Description and research notes
Circulation version of the 2005 Northern Bank £50, printed by Thomas De La Rue for Northern Bank Limited, Belfast. Serial range JB000001 onward, watermark Sir Samuel C. Davidson, printer imprint TDLR. This was the first newly issued note after the December 2004 robbery, part of the complete recall and redesign program that replaced every Northern Bank note then in use.
Issued on 11 January 2005, the note restored public confidence and re-established Northern Bank’s reputation. Its features include raised intaglio printing, microtext, color-shifting ink on the denomination, and latent imagery derived from the bank’s industrial heritage—Davidson’s portrait at right and his Sirocco Works turbine machinery at left. The purple and copper palette intentionally departed from the 2004 issue to ensure visual distinction.
This post-robbery £50 remains a symbol of how design and trust interact in modern currency. In circulation it is relatively scarce in high grade due to limited print runs and heavy use within Northern Ireland’s local clearing system. Example shown here retains full crispness and original paper sheen.