Series B SPECIMENS

[billyf1]

Always like to share my acquisitions of rare notes.

Below is the Series B set that I've recently obtained. These were exceptionally hard to get in UNC condition (the £50 in particular).

[Mac]

That's a nice set.
£20 was always my favourite of this series.

These Specimen notes are undervalued when their rarity is considered.

[ThePloughman]

£5 is my favorite - I was a kid back in Ireland when these came out first.

[DOC]

Here is an example of the £1 specimen note.

[billyf1]

So, my understanding is that the following prefixes on SPECIMENS exist (from PMI):

£1 BBB, AAA, EEE
£5 AAA* (Whitaker/Murray) + an AAA (Murray/O'Murchu), LLL
£10 AAA, EEE
£20 EEE* (Murray/O'Cofaigh) + EEE (O'Cofaigh/Doyle)
£50 KKK

*I haven't seen these notes before, has anyone else? I see no mention of £1 AAA in Mac's book, either. It'd be interesting to see them.

Also, Pam West has a Series B £5 Specimen (Murray / O'Cofaigh) for sale, with a serial number of FFF 050097 - This has me intrigued as to how it can exist. Perhaps someone can shed some light on this?

Thanks

Bill

[DOC]

I haven't seen an AAA £1 Specimen or a £5 Specimen with the Whitaker/Murray signature.

Here is a scan of a £20 EEE Specimen with the Murray/O'Cofaigh signature combination.

[Mac]

The choice of which letter was used on Specimens and replacement notes of an denomination depended, initially, on the base letter in use for the denomination at the time.
This convention was then departed from later in the B Series notes when replacement note series were continued until they reached 999999 - at that point the base letter in use was adopted for specimens.
£1 notes illustrate this, with the usage of BBB, then DDD, then GGG. Replacement notes changed to DDD when the base letter was changed to _ _ D; then changed to G when the base letter was changed to _ _ G. Practice was then changed to using up existing series, and Replacements picked up with BBB when GGG was completed.

This partially explains the FFF 050097 marked Specimen. The date occurs around the changeover of the base letter from _ _ A to _ _ F.
The number on the note would also suggest that there are around 50,000 Replacements marked as Specimens, or left as replacements bearing the same date. This is interesting, and suggests that a decision to change the replacement letter to FFF was reversed after some notes were printed, and that some of them were used up as Specimens.

All of the prefix information is in my 1999 book on Irish notes.

There is a story here on the 1981 FFF fiver, and we'll have to investigate it.
The Central Bank was always full of surprises, and previously unknown replacement dates have turned up.
If 50,000 FFF replacements dated in 1981 were put into circulation, they would have been noticed by the collector community, which was far more active then than it is currently.

It is important to note that replacement notes were not necessarily put into circulation on their date of issue, generally they lagged behind and could have entered circulation at any time after their date.

[Mac]

E was the base letter for the £1 note in 1982, hence the Specimen with prefix EEE.
I have not seen a Specimen AAA for the £1 note. This might be a typo - need to see a scan or an example of a note.

L is an interesting prefix, as it was scattered, being used on £10 notes, and on £20 notes. I speculate that it might have also been the intended base letter for the £100 note. - I'd have to look in-depth to try and work out why it was used on the 1983 £5 specimen.
Have a look at the book, you might be able to work it out from there, as the sequences are listed on pages 121-125.
The prefixing system of £5 notes is also scattered, and was very complicated to record when we were doing it!

The choice of letters for the £10 specimens does not fit with other denominations.
CCC and HHH would have been expected, AAA and EEE were used! Your guess is as good as mine here.

[billyf1]

E was the base letter for the £1 note in 1982, hence the Specimen with prefix EEE.
I have not seen a Specimen AAA for the £1 note. This might be a typo - need to see a scan or an example of a note.

L is an interesting prefix, as it was scattered, being used on £10 notes, and on £20 notes. I speculate that it might have also been the intended base letter for the £100 note. - I'd have to look in-depth to try and work out why it was used on the 1983 £5 specimen.
Have a look at the book, you might be able to work it out from there, as the sequences are listed on pages 121-125.
The prefixing system of £5 notes is also scattered, and was very complicated to record when we were doing it!

The choice of letters for the £10 specimens does not fit with other denominations.
CCC and HHH would have been expected, AAA and EEE were used! Your guess is as good as mine here.

Wow, Mac. Very interesting read. I guess I'm off to buy your book

It is this in-depth knowledge that really intrigues me, Mac, and DOC.

Thanks a million for your reply.

[Mac]

I guess I'm off to buy your book

You can probably find it in a library.
Alternatively, you can get one from me