Description and research notes
This engraved vignette die proof preserves the Golden Mask motif prepared for the 500 Denari denomination of the Republic of Macedonia’s first post-independence banknote series issued in 1996. Produced by Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited in London, the proof represents one of the earliest physical stages in the creation of the banknote’s final design.
A vignette die proof is printed directly from the engraved steel die before the image is transferred to the working plates used for banknote production. At this stage the engraving is evaluated in isolation from the surrounding design elements of the note. The proof allows the issuing authority and printer to inspect the precision of the burin work, tonal depth, and overall balance of the vignette before it is incorporated into the multi-layer printing structure of the finished banknote.
The subject of the engraving is the Golden Mask discovered at the archaeological site of Trebeništa near Ohrid, dating to the 6th century BCE. The funerary mask is one of the most important artifacts associated with the ancient cultures of the Macedonian region. By selecting this object as the central motif for the 500 Denari denomination, the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia anchored the modern currency of the newly independent state in the deep archaeological heritage of the region.
Because the die proof captures the engraving directly from the steel source, the image is preserved in its purest technical state. No color layers, offset backgrounds, guilloche patterns, or security threads are present. Every engraved stroke appears exactly as cut by the engraver, allowing detailed study of the line structure, shading technique, and sculptural modeling used to render the ancient artifact.
Within the documented production sequence of the 1996 Macedonian banknote program, the vignette die proof represents the foundational stage of the denomination’s design chain. After approval of the engraving, photographic transparencies were created for plate preparation, followed by printer specimens bearing control overprints and cancellation marks. The final stage of the process produced the fully issued banknotes placed into circulation by the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia.
Certified PCGS Currency 64 PPQ Very Choice New, this proof retains a strong engraved impression on clean proof paper. As a direct record of the engraving used in the final banknote design, it serves as primary documentation of the artistic and technical work performed in De La Rue’s engraving department during the development of Macedonia’s first modern currency series.