← Back to Collection

Australia 1877 - Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company Portrait of Woman Intaglio Vignette Proof for City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds Design (Pick Unlisted)

1877 • Vignette Proof • Reference Vignette • Archival Intaglio Proof • Held

PRIVATE COLLECTION

Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company 1877 Portrait of Woman intaglio vignette proof, printer's library design element associated with the City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds colonial Australian banknote design
Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company 1877 Portrait of Woman intaglio vignette proof, printer's library design element associated with the City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds colonial Australian banknote design

At a glance

  • Country: Australia
  • Year: 1877
  • Denomination: Reference Vignette
  • Type: Vignette Proof
  • Grade: Archival Intaglio Proof
  • Status: Held
  • Tags: Vignette Proof; Intaglio Vignette Proof; Portrait Vignette; Portrait of Woman; Engraved Portrait; Printer's Library Element; Printer's Design Archive; Production Stage Artifact; Standalone Vignette; Reference Vignette; City of Melbourne Bank Limited Design Source; 20 Pounds Design Source; Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company; Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company London; London Security Printer; Intaglio Printing; Intaglio Engraving; Security Engraving; Banknote Printing; Security Printing; Private Banknote Production; Proofing and Plate Approval; Design Verification Artifact; Pick Unlisted; Australian Banking History; Australian Colonial Banking; Pre Federation Australia; Victoria Banking History; City of Melbourne Bank; City of Melbourne Bank Limited; Colonial Victoria; Private Banknote Tradition; Nineteenth Century Paper Money; Victorian Era Engraving; History; Australia; Victoria; 1877; R9 Extremely Rare; Unique; Museum Grade

Description and research notes

This engraved Portrait of Woman intaglio vignette was produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, and is directly connected to the City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds specimen of 1877, where the same portrait appears as the principal vignette within the large ornamental panel at left. The proof preserves that portrait as a stand-alone engraved component before its integration into the complete banknote design.

The portrait is presented within a narrow oval composition and depicts a young woman in three-quarter view, wearing a decorative head ornament and draped garment, with architectural detail visible in the background. The engraving is built from fine intaglio linework, controlled cross-hatching and carefully graduated tonal transitions, with particular attention given to the face, hair, clothing and background.

The lower margin carries the Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. London imprint together with the number 40. Preserved independently from borders, denomination devices, issuer lettering and other elements of the completed note, the vignette allows the engraved portrait to be examined as an individual production component.

Bradbury Wilkinson developed banknote compositions from separately prepared engraved elements, including portraits, allegorical figures, heraldic devices, architectural views, counters, borders and ornamental panels. These components could then be combined within complete designs while preserving the precision and tonal control of the original engraving.

In the completed 20 Pounds specimen, the portrait is incorporated into the left-side ornamental panel and surrounded by denomination counters, bank title, serial fields, security patterns and border work. The surviving proof therefore documents the portrait at the component stage, while the specimen records its final use within the finished banknote composition.

As a stand-alone intaglio impression, the vignette preserves the original pictorial element independently from the financial instrument in which it was used and documents Bradbury Wilkinson's portrait engraving and banknote production practice at the component level.

Related examples in this collection

Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 proof, circa 1905–1910, PMG 63 EPQ
Australia 1905–1910 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 Specimen Proof (Pick Unlisted)
This proof connects directly to the artistic lineage of earlier Bradbury Wilkinson work for Victoria’s private banks, such as the City of Melbourne and Federal Bank series, underscoring the continuity of engraving excellence and the global reach of London’s security printers at the dawn of Australia’s national currency era.
Australia Bank of Australasia 10 Pounds Melbourne proof note, early Victorian colonial banknote, Perkins Bacon engraving, PMG 45 proof
Australia 1835-1850 - Bank of Australasia £10 Melbourne Proof (Pick Unlisted)
The layout reflects early Victorian security printing practice, with heavy border engraving, balanced symmetry, and restrained ornamentation intended to convey authority and trust. The absence of serial numbering and signatures is consistent with proof status and confirms that the note represents a design-stage artifact rather than an issued instrument.
Australia 1877 City of Melbourne Bank Limited £20 specimen engraved by Bradbury Wilkinson, PMG 62 Uncirculated, unique surviving example
Australia 1877 - City of Melbourne Bank Limited £20 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)
A unique surviving specimen of the £20 denomination issued by the City of Melbourne Bank Limited, representing one of the highest-value private banknotes produced in colonial Victoria. Printed from Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. master plates, this note belongs to the final generation of Australian private banknote engraving before national standardization and the destruction of nearly all high-denomination material.
Australia 1889 Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited £5 specimen with serial number prefix, perforated SPECIMEN, printer annotation dated 1 March 1890
Australia 1880–1889 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited £5 SPECIMEN with Serial Prefix (Pick Unlisted, MVR4a)
A printer-issued £5 SPECIMEN prepared by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited, dating to the late 1880s production window (ND 1880–1889), and bearing live serial numbers rather than zero or placeholder prefixes. This piece represents an internal control or approval specimen drawn from a numbered production sequence, distinct from margin-heavy proof impressions or display specimens.
Australia Federal Bank of Australia Limited one pound Sydney specimen printed by Bradbury Wilkinson, annotated 1882, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated
Australia 1879–1903 - Federal Bank of Australia, Limited £1 Sydney Specimen (Pick Unlisted)
This specimen represents a one pound note prepared for the Federal Bank of Australia, Limited and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company in London during the bank’s short operational life between 1879 and 1903. The note carries the Sydney office imprint, identifying the colonial financial center where the issue was intended to circulate. It belongs to one of the most fragile and least documented chapters of Australia’s pre-Federation private banking era, when numerous colonial banks issued their own paper currency under uneven regulation and volatile economic conditions.

Actions

Ask PMG Census

Tags and navigation

Australia 1877 Vignette Proof Intaglio Vignette Proof Portrait Vignette Portrait of Woman Engraved Portrait Printer's Library Element Printer's Design Archive Production Stage Artifact Standalone Vignette Reference Vignette City of Melbourne Bank Limited Design Source 20 Pounds Design Source Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company London London Security Printer Intaglio Printing Intaglio Engraving Security Engraving Banknote Printing Security Printing Private Banknote Production Proofing and Plate Approval Design Verification Artifact Pick Unlisted Australian Banking History Australian Colonial Banking Pre Federation Australia Victoria Banking History City of Melbourne Bank City of Melbourne Bank Limited Colonial Victoria Private Banknote Tradition Nineteenth Century Paper Money Victorian Era Engraving History Victoria R9 Extremely Rare Unique Museum Grade

← Back to Collection