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50 Pounds Northern Bank
| Issuer | Northern Bank Limited |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Pounds |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The upper centre of the note is occupied by a vignette of sailing ships at sea, framed by fine guilloche ornamental borders running along both vertical margins. The denomination FIFTY is rendered in large bold letterpress across the centre of the note, with the bank title NORTHERN BANK LIMITED arched above. The date 1st January 1943 appears at the top left and right, with serial numbers flanking the central vignette, and a manuscript signature of an authorised signatory appears at the lower right. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in blue and consists of three large circular guilloche rosettes arranged horizontally. The central rosette, the largest of the three, contains an elaborate interlaced monogram of the letters NBC within concentric rings of fine lathe-work patterns. The two flanking rosettes each bear the numeral 50 within similarly intricate guilloche designs, with no further lettering present. |
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| Comments |
Northern Bank Limited occupied an unusual position in Irish banking history — a Belfast-headquartered institution issuing notes denominated in pounds sterling rather than the Irish punt, serving a jurisdiction that remained part of the United Kingdom while the south pursued its own monetary path. The 1943 date places this note squarely in wartime conditions, when paper and printing resources were constrained and high-denomination notes saw limited street circulation.
Perkins, Bacon & Petch had been producing security printing for colonial and commercial banks for over a century by this point, and their intaglio work is consistent throughout the Northern Bank series. The £50 face value kept this note largely in interbank and commercial use — retail handling was rare.