Catalog
1 Pound
| Issuer | Central Bank of Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Year | 1982-1985 |
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| Value | 1 Pound (1 CYP) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The right half of the note is occupied by an intaglio vignette of the nymph Acme, rendered in a classical style with flowing hair and draped figure. To the left, the arms of Cyprus appear within a circular guilloche medallion, flanked by the bilingual bank title in Greek and Turkish. The denomination MIA LIRA / BIR LIRA is printed in bold letterpress across the centre, with the date and a single signature of the Governor below. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents an intaglio view of Bellapais Abbey, the celebrated Gothic monastery in northern Cyprus, rendered in fine line engraving with arched colonnades and ruined walls set amid a formal garden. Three decorative rosette medallions are arranged in a row at the upper right, and a large blank oval watermark window occupies the lower right. The bank title CENTRAL BANK OF CYPRUS arches across the top, with the denomination ONE POUND at the foot. |
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| Comments |
Cyprus joined the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1992, but this note was already a decade old by then — issued during the years when the pound was pegged to a basket of currencies and the Central Bank was quietly building the institutional credibility it would need for eventual EU accession. The 1 Pound was the workhorse denomination of everyday Cypriot commerce in this period, and De La Rue's involvement ensured consistent quality through a run that stretched across four printing years.
P#50A is known to show minor plate wear in later printings, affecting fine-line detail in the guilloche work — worth examining under magnification when assessing higher-grade examples.