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| Ireland One Pound Lady Lavery Banknote |
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| The Central Bank Of Ireland Lady Lavery One Pound 1976 |
Central Bank of Ireland / Banc Ceannais na hÉireann.
Obverse: Portrait of Lady Hazel Lavery in Irish national costume.
Reverse: Representation of river gods at center. River Lee water spirit.
Lady Lavery notes
The currency Act 1927 provided for the establishment of the Currency Commission Ireland and empowered it to issue, control and manage new Irish currency, the Saorstát Pound, latter termed A Series notes.
For stability the currency was linked to and exchangeable at par with the British Pound Sterling. The Irish Pound was divided into 20 Shilling and issued in seven denominations 10/-, £1, £5, £10, £20, £50, and £100.
The design of A Series banknotes were intended to have a strongly Celtic Irish flavour. The Currency Commission had specified that an archtypical Irish Cailín (Girl) should from the central theme of the design of the Legal Tender Notes. She was to symbolise of the Irish State, a type of symbol often used in the past. The banknotes were designed by Mr John Harrison, The Chief Portrait Engraver of Waterlow and Sons, Limited, London., ho where to print them. He used as the template for the Lady of the Notes a portrait by Sir John Lavery of his wife Hazel Lady Lavery.
The predominant theme on the notes is the rivers of Ireland, which are depicted as heads taken from the Custom House, Dublin. Whilst there was some uncertainty as to which rivers were depicted, it is agreed that rivers in both the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland were chosen. Each note also contains a watermark of the Head of Erin.
The A Series note design circulated from 1928 to 1982, with the £100 note remaining in use until it was replaced by a new design in 1996.