20 Pounds First Trust Bank

First Trust Bank was itself a relatively new entity when this note appeared — formed in 1991 from the merger of Allied Irish Banks' Northern Ireland operations with the TSB Northern Ireland branch network. Issuing its own sterling notes was a practical necessity rather than a commercial decision; Northern Irish banks retain note-issuing rights under legislation dating to the nineteenth century, and First Trust was obligated to back its circulation pound-for-pound with Bank of England deposits held in London.

De La Rue's production run was short. First Trust was acquired by Allied Irish Banks outright in the late 1990s, and the note-issuing programme was eventually wound down, keeping the window of issue for this series quite narrow.