Description and research notes
Private-bank proof for Derby Bank, engraved and printed during the early mechanized-engraving era of Perkins & Heath, circa 1806–1812.
This design reflects the formative period of British security printing when provincial banks commissioned bespoke copper and early steel plates for limited circulation. The note carries intricate calligraphic text, a bank crest, and the London payable line referencing Samuel Smith & Co., typical of pre-Banking-Act private issues that preceded national standardization.
Derby Bank operated as a provincial issuer under local charter, and surviving material from this period is extremely scarce—most circulation notes were redeemed and destroyed. Printer’s proofs such as this example survive mainly in archival holdings, documenting the experimental use of engine-turned backgrounds and line-engraved security patterns that would later define 19th-century British note design.
Graded PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated, this piece retains full paper integrity, sharp impression, and rich black ink saturation. It represents an outstanding study of early British engraving craftsmanship at the dawn of industrialized banknote production.