INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT



The Board of Directors
United Carolina Bancshares Corporation


     We consent to incorporation  by reference in the Registration  Statement on
Form S-8 of United Carolina Bancshares Corporation (the "Corporation")  relating
to the United Carolina Bancshares Corporation Dollar Plus Savings Plan and Trust
of our report  dated  January 17,  1996,  relating to the  consolidated  balance
sheets of United Carolina Bancshares Corporation and subsidiaries as of December
31,  1995  and  1994,  and  the  related  consolidated   Statements  of  income,
stockholders'  equity  and cash  flows for each of the  years in the  three-year
period ended  December 31, 1995,  which report  appears in the December 31, 1995
annual report on Form 10-K of United Carolina  Bancshares  Corporation,  and the
reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.  Our report
dated  January 17,  1996,  refers to the fact that on  December  31,  1993,  the
Corporation adopted the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's
Statement of Financial  Accounting  Standards No. 115,  "Accounting  for Certain
Investments  in Debt  and  Equity  Securities",  and on  January  1,  1993,  the
Corporation adopted the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's
Statement of Financial  Accounting  Standards  No. 109,  "Accounting  for Income
Taxes".  Our  report  also  refers  to the fact that on  January  1,  1994,  the
Corporation adopted the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 112, "Employers'  Accounting for
Postemployment Benefits".

We consent to incorporation  by reference in the Registration  Statement on Form
S-8 of United Carolina  Bancshares  Corporation  relating to the United Carolina
Bancshares  Corporation  Dollar Plus  Savings Plan and Trust of our report dated
January  26,  1996,  relating  to the  statements  of net assets  available  for
benefits of the United Carolina Bancshares  Corporation Dollar Plus Savings Plan
and Trust as of  December  31,  1995 and 1994,  and the  related  statements  of
changes  in net  assets  available  for  benefits  for each of the  years in the
three-year  period ended December 31, 1995, which report appears in the December
31, 1995 annual report on Form 11-K of United Carolina  Bancshares  Corporation,
and the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.

                                        /s/ KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

Raleigh, North Carolina
July 19, 1996


                                 Exhibit 23 (b)

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