Northern Banking Company Notes Pre-1929

[DOC]

Here is an interesting pair of multi-branch £1 notes issued by the Northern Banking Company in 1916. It shows the transition from a variety with red serial numbers to black serial numbers.

[Mac]

That's an interesting pair of notes, splitting the prefix across two varieties.
I shall add those to the Northern Bank page on the main web site.

[DOC]

It is not certain which Irish Joint Stock Bank was the first to introduce multi-branch notes. However, it seems likely that it was one of the Belfast based banks in the early 1850’s. There are no early surviving notes from this period for the Belfast Banking Company but two issued notes are known for the Ulster Banking Company dated 1st July 1852. A Northern Banking Company specimen is known with just 12 branches and a date of October 1st 1851 penciled in the bottom margin (see attached).

Based on these observations, the Northern Banking Company may have been the first bank to issue multi-branch notes in Ireland.

[Mac]

Based on these observations, the Northern Banking Company may have been the first bank to issue multi-branch notes in Ireland.

I think Bank of Ireland first introduced the concept of multibranch notes, when they started issuing notes with two branches on them in addition to Dublin in the 1830s.

The earliest Bank of Ireland note with more than two branches on it that I have recorded is 1855—a protomultibranch note with 6 branches.
However, there is a gap between 1852 and 1855 where we haven't seen any notes. The Northern beats any notes in that gap that with fully engraved branches from 1851.

Thanks for the pic, I will add it to the main site listing!

[DOC]

The Northern Banking Company experimented with different designs of multi-branch notes in the early 1850’s. Here is an attractive trial design with 12 branches, most likely printed in 1850 or 1851. The design was not adopted probably because it would be difficult to accommodate additional branches in the wavy borders as the Bank expanded its network.

[DOC]

Five sub-types or variants have been observed for Northern Banking Company multi-branch £1 notes as follows:

(a) Multi-branch note with Ent’d bottom left (ca.1851-1856)
(b) Similar to (a) but with check numbers (ca.1859-1863)
(c) Ent’d now omitted but check numbers present (ca.1864-1866)
(d) Similar to (c) with check numbers discontinued (ca. 1866-1868)
(e) Similar to (d) but value panel lower left in white rather than shaded (1868-1883)

An example of Variant (a) from 1851 was posted previously. Examples of Variant b and Variant c are attached. An issued example of Variant c is known with central blue panel and is illustrated on the Irishpapermoney website. This is a one of the earliest examples of the use of a coloured panel on an Irish banknote. The function of the check numbers on the £1 notes is not known.

[ThePloughman]

Maybe check numbers are like plate numbers on the Bank of Ireland bills.

[DOC]

Good point, there is a similarity with the Bank of Ireland plate numbers. Strange though that the check numbers were only used on the £1 denomination for The Northern Banking Company.

[DOC]

Here are examples of the Variant d and Variant e £1 Northern Banking Company notes. In the 1875 specimen, extra branches have been added to the main body of the note bottom left, as the frame bordering the note is full.

[Mac]

...check numbers were only used on the £1 denomination for The Northern Banking Company.

Possibly a reflection of a much larger issue of £1 notes than of other denominations.

[DOC]

Yes, the lower issue rate of the higher denominations probably explains why check numbers were not required. The absence of check numbers reduces the number of design variants for Northern Banking Company multi-branch £5 notes to three as follows: Variants a, Variant d and Variant e.

(a) Multi-branch note with Ent’d bottom left (ca.1851-1863)
(b) Similar to (a) but with check numbers (ca.1859-1863)
(c) Ent’d now omitted but check numbers present (ca.1864-1866)
(d) Ent’d now omitted (ca. 1864-1868)
(e) Similar to (d) but value panel lower left in white rather than shaded (1868-1883)

Examples of the known £5 design variants are attached.

[DOC]

Only two Variants have been observed for Northern Banking Company £10 notes, namely, Variant a and Variant d. Unlike the £1 and £5 notes, the appearance of the value panel was not changed.

[DOC]

Only two Variants have been observed for Northern Banking Company multi-branch £20 notes. Variant a was issued circa 1851-1863 and would have had an area for an Ent’d signature, bottom left. The second Variant d has Ent’d omitted with issue dates circa 1864-1883. An example of Variant d is attached.

[DOC]

Here is a £50 Northern Banking Company specimen note from ca. 1858. This is believed to have been the highest denomination note issued by the bank prior to 1912. The attached example is a Variant a note, with an area for an Ent’d signature, bottom left. It is possible that a Variant d note, without Ent’d, was also issued.

It is interesting to see that there are no branches other than Belfast on the 1858 specimen note and it seems that this high denomination note was only payable at Head Office. It is possible that other branches may have been added by hand stamp making it payable at an individual branch as well as Head Office.

[DOC]

The Northern Banking Company adopted limited liability on the 1st September 1883 with the bank title changing to ‘Northern Banking Company Limited’. The first notes had 46 branches changing in 1888 to 47 branches with the addition of Dublin. At this point the design was changed to include Belfast and Dublin as Principal Offices over the denomination panels. Hence, the notes with 46 branches can be considered as a distinct type as illustrated on the Irishpapermoney site.

Here are examples of £1 notes of this type with 46 branches, an 1883 proof and an issued note dated 1st September 1886.

[Mac]

Thanks for posting the 1886 £1 note, I will add it to the Northern Bank pages on the web site.

[DOC]

Here are examples of proof £5 and £10 notes from 1883 with 46 branches. Issued examples of these notes are not known outside the bank’s archives.

[DOC]

Here is an example of a proof £20 note from 1883 with 46 branches.

[DOC]

Here is a £50 Northern Banking Company Limited proof note from ca. 1883. It is interesting to see that there are no branches other than Belfast and it seems that this high denomination note was only payable at Head Office. It is possible that other branches may have been added by hand stamp making it payable at an individual branch as well as Head Office.

[DOC]

The Northern Bank took over the business of Ball & Co. (Dublin) in 1888 and established a branch there. From 1888, the note designed was modified adding Belfast and Dublin as principal offices, top left and top right, above the serial number panels.

Here is an example of a £1 note of this type dated, 1st June 1894. The note is uniface. Reverse printing was introduced in 1907 for the £1 notes.