Over the past few years, a lot of banknotes from the Agricultural and Commercial Bank have turned up in auctions and other sales, images of many of them have now been added to the website.
There are three types of note issues known, covering £1, 30 Shillings, 35 Shillings, £3, £5 denominations.
Also added to the website is a section on Agricultural and Commercial Bank of Ireland Branches 1835-1839, with an image where available of a banknote from every branch of the bank. Hopefully, this gallery will grow over time, as more notes turn up.
Yes, I have been gathering pics of the Agrucultural & Commercial notes for a good few years.
Some of these pics pre-date the internet!
Denominations other than £1 are very scarce.
Examples from a good few of the branches remain to be added. Not sure how many have been seen though, or if a note has survived from each of the branches.
Lots to be done there yet.
Agricultural and Commercial Bank of Ireland, 30 Shillings Parsonstown branch.
Image added to the listing of Agricultural and Commercial Bank's branches. Parsonstown had had its name changed from Birr in 1620. In 1899 the name was changed back to Birr. It is a large prosperous town in the middle of Ireland.
Here's a new addition to the line-up, sent in by email by a Forum Member (many thanks to the sender), an Agricultural & Commercial Bank £10 note fragment.
Part of the first issue, dated in 1835 (May, I'd guess), it doesn't have a serial number of a signature, making it most likely unissued.
It is a pity there isn't more of the note extant.
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Agricultural-and-Commercial-Bank-10-Pounds.jpg (25.92 KiB) Viewed 15485 times
It's great to see a new high denomination turn up. Little doubt about May 1835 and Cork Branch too ! The border design looks similar to the £1 note of this issue.
I noticed this Yorkshire Agricultural & Commercial Banking Company £5 note in a recent DNW auction and was struck by the similarity of the design to Agricultural & Commercial Bank of Ireland notes, particularly those of Series B. This may not be a coincidence as the two banks operated during similar time periods and had the same printer, W.H.Lizars.
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Yorkshire Agricultural & Commercial Banking Co. 5 Pound Specimen ca. 1836-1842.jpg (140.06 KiB) Viewed 9317 times
Doesn't look like a coincidence! The style of the FIVE leaps out at you straight away! And the vignette is quite similar to that or the Irish notes also.
Here is an Agricultural & Commercial Bank £1 of the Third Series issued by Roscrea branch. This branch had not been seen for this design type until it appeared recently at auction.
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Agricultural & Commercial Bank 1 Pound 1st Feb. 1839 Roscrea.JPG (135.51 KiB) Viewed 8945 times
Here is an example of an Agricultural and Commercial Bank of Ireland £1 issued by the Kilkenny Branch which recently came to light. This is the first example of a Series C note from the Kilkenny Branch observed to date.
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Agricultural & Commercial Bank of Ireland 1 Pound 5th Dec 1839 Kilkenny.jpg (129.7 KiB) Viewed 6401 times
Here is a nice example of a 1st Series 30 shillings proof note issued by the Cork Branch of the Agricultural & Commercial Bank of Ireland. PMI reports this note, dated 1st May 1835, but I have not seen an image until now.
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Agricultural & Commercial Bank of Ireland 30 Shillings Proof 1st May 1835 Cork.JPG (126.11 KiB) Viewed 3812 times
After some investigation, I found the original source of the Series 1 (Series A), 30 Shillings note; a recent auction of specimen notes at Spink. Overall an interesting group of notes with some previously unrecorded types. Here is an Agricultural and Commercial Bank of Ireland note of different design. This would appear to be a Series 2 (Series B) note. The branch of issue would have been subsequently added by hand along with the serial number and date.
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Agricultural & Commercial Bank of Ireland 30 Shillings Proof ca. 1837-1838.jpg (100.29 KiB) Viewed 3729 times
This 25 shillings proof note is an unusual denomination for the Agricultural and Commercial Bank of Ireland. The design suggests it is part of the Third Series (Series C) dating from 1836-1839. No issued examples of the 25 shillings denomination have been seen to date.
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Agricultural & Commercial Bank 25 Shillings Proof ca.1836-1839.jpg (85.13 KiB) Viewed 2413 times