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Punt nua

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Punt Nua (English: 'new pound'; sign: PN£) was a parody currency and internet meme devised by Irish graphic designer, Con Kennedy.[1] First published on Twitter in early December 2011,[2] within hours of publishing, the images became a viral phenomenon. Articles featuring the proposed designs for Punt Nua appeared in the Irish Independent[3] and in the Carlow People.[4] In the following days, several other Irish and international media outlets covered the proposed designs.

Origins and concept

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Kennedy developed the concept of 'Punt Nua' after hearing numerous reports in the Irish media[5] of a possible return to the Irish Pound after a possible exit from the Euro. Kennedy, who was a lecturer in Carlow IT at the time,[4] devised his own interpretation of what the new currency may look like.[6]

The designs for the parody notes featured those who Kennedy believed to be responsible for Ireland's economic problems, the post-2008 banking crisis and a possible exit from the single currency.[7][8] This figures from Irish political life and the banking sector, used in the designs, included:

The half uncial typeface used on the proposed designs for Punt Nua was designed by Kennedy in the 1990s.[9]

Media coverage

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The notes were covered on several Irish current affairs and light entertainment programmes, including RTÉ's Saturday Night Show,[10] The Daily Show[11] and current affairs programmes, such as Radio 1's Liveline,[12] TV3's Tonight with Vincent Browne,[13] 98FM News[14] and Inside Ireland.[15]

Coverage of Punt Nua extended to international media such as Forbes.com[16] and Finnish television station Yle.[17] Punt Nua was also included, by the WorldIrish.com diaspora website, in a list of viral events from 2011.[18]

An exhibition, titled Punt Nua: Creative Economics, was held in Dublin in June 2012.[19]

References

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  1. ^ "Con Kennedy Visual Communications | News | Punt Nua". Conkennedy.ie. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Introducing an Punt Nua. With the demise of the EURO insight,... on Twitpic". Twitpic.com. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Irish designer comes up with a cheeky take on images for Punt Nua if Euro collapses". Irish Independent. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Lecturer causes currency sensation". Carlowpeople.ie. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  5. ^ "RTÉ.ie Radio1: Liveline – Thursday 8th December 2011". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  6. ^ "Gossip | Fancy a Butchers at Our New Currency? | Reviewed by". entertainment.ie. 9 December 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  7. ^ "Irishman develops new Irish currency in case Euro fails". Theamerican.ie. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  8. ^ "#PuntNua Playfully Proposes New Currency for Ireland, WorldIrish". Worldirish.com. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Con Kennedy". Luc.devroye.org. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  10. ^ "Punt Nua Design featured on The Saturday Show". 8 February 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "Punt Nua designs featured on The Daily Show". Retrieved 31 July 2012 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ "Punt Nua featured on LiveLine". 8 February 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "Punt Nua designs featured on Tonight with Vincent Browne". Retrieved 31 July 2012 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ "Check Out the 'Punt Nua' Designs « 98FM: Dublin's Best Music Mix". 98fm.com. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 January 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  15. ^ McMackin, Lisa (2 December 2011). "Designer creates tongue-in-cheek Punt nua » Inside Ireland". Insideireland.ie. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  16. ^ "Wayback Machine has not archived that URL". Forbes. Retrieved 12 September 2023.[dead link]
  17. ^ "Punt Nua designs featured on Finnish TV". Retrieved 31 July 2012 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ "Reeling in the Year, WorldIrish". Worldirish.com. 29 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Taking a Punt: Art takes on corruption and recession". thejournal.ie. 2 June 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2025.