Banknotes
In common with the other Big Four banks of Northern Ireland, First Trust Bank retained the right to issue its own banknotes, though production ceased on 30 June 2020.[5][6] These are pound sterling notes backed by their value in Bank of England notes, and should not be confused with banknotes of the former Irish pound.
Earlier note issues by the bank were made under the bank's previous names: the Provincial Bank of Ireland Ltd. (to 1976), Allied Irish Banks Ltd. (1977–1986), and Allied Irish Banks PLC (1987–1993).
First Trust Bank's final issue of notes depicted two generic people, one male, one female. They appear as children on the £1 and £5 notes, as middle-aged on the £10 and £20, and finally as elderly on the £50 and £100. The obverse designs generally feature images associated with the Spanish Armada, commemorating the wrecking of 24 Armada ships off the coast of County Antrim in 1588:[7][8]
A £5 note featuring Dunluce Castle on the obverse and a £1 note also featuring the Girona were issued by the Provincial Bank of Ireland and by AIB, but have not been issued by First Trust Bank.
In February 2019, First Trust Bank ceased issuing its own banknotes in circulation and replaced them with Bank of England banknotes as they are withdrawn from circulation. First Trust Bank notes could continue to be used until 30 June 2022, after which time they ceased to be legal currency but can still be paid into bank accounts, or exchanged for Bank of England notes at branches of AIB (NI).
- 10 pound note featuring the ship Girona
- 20 pound note featuring the chimney at Lacada Point, Giant's Causeway, near Dunluce, County Antrim, where the Girona was wrecked.
- 50 pound note featuring a commemorative medal
- 100 pound note featuring the Spanish Armada
