1 pound 1979
“19.11.79”
About This Note
An exceptional uncirculated example of the Central Bank of Ireland's 1979 £1 note (Pick 70b), featuring distinctive Celtic manuscript-inspired design elements and a classical portrait rendered in fine stippled engraving. The note displays vibrant green coloring with cream background and exhibits no wear, creases, or damage, consistent with pristine UNC condition. The dual-language Irish/English inscriptions and dated November 19, 1979 reflect Ireland's cultural identity during this post-independence period.
Common. The 1979 £1 note (Pick 70b) was issued in substantial quantities by the Central Bank of Ireland and remains readily available in the collector market. The UNC condition grade, while desirable, does not elevate rarity status as many examples exist in similar condition. No evidence of limited print runs, recall, or scarcity indicators exists for this standard circulation issue.
This 1979 issue represents the Central Bank of Ireland's commitment to incorporating national cultural heritage into currency design during the late 20th century. The prominent Celtic spiral patterns, illuminated manuscript-style elements, and classical portrait reflect Ireland's emphasis on preserving and celebrating its pre-Christian and medieval artistic traditions. The presence of Irish language text alongside English underscores the nation's linguistic and cultural priorities following independence.
The obverse features a classical long-haired male portrait in three-quarter profile, rendered in detailed stippled engraving technique on the right side of the note. The background employs Celtic spiral ornamental patterns characteristic of pre-Christian Irish manuscript art. The reverse showcases an illuminated medieval manuscript-style letter 'P' in brown and red/coral tones, surrounded by elaborate Celtic decorative borders and interlacing patterns. Both sides employ fine-line engraving to render the intricate Celtic designs, with a color palette of green, black, brown, red, and cream. The watermark area contains Celtic spiral designs for security purposes. The design synthesizes classical European portraiture with distinctly Irish artistic traditions.
FRONT SIDE: 'bomeadams na h-aoldain' (old of the library/keeper); 'an gođharnóir' (the governor); 'Tomás F Ó Súilg' (Thomas F O Sullivan); 'rúnaí na roinne airgeadais' (secretary of the department of finance); '£1' (one pound denomination); 'BJD 410092' (serial number); '19:11:79' (date of issue: 19 November 1979). BACK SIDE: 'general bank of ireland' (issuing institution); '£1' (one pound denomination); 'legal tender' (legal tender designation); 'scéillia oymo' (Celtic manuscript text, partially visible).
Intaglio (engraved) printing using stippled and line-engraving techniques for portrait and decorative elements. The note demonstrates fine line work characteristic of currency-grade security printing. The Central Bank of Ireland's currency was typically produced by De La Rue or similar specialist security printers during this period, employing multi-color intaglio processes to achieve the detailed Celtic patterns and portrait rendering visible on both sides.
This specific example bears the serial number 'BJD 410092' and is dated 19 November 1979 (the official issue date for this series). The 'BJD' serial prefix is consistent with Central Bank of Ireland notes from this period. Pick 70b designates this as part of the 1979-1980 series. No major varieties (such as significant signature variations, overprints, or color variants) are documented for this Pick number, making it a straightforward issue date example from the established series.
