Collection PL

About 1994.pl

Bolivia’s paper-money story at the turn of the twentieth century mirrors its economic shift from silver to tin and the consolidation of a young banking sector. The boliviano— introduced in the nineteenth century—circulated under a mix of private and state-chartered banks whose notes carried local branding, counters, and security features commissioned from overseas engravers.

Foreign printers—especially the American Bank Note Company—left a distinct imprint on Bolivian design: tight guilloche, balanced lathe-work, and formal imprints at the margins. Before serials, stamps, and handling entered the picture, printers created specimens and proofs in small numbers to approve plates and color. Those archival pulls now survive as plate-true records of the intended layout and are often the only pristine witnesses for types whose issued notes are rare or heavily worn.

In the early 1900s Bolivia moved toward tighter supervision and later centralized note policy under a national bank, but this pre-consolidation period remains essential for understanding the country’s engraving lineage and monetary practice. Use the filters above to pivot by type or year; the selections below sample proofs and a specimen that frame this transition without repeating card-level descriptions.

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Bolivia 1904 Banco Nacional 5 Bolivianos specimen, PMG 64

Bolivia 1904 - Banco Nacional 5 Bolivianos Specimen (Pick S2143s)

Graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated and standing at the top of the population report, this example ranks as the finest known for the type. Beyond rarity, it illustrates both the artistry of BWC’s export engravings and the transitional stage of Bolivia’s financial system in the early 1900s-when private banks carried national currency responsibility. As such, it is a cornerstone type for collectors of Bolivian paper money and a reference piece for the study of South American banknote history. Read more →

BoliviaSpecimen19045 BolivianosPMG 64 (Top Pop) S214sTop PopBanco NacionalBradbury WilkinsonBWCBolivia 20th CenturyBolivia19045 BolivianosAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations
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Bolivia 1903 Banco Agrícola 5 Bolivianos ABNC proof pair (Pick S102pp1 S102p2)

Bolivia 1903 - Banco Agricola 5 Bolivianos Front Progressive Proof and Back Proof Pair (Pick S102pp1, S102p2)

The American Bank Note Company imprint is visible along the lower margin of the front, linking the design directly to the New York security printer responsible for the engraving and production work. The fine line engraving, dense border construction, denomination counters, ornamental lettering, layered security patterns, and triple CANCELLED control overprint document both the artistic and administrative handling of the proof. Read more →

BoliviaFront & Back Proof19035 BolivianosPMG 63 (Top Pop) ABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyTop PopBanco AgrícolaBolivia19035 BolivianosBanco Agricola 5 BolivianosBolivian BanknoteBolivian Paper MoneyBolivian CurrencyPrivate Bank IssuePrivate BanknotePrinter's ProofPrinters ProofProof PairMatched Proof PairFront Progressive ProofProgressive ProofBack ProofReverse ProofBanknote ProofProduction ProofArchival ProofSecurity PrintingCANCELLED OverprintRed CANCELLED OverprintTriple CANCELLED OverprintThree CANCELLED OverprintsRed Control OverprintPrinter Control MarkingCancelled ProofCancelled Progressive ProofSecurity EngravingIntaglio PrintingIntaglio ProofGuillocheGuilloche Security DesignLathe WorkOrnamental BorderEngraved BanknoteAmerican Security PrintingLatin American BanknoteLatin American Paper MoneyLatin American FinanceEarly 20th Century BanknoteEarly 20th Century FinanceAgricultural BankAgricultural FinanceRural FinanceAgricultural CreditAgricultural VignetteRural VignetteLivestock VignetteCattle VignetteInstitutional Building VignetteBank Building VignetteFive BolivianosCinco BolivianosDenomination 55 Bolivianos ProofBanco Agricola ProofBanco Agricola BanknoteBanco Agricola BoliviaABNC BoliviaAmerican Bank Note Company BoliviaNew York Security PrinterBanknote Production ProcessBanknote Design StudyBanknote Printing ProofFront and Back ProofMatched Front and BackProduction Stage ArtifactArchival Production MaterialPrinter Archive MaterialSpecimen and Proof CollectingNumismatic ProofPaper Money ProofBolivian NumismaticsBolivia Banking HistoryBolivia Monetary HistoryMuseum GradeChoice UncirculatedPMG 63Pick S102pp1Pick S102p2
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Uruguay 1883 Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos specimen Pick S242s, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., separate control number 345501, number 370500 repeated on counterfoil and principal note, retained counterfoil, perforated SPECIMEN BW & Co LONDON, Christopher Columbus portrait, child vignette, ornate brown-red reverse with opposing classical female profiles, PMG 64 EPQ Top Pop

Uruguay 1883 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos Specimen (Pick S242s)

The obverse combines formal banking text with an elaborate multicolor security design. BANCO DE LONDRES Y RIO DE LA PLATA appears prominently across the upper central field, with DIEZ PESOS NACIONALES directly beneath. The payment promise reads PAGAREMOS AL PORTADOR Y A LA VISTA, followed by the large central denomination DIEZ PESOS. The lower monetary language refers to Moneda Nacional en Oro sellado and cites the law of 23 de Junio de 1862. MONTEVIDEO and the printed date 1 de Enero 1883 identify the place and date of the issue.

New Zealand 1907–1926 Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue audit-range serial-prefix specimen with dual control numbers, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., PMG 55 AU, Pop 1/1, R9 Extremely Rare

New Zealand 1907–1926 - Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue Serial-Prefix Audit Specimen (Pick S194s)

The £20 denomination occupied the highest settlement tier within the BNZ system and was deliberately executed in a blue–slate color family reserved for upper-level clearing and interbank instruments. This chromatic choice followed Bradbury Wilkinson’s established BNZ color logic, progressing from £1 Green through £5 Red and £10 Brown to the subdued blue tones of the £20, visually signaling professional handling and high-value usage.

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