5 pounds 1980

common. Market data from eBay sales demonstrates consistent availability, with UNC examples selling for $51-92 in recent years and catalogue values (2019) listing UNC at $55. While PMG has identified three variants for this base Pick number (P-49a, P-49a*, and P-49s), the base P-49a variety appears regularly in the numismatic market. Print runs for Guernsey notes from this period were substantial, and this denomination/date combination shows no evidence of scarcity or recall. The note's regular appearance in secondary market sales at moderate prices confirms common status.

Issued in 1980 by The States of Guernsey, this note commemorates the island's connection to Thomas de la Rue, who established the printing industry that became central to Guernsey's economy. The reverse imagery—Fountain Street from 1799 and the 1851 envelope-making machine—documents the evolution of this enterprise during the 19th century. Fort Grey, depicted on the obverse, represents Guernsey's strategic military history and remains an iconic landmark on the island.

This banknote employs a sophisticated commemorative design celebrating Guernsey's printing heritage. The obverse presents the Guernsey coat of arms (three lions passant guardant within a heraldic shield) enclosed in an ornate circular seal with laurel wreath border, positioned at the lower left. A large, ornamental purple numeral '5' dominates the center-top of the obverse, while a landscape vignette of Fort Grey appears in the middle-right area with fine multicolored underprinting. The reverse features a formal portrait of Thomas de la Rue (1793-1866), the founder of Guernsey's printing industry, rendered in fine line engraving characteristic of De la Rue's own high-security printing standards. The left-center displays an architectural vignette of Fountain Street, St. Peter Port as it appeared in 1799, depicting period buildings with multiple stories and Georgian/Victorian architectural styling. The lower right illustrates the mechanical envelope-making machine patented in 1851, showcasing the technological innovations that made the de la Rue company internationally prominent. Ornamental scrollwork and corner decorative elements in purple and brown tones frame all sides, with multiple denominations and security features interspersed throughout.

OBVERSE: 'THE STATES OF GUERNSEY' (the issuing authority); 'PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF FIVE POUNDS' (the traditional promise-to-pay clause); 'W.L. BULL' (signature of States Treasurer); 'STATES TREASURER' (title); 'BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATES' (authorization statement); Serial number 'A000187' (appears twice, top left and bottom right). REVERSE: 'THE STATES OF GUERNSEY'; 'FIVE POUNDS' (denomination); 'THOMAS DE LA RUE THE GUERNSEY PRINTER 1793-1866' (historical figure identification and dates); 'FOUNTAIN STREET ST. PETER PORT 1799' (landmark and historical date); 'ENVELOPE MAKING MACHINE 1851' (technology and date).

Intaglio (copperplate engraving), executed by De la Rue, London, as indicated by the printer's mark 'TDLR' (Thomas de la Rue abbreviation). The note exhibits the hallmark characteristics of security intaglio printing: fine line work throughout backgrounds, complex geometric patterns, detailed portraiture with precise line shading, intricate architectural rendering, and crisp engraved security borders. The multicolored underprinting visible on the obverse (supporting Fort Grey landscape) suggests a combination of intaglio primary printing with additional color background plates, a technique De la Rue refined during this period.

This note is catalogued as Pick P-49a, the standard variety printed by TDLR (De la Rue, London). The serial number observed is A000187. PMG records indicate two additional varieties exist for this base Pick number: P-49a* (replacement note, prefix) and P-49s (specimen note), but this example represents the regular circulation issue. The signature of W.L. Bull as States Treasurer is consistent with 1980 issue date documentation. No overprints, errors, or unusual characteristics were observed that would indicate a scarcer sub-variety.