Collection

Italy 1871–72 — Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire (Specimen)

Oversized specimen of the short-lived Banca Italo-Germanica, engraved in the immediate aftermath of Italian unification. Founded in Rome with German capital, the bank intended to position itself as a bridge between northern European finance and the new Kingdom of Italy. In practice, its note-issuing project never advanced beyond archival and presentation pulls—no issued examples are known. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1916–1920 — Bank of New Zealand £5 (Pick S227bs, With Serial Prefix, Specimen, PMG 65 EPQ Top Pop)

The highest-graded Bradbury Wilkinson specimen of its era and the terminal link in New Zealand’s pre-Reserve Bank lineage. This £5 (Pick S227bs, With Serial Prefix) was printed in London by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. during the 1916–1920 wartime contract period. ... Read more →

Australia 1880–1910 — Commercial Bank of Australia £100 (Pick Unlisted, Specimen)

A monumental survivor from Australia’s private banking era, this £100 note ranks among the most important colonial-era specimens known. Printed circa 1880–1910 for the Commercial Bank of Australia Limited, it predates the 1910 Australian Notes Act that abolished private currency issuance. Engraved by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1870–1890 — Bank of New Zealand £1 Green (Pick S191s, Specimen)

The first Bank of New Zealand specimen and the foundation of the country’s pre-Reserve note lineage. Engraved and printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London, this £1 Green (Pick S191s) established the format later reused across all BNZ issues: paired Māori figures at left, a maritime vignette below, and an ornate lathe-worked duty tint framing the denomination. Issued as an internal specimen for printers and auditors, the note carries control perforations and printer’s margins rather than serials, confirming its file-copy origin. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1895–1915 — Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange (Pick S192s, Specimen)

The high-denomination anchor of the BNZ color series, this £5 Orange (Pick S192s) marked the transition from ornate Victorian engraving to stricter Edwardian geometry. Printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. in London, it features a deep orange duty tint and the familiar Māori figures and coastal vignette refined from the 1870 £1 Green. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1895–1908 — Bank of New Zealand £10 Brown (Pick S193bs, With Serial Prefix, Specimen)

A majestic high-denomination specimen from the Bradbury Wilkinson New Zealand lineage, the £10 Brown (Pick S193bs) represents the rare serial-prefix format—bearing dual printed numbers (No. 097476 at upper left and No. 102475 at lower right) that identify it as an official approval or archival pull rather than a plain file copy. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1913 — Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange (Pick S192ms, Multi-Serial Approval Specimen)

A numbered approval specimen of the Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange design, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London, circa 1913. Though derived from the 1895 S192 plate, this example bears two distinct serial numbers (286901 and 296900), identifying it as a multi-serial approval specimen—part of a control pair used for printer audit and bank record verification. PMG lists this variant as Pick S192ms. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1905–1916 — Bank of New Zealand 1 Pound Red (Pick S212bs) G100001–G300000 Cancelled with Serial Number Prefix Specimen

Numbered specimen from the G100001–G300000 block of the BNZ £1 Red (Pick S212bs), printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London. Fully executed in final inks with live production numbering and perforated CANCELLED across the signature panel, indicating printer-archive invalidation rather than circulation intent. The With Serial Number Prefix classification denotes authentic production serials used on specimen pulls for approval, audit and retention. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1905–1916 — Bank of New Zealand 1 Pound Red (Pick S212bs) E300001–E400000 Specimen with Serial Number Prefix

Numbered specimen from the E300001–E400000 block of the BNZ £1 Red (Pick S212bs), printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London. Perforated SPECIMEN across the signature panel and preserved with wide selvage, this pull shows live production numbering used for printer approval, banking audit and archival retention. As With Serial Number Prefix, the note is pulled from the working plates with authentic serial logic rather than dummy or zeroed numerals. ... Read more →

Australia 1877 — City of Melbourne Bank Limited £20 (Specimen, Pick Unlisted)

A rare high-denomination survivor from Victoria’s private banking era, this £20 specimen represents the City of Melbourne Bank Limited at its late-19th-century zenith. Produced from Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. master plates, the note captures the visual language of confidence adopted by colonial issuers during Melbourne’s boom decades. ... Read more →

Australia 1905–1910 — Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 (Specimen Proof)

Proof specimen printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. between 1905 and 1910 for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED — one of Australia’s oldest and most respected private banks, founded in 1834. The CBC operated independently until its 1981 merger with the National Bank of Australasia, forming today’s NAB. ... Read more →

Australia 1879–1903 — Federal Bank of Australia £1 (Specimen, Annotated)

Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London for the short-lived Federal Bank of Australia, this £1 specimen belongs to one of the rarest chapters of Australia’s pre-Federation banking history. The Federal Bank opened in 1881 and failed during the banking crisis of 1893, leaving only presentation and archival notes behind. ... Read more →