20 Euros Ploughman Banknote

The Ploughman note series — issued by the consolidated Irish banks from the 1920s through the 1970s — became a cultural shorthand for Irish economic independence after the Free State broke from sterling. The original paper notes were privately issued by banks including the Bank of Ireland and the Provincial Bank, an unusual arrangement that persisted decades longer than in most post-colonial economies. This gold restrike commemorates that lineage rather than any specific circulating piece.

The 2009 date places production squarely in the first year of Ireland's IMF-era fiscal collapse.