Collection

United States 1993 — 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, Chicago District (Friedberg 2080-G) Printed Tear Errors, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated

This 1993 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Chicago District (Friedberg 2080-G, GA Block) represents one of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s most visually dynamic mechanical failures—a genuine Printed Tear Error, preserved in fully original condition. The note exhibits two sharply folded and partially torn corners that became creased before entering the final printing pass. When the sheet was fed into the intaglio press, the torn and folded segments prevented ink from transferring to those areas, leaving distinctive blank voids and offset impressions once unfolded. ... Read more →

Bradbury Wilkinson — Portrait of Woman, Intaglio Vignette (as used on City of Melbourne Bank £20)

Original Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. portrait vignette, pulled as an intaglio proof from the firm’s London steel plate to demonstrate the finished facial study later integrated into Australian private-issue layouts, notably the City of Melbourne Bank £20. Such stand-alone vignettes were the building blocks of Victorian banknote design: engraved once to perfection, then reused, resized, or re-tinted across denominations and clients. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1905–1916 — Bank of New Zealand £1 Red (Pick S212bs) G000001–G100000 Cancelled with Serial Prefix Specimen

The closing chapter of the BNZ private-issue series, this £1 Red (Pick S212bs) carries live serials G000001–G100000 and a pencilled approval date 19 January 1915 on the selvage, confirming late-WWI production from Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London. It represents the definitive ‘with serial prefix’ format pulled directly from the working plates for printer and bank-director approval. Perforated CANCELLED across the signature panel identifies an internal archival invalidation of a fully printed, final-design note. ... Read more →

United States 1929 Type 1 - 20 Dollars National Bank Note - The First National Bank of Youngstown, Ohio (Fr. 1802-1, Charter 3, Legacy Currency Grading Fine 15)

Low-charter national. The First National Bank of Youngstown operated under Charter 3, a single-digit charter number issued in the opening days of the National Banking era. Early charters are coveted because they document the very first adopters of the 1863 National Banking system and their numbers stayed with the bank through every redesign and consolidation. ... Read more →

United States 1902 — 5 Dollars National Bank Note, The First National Bank of Youngstown, Ohio, Blue Seal Plain Back (Friedberg 600, Charter 3, PMG 15 Choice Fine)

Large‑size National Currency from a single‑digit charter. The First National Bank of Youngstown carried Charter 3, issued at the very start of the National Banking era. Low charter numbers stayed with an institution across redesigns, so CH 3 on a 1902 large‑size note directly links back to the earliest adopters of the 1863 system. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay 100 Pesos Black Photo Proof Pair (PCGS 63 Choice New)

The 100 Pesos issue authorized under the Ley de 18 de Agosto 1896 stands as the high point of Uruguay’s late-nineteenth-century engraving work at the American Bank Note Company in New York. Conceived during a period of rapid economic modernization and heavy foreign capital inflow, this design represented the Republic’s ambition to present its currency on equal footing with the great financial institutions of Europe and the Americas. These black-and-white photographic proofs are not paper trials but original engraver’s approval prints, made directly from the master dies before any steel plates were hardened for production. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay 10 Pesos Black Photo Proof Pair (PCGS 64 Face, 63 Back)

The 10 Pesos proof pair from Uruguay’s 1896 series embodies the American Bank Note Company’s mastery of classical engraving blended with local iconography. Produced in New York during a period of monetary consolidation under the Ley de 18 de Agosto 1896, these photographic proofs were printed from the master engravings before plate hardening. Their survival offers an unfiltered look at the artistry behind Uruguay’s first truly modern bank-note design. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay 5 Pesos Black Photo Proof Pair (PCGS 63 Choice New)

The 5 Pesos denomination from the 1896 ABNC series illustrates how Uruguay’s central bank adopted industrial modernity as a theme for national confidence. These photographic proofs—engraver’s approval prints mounted on thin card—were created directly from the steel dies before production. They preserve the visual language of economic optimism that defined the post-Civil War generation. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso Black Photo Proof Pair (PCGS 62 New Face, PCGS 63 Choice New Back)

The 1 Peso photo-proof pair from the 1896 American Bank Note Company series captures the democratic face of Uruguay’s new monetary system. While higher denominations projected international prestige, the single-peso note was designed to circulate widely and embody trust among ordinary citizens—a key goal following decades of financial upheaval. These engraver’s photographic proofs, printed on sensitized paper and mounted to card, were produced in New York as pre-production approvals. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay 10 Pesos Sepia Photo Proof Pair (PCGS 63 Choice New)

This rare sepia-tone photo-proof pair of the 10 Pesos denomination represents the presentation-stage variant of Uruguay’s 1896 American Bank Note Company series. Produced shortly after the black-and-white engraver’s approval proofs, these warm brown photographs were intended for final client review and executive reference, retaining the same composition but rendered with the tonal depth and paper texture of finished currency. The face bears the refined portrait of José Gervasio Artigas surrounded by an intricate network of guilloches and floral motifs, while the reverse captures a luminous Montevideo harbor vignette that symbolized Uruguay’s role as the Atlantic gateway of the Southern Cone. ... Read more →

Uruguay ca. 1920 — Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Artigas Portrait Die Proof “Cancelled” (Ref 192A)

An engraved master-die portrait of José Gervasio Artigas produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, this proof is a cornerstone document of early-twentieth-century Uruguayan currency engraving. Struck in black on thin India paper and mounted to card, it bears the printed legend “URUGUAY — Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. Ld. ... Read more →

Uruguay ca. 1900–1915 — Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay 100 Pesos Transitional Photo Proof Pair (PCGS 62 New)

A large-format transitional photographic proof pair by the American Bank Note Company, representing a mid-generation redesign between the engraved 1896 series and the simplified inter-war issues of the 1930s. Printed in a rich brown-olive tone on card-mounted photographic paper, this undated 100 Pesos pair bridges stylistic eras in Uruguayan currency design. The face features José Gervasio Artigas in profile surrounded by dense guilloche and laurel ornamentation, with the denomination framed in deep filigree corners. ... Read more →