Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

Uruguay 1872 P. Valdez & Co. Tacuarembo 10 Centesimos unissued note with harvest scene, lith. Bauer, Rincon 72 Montevideo

Uruguay 1872 - P. Valdez & Co., Tacuarembo 10 Centesimos Unissued (Pick Unlisted)

Unissued 10 Centesimos note dated 1 July 1872 from P. Valdez & Co. of Tacuarembo (then San Fructuoso), printed by Lit. F. Bauer, Rincon 72, Montevideo. Pablo Valdez was a leading figure of 19th-century Tacuarembo: a stage-coach operator connecting San Fructuoso with Paso de los Toros, the town’s first agent of livestock brands and marks, and founder of the large soap works Jaboneria de Pablo Valdez near Arroyo Tranqueras. His firm issued these small bearer chits to replace missing fractional coinage during the post-conflict period following the Revolution of the Lances (1870-1872). Read more →

UruguayPrivate Scrip187210 CentesimosRaw (VF est.) UruguayPick UnlistedUnissued NotePrivate ScripEmergency MoneyTacuaremboP. Valdez & Co.F. Bauer LithographyUruguay 19th Century10 Centesimos1872Local Issue

Held

Ask PMG Census

Uruguay 1872 P. Valdez & Co. Tacuarembo 20 Centesimos unissued note with classical vignette, lith. Bauer, Rincon 72 Montevideo

Uruguay 1872 - P. Valdez & Co., Tacuarembo 20 Centesimos Unissued (Pick Unlisted)

Design: single-sided brown lithograph with a neoclassical vignette of two youths carrying a sickle and sheaf of grain, symbolizing cooperation and labor. The value VEINTE CENTESIMOS appears within rosettes marked 20; the Bauer imprint sits at base. The wide left margin and binding perforations show that these were bound in counterfoil books for controlled issue. The note measures roughly 141 by 57 mm, matching the size data preserved in Uruguayan references. Read more →

UruguayPrivate Scrip187220 CentesimosRaw (VF est.) UruguayPick UnlistedUnissued NotePrivate ScripEmergency MoneyTacuaremboP. Valdez & Co.F. Bauer LithographyUruguay 19th Century20 Centesimos1872Local Issue

Held

Ask PMG Census

1863 Bank of the State of South Carolina uncut sheet with one 10c and two 15c notes

United States 1863 - Bank of the State of South Carolina 10c and 15c Uncut Sheet of 3

Uncut vertical sheet of three fractional notes from the Bank of the State of South Carolina in Charleston, dated February 1, 1863. The pane contains one 10 cents and two 15 cents notes. These pieces were issued during the Civil War coin shortage under the Act of February 1863 and were payable to bearer in current funds rather than in coin. Read more →

United StatesUncut Sheet186310c and 15c (Sheet of 3)Raw (VF est.) Civil WarObsolete CurrencyFractionalSouth CarolinaBank of the State of South CarolinaUncut Sheet10 cents15 centsWalker Evans and Cogswell1863

Held

Ask PMG Census

2004 Northern Bank £50 Specimen, Pick Unlisted NR126, PMG 63

Ireland - Northern 2004 - Northern Bank £50 Specimen NR126 (Pick Unlisted)

Issued only to test plate work and approval quality, this 2004 £50 never reached the public. When £26.5 million was stolen from the bank’s cash centre in Belfast on 20 December 2004, Northern Bank immediately recalled its currency and suspended distribution of this issue. The robbery forced an emergency redesign, security overhaul, and complete reissue of Northern Bank notes in early 2005 to maintain confidence in the currency. Read more →

IrelandSpecimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp200450 PoundsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Pick UnlistedNR126Northern BankDe La RueSpecimenRed OverprintUnissued NoteSterling50 PoundsNorthern Ireland2004 RobberyIreland2004

Held

Ask PMG Census

2005 Northern Bank £50 Specimen with red SPECIMEN overprint, PMG 65 EPQ

Ireland - Northern 2005 - Northern Bank £50 Specimen NR131 (Pick 208s)

This SPECIMEN demonstrates the first finalized print run of the 2005 reissue and is one of the few surviving examples released for institutional reference rather than circulation. Graded PMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, it stands as the benchmark specimen for Northern Bank’s post-robbery currency reform. Read more →

IrelandSpecimen200550 PoundsPMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Pick 208sNR131Northern BankDe La RueSpecimenOverprintSterling50 PoundsNorthern Ireland2005 ReissueIreland2005

Held

Ask PMG Census

2005 Northern Bank £50 issued note, serial JB340616, printed by De La Rue, Belfast

Ireland - Northern 2005 - Northern Bank £50 Issued Note NR131 (Pick 208)

This post-robbery £50 remains a symbol of how design and trust interact in modern currency. In circulation it is relatively scarce in high grade due to limited print runs and heavy use within Northern Ireland’s local clearing system. Example shown here retains full crispness and original paper sheen. Read more →

IrelandIssued Note200550 PoundsRaw (UNC est.) Pick 208NR131Northern BankDe La RueIssued NoteSterling50 PoundsNorthern Ireland2005 ReissueIreland2005

Held

Ask PMG Census

2005 Northern Bank £50 replacement note, prefix YY001940, printed by De La Rue after 2004 robbery recall

Ireland - Northern 2005 - Northern Bank £50 Replacement Prefix YY (Pick 208)

Replacement note for the 2005 Northern Bank £50 issue, printed by Thomas De La Rue, bearing the distinct 'YY' prefix used exclusively for replacement sheets following the 2004 Belfast vault robbery. These notes were part of the emergency replacement program that saw all pre-robbery stock withdrawn and destroyed, with new serial ranges produced under enhanced security oversight. Read more →

IrelandReplacement Note200550 PoundsRaw (UNC est.) ReplacementPick 208Northern BankDe La RueSterlingNorthern Ireland2005 ReissueIreland50 PoundsPost-Robbery ReplacementYY Prefix

Held

Ask PMG Census

Uruguay 1939 50 Pesos specimen with red ESPECIMEN overprint, SIN VALOR perforation, punch cancels and specimen number 000235, printed by Thomas De La Rue

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 50 Pesos Perforated SIN VALOR Specimen with Specimen Number 000235 (Pick 38s)

These perforated specimens were official printer file copies used to confirm plate approval and final design execution prior to mass production. The combination of red overprint, 'SIN VALOR' perforation, punch cancels, zero serial numbering, and individual specimen numbering represents the complete De La Rue specimen control protocol. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen193950 PesosRaw (AU/UNC) UruguayPick 38sPick 38SpecimenEspecimenSIN VALOR PerforationPerforated SIN VALORSpecimen Number 000235Specimen NumberedThomas De La RueTDLRBanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayDepartamento de Emision50 PesosPrewar1939

Held

Ask PMG Census

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 50 Pesos Serie C Specimen, Specimen No. 9 (Pick 38bs)

The denomination formed part of the monetary framework authorized under the law of 2 January 1939, cited prominently across the face. Fifty pesos occupied a substantial working position within the denomination structure, suitable for significant commercial payments, institutional accounting, treasury activity, and larger financial transactions. The note therefore combines the practical function of a major monetary value with the formal authority and technical security expected from the state banking system. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen with Red Overprint and Oval Printer Control Stamps193950 PesosPMG 65 EPQ Specimen50 PesosSerie CSpecimen No 9All Zero Serial NumbersRed SPECIMEN OverprintRed Oval Printer Control StampsTwo Sided Specimen CancellationIndigenous Warrior PortraitFeathered HeaddressJose Gervasio Artigas WatermarkCeremonial Historical ReverseBanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedIntaglio PrintingSecurity EngravingGuilloche DesignWatermarked PaperMulti Color Security PrintingPrinted Specimen ControlNumbered Institutional SpecimenLondon Security PrintingUruguay Monetary HistoryLaw of 2 January 1939Interwar Monetary SystemState Issued CurrencyInstitutional Reference NoteHigh Value Commercial CurrencySpecimen DistributionBanknote Production HistoryHistoryUruguay193950 PesosPick 38bsPick 38bPMG 65Gem UncirculatedExceptional Paper QualityR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

Held

Ask PMG Census

Uruguay 1939 design authorized for Banco Central del Uruguay in 1967, 50 Pesos Serie D specimen, Specimen No. 2, Pick 42As, with all-zero serial numbers, diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint, red oval Thomas De La Rue printer control stamps, Indigenous warrior portrait, Jose Gervasio Artigas watermark, and historical assembly reverse, certified Paper Money Guaranty 66 Gem Uncirculated Exceptional Paper Quality

Uruguay 1939 (1967 Authorization) - Banco Central del Uruguay 50 Pesos Serie D Specimen, Specimen No. 2 (Pick 42As)

The Indigenous figure gives the design a historical and territorial dimension that extends beyond the formal language of monetary authority. Its commanding scale balances the national title, denomination, and watermark field, joining cultural memory with the technical structure of a high-security banknote. The continued use of this portrait under the later central bank authorization demonstrates the enduring symbolic value assigned to the original 1939 composition. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen with Red Overprint and Oval Printer Control Stamps193950 PesosPaper Money Guaranty 66 Gem Uncirculated Exceptional Paper Quality Specimen50 PesosSerie DSpecimen No 2All Zero Serial NumbersRed SPECIMEN OverprintRed Oval Printer Control StampsTwo Sided Specimen CancellationIndigenous Warrior PortraitFeathered HeaddressJose Gervasio Artigas WatermarkHistorical Assembly ReverseBanco Central del UruguayBanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayDepartamento de EmisionThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedIntaglio PrintingSecurity EngravingGuilloche DesignWatermarked PaperMulticolor Security PrintingPrinted Specimen ControlNumbered Institutional SpecimenLondon Security PrintingReused Banknote Plate DesignUruguay Monetary HistoryLaw of 2 January 19391967 Central Bank AuthorizationBanco Central del Uruguay ReissueCentral Bank TransitionInstitutional ContinuityInterwar Banknote DesignPostwar Monetary AdministrationState Issued CurrencyInstitutional Reference NoteBanknote Production HistoryHistoryUruguay1939196750 PesosPick 42AsPick 42APaper Money Guaranty 66Gem UncirculatedExceptional Paper QualityR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

Held

Ask PMG Census

Uruguay 1870 1 Peso Junta de Credito Publico, Signed Ruy West, Serial 017385

Uruguay 1870 - Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso, Junta de Credito Publico (Signed Ruy / West, Serial 017385)

Earliest emission of the Junta de Credito Publico, dated 4 de Mayo de 1870, representing Uruguay’s first nationally guaranteed paper currency after the financial reform law of the same date. Printed locally in Montevideo by Litografía G. Mas & Cía., the note carries the denomination of 1 Peso, its face tinted green and engraved in fine local intaglio style. The allegorical figure of Mercury, god of commerce and trade, appears seated at left holding the caduceus, symbolizing Uruguay’s aspiration toward open international trade. Read more →

UruguayIssued Note18701 PesoGood – Very Good (est.) Junta de Credito PublicoUruguay1870Hand-Signed1 pesoLocal PrintMercury Allegory

Held

Ask PMG Census

Uruguay 1870 1 Peso Junta de Credito Publico Illegible Signature Variant Serial 710157

Uruguay 1870 - Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso, Junta de Credito Publico (Illegible Signature Variant, Serial 710157)

This example shows dark cancellation smears typical of notes redeemed by the Treasury between 1874 and 1876 when the Junta’s issues were withdrawn. Despite the cancellation, traces of the original pen signature confirm manual validation. Cataloged within the same series as Pick A110a, it demonstrates autograph variety among the earliest 1 Peso emissions and forms a pair with Serial 017385, showing how hand processing preceded printed signatures later in the decade. Read more →

UruguayIssued Note18701 PesoGood (Cancelled, est.) Junta de Credito PublicoUruguay1870Hand-Signed1 pesoLocal PrintCancellation

Held

Ask PMG Census