Northern Ireland - 5 pounds
Northern Ireland - 5 pounds - 2000 - P202
This commemorative issue from Northern Ireland, issued by the Northern Bank in 2000, is a little bit bizarre. Because why is there an American Space Shuttle on a banknote from Northern Ireland? The polymer banknote was issued to commemorate the new milennium and shows the ascent of mankind. From the folder in which some of the banknotes were issued:
On the front at the foot, the beginning of the Universe, incorporating an Alpha motif. Moving up, we see the birth of our solar system with the Earth as a transparent coloured disc and the advent of Christianity depicted by the Star of Bethlehem in the top right corner. On the reverse, the large star at the foot now represents our sun and, as we travel upwards through waves of time, we reach our world, where man has conquered both land and sea. With the watch again representing time (its hand set at midnight) we are marking a new beginning, reaching through technology back towards space and the stars where it all began.
The space shuttle can be seen as a representation of mankind's goal to reach for the stars.
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