Northern Ireland: New polymer vertical motif banknotes featuring “Living in Nature” enter circulation

The Ulster Bank Plc, a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland has released (27th February) two of their new denominations which are launched as part of a new family of vertically designed banknotes entitled “Living in Nature,” Initially unveiled in May 2018, the new banknotes carry the date 12 APRIL 2018 along with the signature of Ross McEwan, chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group of which the Ulster Bank is a part of. The £5 and £10 notes are produced on polymer, and the Ulster Bank is now making the move to this substrate as the Bank of England has done with the issue of these same denominations. The new notes also include advanced security features that will make the notes much more difficult to counterfeit. The new series was developed by a panel of experts and people from across Northern Ireland, affording them an opportunity to show the creativity and talent of local people.

£5 banknote, blue — 125 by 65 millimetres: Featured on the back is Strangford Lough, a large sea loch or inlet in County Down in the east of Northern Ireland. The design also features people running along the beach, poignantly representing much of the island’s history of migration and family separation, with many among the Irish immigrating to America during the last two centuries. A king scallop from Strangford Lough is placed in the lower-right corner, a reminder of the many who earned their living on the seas as fishermen. Also featured in this new innovative design is an image of Brent geese in flight. Every autumn, these birds leave their breeding grounds in East Canada and travel to Ireland to spend the winter, typically making Strangford Lough their home. The face side includes the image of a sprig of fuchsia, commonly found in hedgerows and is featured in tourist leaflets throughout Northern Ireland.

£10 banknote, brown — 132 by 69 millimetres: Featured on the back side are images of a farmer plowing farmland adjacent to Lough Erne, the two connected lakes in County Fermanagh, which is the second-biggest lake system in Northern Ireland and Ulster. Also shown is the Irish hare, which is one of the island’s longest established indigenous species of mammal. Displayed on the face side is the Guelder rose shrub. These beautiful deciduous plants are well-known for their light fragrance and cream petal displays. They thrive alongside lakes, in hedgerows and in thickets across the Northern Irish countryside, sometimes reaching four metres (12 feet) high. A Cryptic Wood white butterfly, which is only found in Northern Ireland, is shown just to the lower right.

The notes also include new security features such as:

Colour shifting ink: This application is in the shape of the Ulster Bank logo, and is located in the upper-right corner as viewed from the face. When the note is tilted, the colour of the logo shifts colour, and, depending on the denomination, the colours can change from blue to green (£5) or from gold to brown (£10).

Embossing application: An embossed single numeral can be seen and felt on the note’s clear window.

Tactile application: A series of raised dots are located on the £10 and can be felt on the upper left corner when viewed from the face side. These tactile dots are used to identify the note for visually impaired persons.

Iridescent ink application: As seen on the face’s left side when the note is tilted in light, an iridescent print is visible. On the £10 note, a single rose bloom as well as a cluster of Guelder roses can be seen. On the £5 note, a fuchsia blossom is seen along with a cluster of leaves.

UV printing: On the back is the numeral of the denomination of the banknote, as well as an image of a parent and child holding hands, and a display of Glade Ulster potatoes, a strain developed in County Antrim. Ulster Bank currency notes are redeemable for use primarily in Northern Ireland and always exchangeable for Bank of England banknotes. For additional information about Ulster Bank and other Northern Ireland currency notes, please visit the website of the Association of Commercial Banknote Issuers (ACBI).

❑

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!