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5 Pounds Postal Order
| Issuer | Irish Postal Service (An Post / Department of Posts and Telegraphs) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1981 |
| Type | Cheques |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | ORDÚ POIST ÉIREANNACH IRISH POSTAL ORDER DON AIRE POIST AGUS TELEGRAFA TO THE MINISTER FOR POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS CÚIG PHUNT £5 DOSHANNTA NOT NEGOTIABLE ÉIRE 10 PENCE 10 bpingin SÍNIÚ / SIGNATURE MINISTIR POIST / POSTMASTER |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in black on white paper and set out in two columns with parallel Irish and English text. Five numbered clauses detail the conditions of use, including crossing, payment, expiry within three calendar months, and alteration rules. A bold bilingual notice at the foot advises the sender to record the payee's name before parting with the order. |
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| Comments |
Irish postal orders were issued by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs until An Post was established as a semi-state body in 1984, so this 1981 piece falls squarely under the older departmental authority. The £5 denomination was the ceiling value for Irish postal orders at the time — a deliberate limit tied to regulatory concerns about postal orders being used as informal currency substitutes rather than simple payment instruments.
Collectors sometimes overlook postal orders entirely, but the Irish series has a narrower survival rate than comparable British issues: most were cashed and destroyed by the issuing post office, with uncashed examples surviving largely by accident.