Banknotes of Ireland

Notes have been issued by individual banks and by state agencies of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Some of these merchants went on to become bankers and issued paper currency in the form of banknotes and post bills as a service.

These became the Irish private banks which issued the banknotes in use throughout Ireland for over 100 years.

Irish private banks issued a wide variety of denominations in guineas, pence, shillings, and pounds.

Private banks were small partnerships, and were limited to six partners or less by an act of Parliament[which?]

However, because of their nature as small organisations, many of the private banks failed, with their banknotes becoming worth a fraction of their face value.

[3] The Bank of Ireland also began to issue small notes pound and guinea denominations in place of gold.

This resulted in the foundation of several large joint stock banks which started to issue banknotes in Ireland.

[6] An early proof One Guinea note is known for Northern Banking Company, ca1824.

[5] This resulted in notes issued directly by the Commission and also by the eight shareholding banks.

In 1929, six banks began issuing sterling notes for circulation in Northern Ireland.