided to abandon paper and print their banknotes on polymer. We offer uncirculated examples of the Polymer £20 issued in the last couple of years. Featuring a vignette of the Old Bushmills Distillery. Offered in Unc condition.

In 1970, the Belfast Banking Company was absorbed by the Northern Bank. It was decided a new series of notes was called for. Each denomination was a different colour with a common design of vignettes representing agriculture, shipping and linen manufacture. As you would expect, the notes were produced both as regular notes and as Specimens. What was unusual about the £1 note issue, however, was that a small number of Specimen £1 notes were overprinted Specimen -For Training Purposes Only Non-Negotiable in red on both sides of the notes. This was no doubt to enable staff to get used to the new notes before they were issued to the public (P187a/NR87). We recently came across some of these special Training Notes in Crisp Uncirculated condition. It’s been many, many years since we have had more than one to offer to our collectors. This note catalogues £60 in Uncirculated in the Paper Money of Ireland Catalogue. While stocks last, it is available.

When Ireland was partitioned in 1922, banks from the North still operated in the South. That was until 1929 when banks from the North were obliged to operate in the North only. Notes from this changeover period are scarce and especially in choice condition. These Northern Bank £1 notes, payable in Belfast, are dated August 1929 and are in Choice A Unc condition.(P178) They have seen no circulation whatsoever and have just a faint sign of having been counted in the past. They are impressive.

Like all constituents of the British Isles, the banks in Northern Ireland have made the switch from printing banknotes on paper to polymer plastic. We are delighted to offer examples of the last Paper £10 notes issued by the Ulster Bank and dated 2012 (P341). The design follows the format of all denominations of the time with vignettes of wheat fields, Belfast Docks and the Giant’s Causeway. Crisp Uncirculated.

The Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland has issued its new polymer £20 note completing the transition from paper to polymer for this denomination. We can offer Crisp Uncirculated examples of the Ulster Bank £20 printed on paper and dated 2014 (P342b) along with Uncirculated examples of the new Polymer £20 (P-New). The paper Ulster Bank £20 features vignettes of wheat stacks in a field, a view of Belfast Docks and the Giant’s Causeway on the front and the Ulster Bank logo on the back. The polymer Ulster Bank £20 is printed vertically with Hawthorne flowers, a butterfly, eels, and a view of Lough Neagh on the front. The back, also printed vertically, has a vignette of the famous Halloween celebrations held in Derry/ Londonderry with street entertainers and their audience with eels and typical brickwork designs also featured.

Crisp Uncirculated examples of some of the last Ulster Bank £5 printed on paper. Now of course the Ulster Bank notes are gradually being replaced by polymer issues so these paper £5 have long vanished from circulation (P340)The vignettes on the front depict wheat stacks, the docks and a view of the Giants Causeway The arms on the back are on the back. Crisp Uncirculated.

The Ulster Bank followed other UK banks and changed printing their notes from paper to polymer. A £5 polymer note dated 2018 appeared in 2019. (P-New) Since then, other denominations have been reissued with different dates but the £5 note has not. This may account for the Ulster Polymer £5 being considered quite elusive and made me wonder if this is going to be the £5 polymer issue for the bank. We have been able to source new supplies in Crisp Uncirculated. Ulster Bank £5 2018 P-New Issued on polymer plastic Printed vertically Flowers/ Seashore with children on beach. Unc.