Collection PL

Ireland — Northern 2004 — Northern Bank £50 Specimen (Pick Unlisted NR126)

Specimen of the 2004 Northern Bank £50, printed by De La Rue for Northern Bank Limited, Belfast. This pre-issue design was the last note prepared before the bank’s December 2004 robbery, the largest cash theft in UK history. The note carries the red SPECIMEN overprint and the oval NO VALUE control stamps, serial DA000000 001, and watermark of Sir Samuel C. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2005 — Northern Bank £50 Specimen (Pick 208s NR131)

Specimen of the redesigned 2005 Northern Bank £50, printed by Thomas De La Rue and issued under the new Northern Bank Limited branding after the December 2004 robbery. Serial JB000000, watermark Sir Samuel Davidson, and bold red SPECIMEN overprint across the face. This version was part of the printer’s formal reference and approval series prepared for bank and regulator use. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2005 — Northern Bank £50 Issued Note (Pick 208 NR131)

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. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2005 — Northern Bank £50 Replacement Prefix YY (Pick 208)

Replacement note for the 2005 Northern Bank £50 issue, printed by Thomas De La Rue, bearing the distinct 'YY' prefix used exclusively for replacement sheets following the 2004 Belfast vault robbery. These notes were part of the emergency replacement program that saw all pre-robbery stock withdrawn and destroyed, with new serial ranges produced under enhanced security oversight. Featuring the portrait of Sir Samuel Cleland Davidson (1846–1921), inventor and industrialist, the design celebrates Northern Ireland’s engineering legacy. ... Read more →

Ireland 1940 — Northern Bank Limited £1 (Pick 178b)

Classic pre‑decimal £1 of Northern Bank Limited, Belfast, with the dramatic blue ONE counter across the center. Maritime and industrial vignettes reflect the bank’s Ulster customer base—shipping, linen, and engineering—and the note retains the ornate Victorian border language long favored by Northern Irish issuers. This is the black‑prefix and black‑serial variety recorded for 1940 within Pick 178b. ... Read more →

Ireland 1939–40 — Belfast Banking Company Limited £1 (Pick 126b, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated)

£1 note of the Belfast Banking Company Limited, dated 9 November 1939, with the arms of Belfast and the bank’s name in a sweeping banner. The face carries the finely engraved counters "ONE" in the corners and a blue value panel through the promise text—an eye‑catching security feature on this inter‑war design. Pick 126b identifies the late 1930s series with blue serials; this example is prefixed E/M, a style used by the bank to manage branches and print batches. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 1977 — Bank of Ireland Limited £1 Specimen (Pick 247as PR101, TDLR, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated)

Specimen £1 of the Bank of Ireland Limited, dated 1 January 1977 and printed by Thomas De La Rue. The obverse features the youthful portrait at right with a shield row and Celtic motifs along the base. SPECIMEN overprint and De La Rue oval handstamps appear at left and right, and the note bears the contemporary manager signature J. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 1968–72 — Provincial Bank of Ireland Limited £1 Specimen (Pick 245s PR99, TDLR, PMG 58 EPQ Choice About Uncirculated)

De La Rue specimen of the Provincial Bank of Ireland £1, dated 1 January 1968. Classical head within a guilloche medallion at center, with the denomination framed by large sterling symbols. SPECIMEN diagonal overprint and De La Rue control ovals confirm its archival status, accompanied by a cancellation punch and specimen serial panel. ... Read more →