Description and research notes
Specimen of the 1981–85 100 Dollars note signed by H.R. Hardie as Chief Cashier, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Company for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. Bearing serial YAA 000000 and annotated with specimen number 016 (printed separately at upper right and repeated on the back), this note combines two specimen-control features: vertical perforations reading 'SPECIMEN' along both side margins and a bold black overprint 'SPECIMEN' across the face.
This dual-format layout was used by Bradbury Wilkinson for printer’s reference sets rather than Reserve Bank distribution, with the side perforations leaving the central design unobstructed for engraving and color review. The combination of vertical perforations, black overprint, and numbered annotation identifies this note as part of the company’s internally catalogued master set—recorded by PMG as 'Specimen No.016'.
PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated, with full color and strong embossing. A rare Hardie-signed hundred representing one of the most complex and visually distinctive specimen formats ever produced for New Zealand’s paper-decimal series.