Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

Brazil circa 1963 Tesouro Nacional undated Valor Legal test proof

Brazil 1963 - Tesouro Nacional, Undated ‘Valor Legal’ Test Proof

Typography and layout test prepared for the Tesouro Nacional, featuring the arced inscription 'TESOURO NACIONAL' and upper legend 'VALOR LEGAL'. Printed without denomination or date on thin archival paper, this undated printer’s trial was created to evaluate font weight, curvature, and typographic balance for potential note headers. Read more →

BrazilTest Proof1963UndatedPCGS 53 PPQ (About New) Test ProofTypographyNDArchivalBrazil1963

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Brazil circa 1963 prefix test proof Estampa 3a Serie 000a

Brazil 1963 - Tesouro Nacional, Prefix Test Proof “Estampa 3ª Série 000a”

Printer’s serial and prefix trial sheet bearing three bold red impressions reading 'ESTAMPA 3ª SÉRIE 000a'. Produced as an undated archival test without denomination, vignette, or design. Such prefix tests allowed press operators to calibrate numbering wheels and ink density before full production of Tesouro Nacional banknotes. Read more →

BrazilPrefix Test Proof1963-PCGS 64 (Very Choice New) Prefix TestSerial TrialNDArchivalBrazil1963

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Brazil 100 Cruzeiros 1943 back proof ABNC

Brazil 1943 - 100 Cruzeiros Back Proof (Pick 138p2)

Back plate proof printed by the American Bank Note Company for the 100 Cruzeiros issue of 1943, executed on card with broad margins and strong embossing. The reverse design features an allegorical seated female figure holding a globe, symbolizing Brazil’s connection to global commerce and navigation-recurring motifs throughout mid-20th century ABNC engravings. Read more →

BrazilBack Proof1943100 CruzeirosPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Pick 138p2Back ProofABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyBrazil1943100 Cruzeiros

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Brazil 100 Cruzeiros 1964 essay face proof

Brazil 1964 - 100 Cruzeiros Essay Face Proof (SCWPM 170b)

Created amid Brazil’s shift toward a new Cruzeiro standard following inflationary adjustments and political transition, this proof embodies a period of modernization in both economic structure and banknote aesthetics. Surviving examples of such essays are seldom encountered outside institutional archives, and they provide critical insight into how mid-century design philosophy merged artistry with practicality in Brazil’s monetary evolution. Read more →

BrazilEssay Face Proof1964100 CruzeirosPCGS 64 (Very Choice New), Mounted on Cardstock EssayFace ProofSCWPM 170bMountedBrazil1964100 Cruzeiros

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Brazil 1000 Cruzeiros 1963 specimen P181s TDLR

Brazil 1963 - 1000 Cruzeiros Specimen, (Pick 181s)

The 1963 series was produced near the end of Brazil’s first Cruzeiro era, when inflation prompted increasingly higher denominations. De La Rue’s involvement reflected the country’s reliance on British security printing during periods of rapid design turnover and monetary change. The engraving quality-fine portraiture, intricate guilloche, and tonal depth-illustrates De La Rue’s technical precision even as Brazil prepared to overhaul its note structure only a few years later. Read more →

BrazilSpecimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp19631000 CruzeirosPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Pick 181sPick 181aSpecimenRed OverprintTDLREstampa 2ABrazil19631000 Cruzeiros

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Brazil 5 Cruzeiros 1963 specimen P176bs TDLR

Brazil 1963 - 5 Cruzeiros Specimen (Pick 176bs)

The 5 Cruzeiros was the entry-level note in the 1963 issue, combining classic British engraving motifs-crisp guilloche, strong vignette framing, and color separation-with Brazilian iconography. During this era, De La Rue handled multiple denominations for the Tesouro Nacional, producing parallel proof and specimen sets for approval before the Banco Central assumed full design authority later in the decade. Read more →

BrazilSpecimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp19635 CruzeirosPMG 67 EPQ (Superb Gem, Top Pop) Pick 176bsPick 176bPMG 67 EPQSpecimenRed OverprintTDLRTop PopBrazil19635 Cruzeiros

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Brazil 100 Cruzeiros 1963 specimen P180s TDLR

Brazil 1963 - 100 Cruzeiros Specimen (Pick 180s)

The 100 Cruzeiros denomination circulated widely during Brazil’s economic expansion of the early 1960s, when De La Rue supplied notes to maintain consistency with earlier layouts established under the Tesouro Nacional. Engraving quality remained high, characterized by intricate borders, multi-tone shading, and mechanical guilloche patterns that enhanced both beauty and counterfeit resistance. Read more →

BrazilSpecimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp1963100 CruzeirosPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Pick 180sPick 180aSpecimenRed OverprintTDLREstampa 2ABrazil1963100 Cruzeiros

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Luxembourg 1982 1000 Francs specimen serial A000000 094 with red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint and two punch holes, Pick 52bs, PMG 67 EPQ Superb Gem Uncirculated

Luxembourg 1982 - 1000 Francs Specimen Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52bs)

Specimen of the 1982 one thousand francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the highest denomination prepared within this short-lived contingency series featuring Grand Duchess Charlotte. As the apex denomination, the 1000 Francs defines the full technical and visual ambition of the issue, combining the most complex engraving, the highest value tier, and the most advanced security layout of the set. Read more →

LuxembourgSpecimen19821000 FrancsPMG 67 EPQ Superb Gem Uncirculated Specimen1000 FrancsRed SPECIMEN overprintDiagonal SPECIMENTwo Punch HolesPunch CancelledA000000 094Specimen Serial FormatGrand Duchess CharlotteLuxembourg banknote designIntaglio engravingGuilloche security patternBradbury WilkinsonBWCLuxembourg monetary systemBelgian Luxembourg Economic UnionUnissued contingency issueHistoryLuxembourg1982Pick 52bsPick 52bPMG 67 EPQSuperb Gem UncirculatedTop PopMuseum Grade

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Luxembourg 1982 1000 Francs color trial specimen serial A000000 13 with red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint and single punch hole, Pick 52bcts, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated

Luxembourg 1982 - 1000 Francs Color Trial Specimen Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52bcts)

The note remains in Gem Uncirculated condition with exceptional paper quality, preserving sharp printing detail, original color balance, and full clarity of the trial characteristics. Read more →

LuxembourgColor Trial Specimen19821000 FrancsPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Color Trial SpecimenColor Trial1000 FrancsRed SPECIMEN overprintDiagonal SPECIMENSingle Punch HolePunch CancelledA000000 13Specimen Serial FormatGrand Duchess CharlotteLuxembourg banknote designIntaglio engravingColor variation testingGuilloche security patternBradbury WilkinsonBWCLuxembourg monetary systemBelgian Luxembourg Economic UnionUnissued contingency issueHistoryLuxembourg1982Pick 52bctsPick 52bPMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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Luxembourg 1982 1000 Francs proof with no overprint or serials, Pick 52bp, PMG 55 EPQ About Uncirculated, Top Pop 1 of 1

Luxembourg 1982 - 1000 Francs Proof Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52bp)

Within the full structure of the series, this proof occupies the primary position. It precedes the color trial phase, where palette variations were explored, and the specimen phase, where control markings and cancellations were applied. Together, these stages form a complete production chain-but this piece stands at the origin of that sequence. Read more →

LuxembourgProof19821000 FrancsPMG 55 EPQ About Uncirculated Proof1000 FrancsTop Pop 1 of 1Top PopUnique Graded ExampleHighest DenominationGrand Duchess CharlotteLuxembourg banknote designIntaglio engravingGuilloche security patternBradbury WilkinsonBWCLuxembourg monetary systemBelgian Luxembourg Economic UnionUnissued contingency issueProduction reference stageHistoryLuxembourg1982Pick 52bpPick 52bPMG 55 EPQAbout UncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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Luxembourg 1982 500 Francs specimen serial A000000 096 with red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint and two punch holes, Pick 52as, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated

Luxembourg 1982 - 500 Francs Specimen Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52as)

Specimen of the 1982 five hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, forming the structural backbone denomination within the unissued contingency series. While the 1000 Francs defines the apex, the 500 Francs represents the operational core of the intended circulation system, designed for real transactional use had the issue been released. Read more →

LuxembourgSpecimen1982500 FrancsPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Specimen500 FrancsRed SPECIMEN overprintDiagonal SPECIMENTwo Punch HolesPunch CancelledA000000 096Specimen Serial FormatGrand Duchess CharlotteLuxembourg banknote designIntaglio engravingGuilloche security patternBradbury WilkinsonBWCLuxembourg monetary systemBelgian Luxembourg Economic UnionUnissued contingency issueWorking denominationHistoryLuxembourg1982Pick 52asPick 52aPMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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Luxembourg 1982 500 Francs proof with no overprint or serials, Pick 52ap, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, Top Pop 1 of 1

Luxembourg 1982 - 500 Francs Proof Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52ap)

The issue originates from Luxembourg’s contingency preparation during instability within the Belgian Luxembourg Economic Union in the early 1980s. The 500 Francs was intended to serve as a central circulation denomination within a potential independent currency structure, complementing the higher-value 1000 Francs. Read more →

LuxembourgProof1982500 FrancsPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Proof500 FrancsTop Pop 1 of 1Unique Graded ExampleCore DenominationGrand Duchess CharlotteLuxembourg banknote designIntaglio engravingGuilloche security patternBradbury WilkinsonBWCLuxembourg monetary systemBelgian Luxembourg Economic UnionUnissued contingency issueProduction reference stageHistoryLuxembourg1982Pick 52apPick 52aPMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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