5 pounds 1979
About This Note
This is an uncirculated 1979 Central Bank of Ireland 5 Pounds note (Pick P-71c) featuring a striking portrait of John Scotus Eriugena, the 9th-century Irish philosopher, rendered in fine black and white engraving on a cream/beige background. The note exhibits exceptional condition with crisp printing, vibrant burgundy and brown accent colors, and intricate Celtic knotwork patterns that reflect Ireland's cultural heritage. This example represents the middle period of the 1976-1993 series and is notable for its bilingual English-Irish inscriptions and sophisticated security features including fine-line engraving and complex background patterns.
Common. The 5 Pounds denomination from the 1976-1993 Central Bank of Ireland series was issued in substantial quantities throughout its production period, with no evidence of limited print runs, recall, or scarcity. Notes from 1979 are well-represented in the secondary market. UNC examples circulate regularly among collectors at modest valuations (typically $15-40 USD), consistent with common-grade modern Irish banknotes. Absence of any documented varieties, overprints, or unusual serial number characteristics further supports common classification.
The Central Bank of Ireland's 1976-1993 series honored significant Irish historical and cultural figures, with this 5 Pound denomination featuring John Scotus Eriugena, a 9th-century Irish-born philosopher whose work profoundly influenced medieval European thought. The reverse depicts medieval manuscript artwork reflecting Ireland's rich monastic and scholarly traditions during the early Christian period. The bilingual presentation in English and Irish Gaelic underscores the cultural nationalism of 1970s Ireland and the government's commitment to Irish language preservation during a period of economic development and growing European integration.
The obverse (front) features a portrait of John Scotus Eriugena (c. 800-877), the renowned Irish Neoplatonic philosopher whose name means 'John the Irish-born,' rendered as a bearded elderly man in left-facing profile using classical engraving technique. He is depicted with wavy, curly hair characteristic of medieval scholarly depictions. The portrait is accompanied by elaborate Celtic interlace knotwork patterns and ornamental geometric borders in burgundy and brown, reflecting early medieval Irish artistic traditions. The reverse displays a stylized mythological or heraldic creature—likely a phoenix or Celtic mythological beast—in burgundy line art, symbolizing Ireland's cultural continuity and medieval manuscript heritage. The cream/beige background and two-color printing scheme (burgundy and brown accents with black engraving) creates visual harmony while maintaining security through fine-line detail work.
FRONT SIDE: 'Banc Éireannais' (Irish Bank), 'Nach-Éireann' (of Ireland), 'an Ghobanóin' (the Goldsmith - likely referring to Eriugena's intellectual contributions), 'Eireann' (Ireland). Administrative text includes 'Tomás F Ó hEirid' (signer name) and 'Rúnaí na Roínne Airgeadais' (Secretary of the Treasury). Serial number 'ADA 396224' dated '05:06:79' (June 5, 1979). BACK SIDE: 'Central Bank of Ireland' (English legal tender declaration), 'Gorm Éireannais' (Irish Bank). Denomination '5' or '25' displayed in large burgundy numerals. Additional partial inscriptions and decorative text visible in background patterns in both English and Irish.
This note was produced using traditional intaglio engraving combined with offset lithography for the background and secondary color elements. The portrait of Eriugena demonstrates fine-line engraving characteristic of Central Bank of Ireland currency security printing, while the Celtic knotwork borders and decorative elements employ lithographic technique. The fine background pattern with complex text detailing serves as a security feature against counterfeiting. For this 1976-1993 series, the printing was typically handled by Thomas De La Rue & Company or the Irish security printer Giesecke+Devrient, though specific printer attribution for P-71c would require additional research into Central Bank of Ireland archives.
This example is dated 05:06:79 (June 5, 1979) with serial number prefix 'ADA' and serial number 396224. The signature block shows 'Tomás F Ó hEirid' as Secretary of the Treasury. For Pick P-71c specifically, varieties within the 1976-1993 series typically relate to different signature combinations and serial number prefixes corresponding to different issuing periods. The 'ADA' prefix and 1979 date place this in the earlier portion of the series' circulation period. No overprints, printer marks, or unusual security feature variations are evident in this example.
