Picture this: a Pirate Queen poised to commandeer Ireland’s highest denomination—and then the ship never leaves the harbour. That’s the £100 Series B in a nutshell.
Ireland developed a Series B £100 banknote in the late 1970s–1980s with Grace O’Malley (Granuaile) on the front and a genealogical map of Ireland on the back. After a decade of design work, the Central Bank scrapped the project in the late 1980s over concerns a high denomination could facilitate illegal cash movement—and because Series C was closing in. Proofs survived; the rest is collector folklore. See Geldscheine-Online, the Central Bank’s Series B history and its £100 transcript.
What the design promised—and why it still sings
Front and centre, Grace O’Malley—the kind of portrait that looks like it might shout orders over a gale. Two carracks shoulder across the face (one bold, one ghosting the horizon), a flourish lifted from models in the archives noted by Geldscheine-Online. Peer into the numerals and you catch wild geese—a quiet salute to the Flight of the Wild Geese after the Treaty of Limerick (1691). Flip the concept over and you’re standing above a genealogical map of Ireland after John Goghe’s 1567 “Hibernia”. It’s all sea salt and clan names—unmistakably Irish without resorting to clichés.
How it slipped the net
Then reality knocked. By the late 1980s, a new £100 risked becoming a high-octane courier for illicit cash, and the Series C redesign was making up ground like a sprinter on fresh legs. Demand for a £100 wasn’t exactly deafening either. The Bank parked the project, leaving a neat gap that lasted until 1996, when the Series C £100 (Parnell) finally took the pitch—smaller, modern, and ready for everyday pockets. See the Bank’s Series B page, the official £100 transcript, and the Series C history for the long version.
Tech Specs (at a glance)
- Series
- Series B (1976–1993 family)
- Denomination
- £100 (planned, never issued)
- Portrait
- Grace O’Malley (Granuaile), 16th-century chieftain
- Front motifs
- Historical carracks; wild-geese ornaments within numerals
- Reverse
- Genealogical map of Ireland (after John Goghe, 1567)
- Theme
- Irish history & folk heroes (complement to issued Series B notes)
- Design studio
- Servicon (Series B contractor)
- Status
- Cancelled late 1980s; proofs only
Proofs in the wild: the 2025 auction trail
When prototypes escape the studio, collectors sharpen their pencils. On 8 January 2025, Toovey’s (UK) moved a partial obverse die proof—ships present, portrait absent—for £2,200, alongside seven Grace O’Malley portrait vignettes at £850. By 25 June 2025 at Noonans Mayfair, a complete obverse proof graded PMG 64 EPQ hammered at £3,000. Details live at Toovey’s and Noonans—take a deep breath before you bid.
What stayed in wallets instead
Because Series B never fielded a hundred, the Series A £100 (Lavery) carried the load until 1996, when Series C £100 (Parnell) finally took over—trimmer format, fresh security, fewer excuses. The Central Bank’s overviews of Series B and Series C fill in the blanks.
Quick Answers
Was a Series B £100 ever issued?
Who was on the portrait?
Why was it cancelled?
Any originals out there?
Further reading & official mentions
- Geldscheine-Online: “Irland: Eine nicht ausgegebene 100-Pfund-Banknote der Serie B”
- Central Bank of Ireland: Series B (1976/82–1989/93)
- Central Bank of Ireland: Series B £100 transcript
- Central Bank of Ireland: Series C (1992/96–2000)
- Toovey’s: 8 Jan 2025—Lots 3124 & 3125
- Noonans Mayfair: 25 Jun 2025—Lot 501
- Series B overview (context & timeline)
