IF Scotland had its own currency, what would it look like? That’s the question a design student from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee has tried to answer with her stunning collection of Scottish banknotes.
Amy Dunne, who is originally from Ireland, graduated in May and is working part-time in Edinburgh while building up her portfolio.
She designed the notes using a combination of traditional hand drawn pencil illustrations and simpler, graphic elements.
The illustrations show animals native to or related to Scotland which appear on the front of the notes, with the animals’ size increasing with denomination. The reverse of the notes feature outlines of some areas of Scotland.
Dunne told The National: “I’d seen a few note redesigns online that I liked, so I wanted a project like that for my portfolio.
“Seeing all the recent discussion in regards to independence led me to the idea of designing my own interpretation of what a national Scottish currency might look like.
“I chose to focus on the natural elements of Scotland, which is why I used animals associated with Scotland, and the rugged geographical outlines of areas of the country. The unicorn was a bit tongue in cheek though.
“The traditional pencil drawings of the animals are combined with saturated colours and clean graphics for a fresh and modern feel.
“The designs are simply concept work for my own personal illustration portfolio and while I am happy that people have shown an interest in them, I won’t be trying to get them into production any time soon.”
She points out that the notes are not endorsed by nor affiliated with Bank of Scotland.
While the designs are certainly striking, Dunne says the feedback she’s had has not all been positive.
“Some of the feedback I’ve gotten is that the notes don’t have all areas of Scotland, so I would possibly redo these in the future.”
Amy Dunne’s collection of banknotes can be seen at bit.ly/Scotcurrency
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