Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

Poland 1994 50 Zlotych discovery AR prefix approval specimen without overprints, serial AR0000000, red vertical control numbering, final issued-style design, and Thomas De La Rue production origin.

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Without Overprints Approval Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

This AR-prefix approval specimen is a direct production artifact from the creation of Poland's 1994 banknote issue. Its AR0000000 serial, final design, Thomas De La Rue production origin, and documented approval-stage format establish a previously unrecorded production form absent from Milczak and Pick. Read more →

PolandApproval Specimen Without Overprints199450 ZlotychUncirculated Approval SpecimenApproval Specimen Without OverprintsApproval-Stage SpecimenDiscovery AR PrefixDiscovery PrefixDiscovery MaterialProduction-Stage DiscoverySpecimenUncataloguedUnlisted Approval PrefixAR PrefixSerial AR0000000Zero Serial NumberRed Vertical Control NumberingThomas De La RueTDLRMilczak AA Listed Without ImageMilczak Unlisted AR PrefixPick UnlistedPreviously Undocumented AR PrefixApproval Prefix EvidencePhysical Approval SpecimenHidden Approval MaterialPoland Currency Redesign 1994National Bank of PolandNarodowy Bank PolskiModern Polish BanknotesSecurity Printing HistoryDesign Approval ProcessPre Issue Control NotePrinter Approval MaterialFinal Issued-Style DesignKing Casimir III the GreatKazimierz WielkiAndrzej HeidrichHanna Gronkiewicz-WaltzWieslaw BiernatowiczPolandPoland 1994199450 ZlotychMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Poland 1994 50 Zlotych discovery AR prefix specimen with red SPECIMEN overprint, red oval NO VALUE stamps, punch cancellations, serial AR0000000, De La Rue specimen-control number 005, and Thomas De La Rue specimen tracking panel.

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix with Red Overprint and Oval Stamp Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The face preserves the complete final design prepared for the National Bank of Poland, with the portrait of King Casimir III the Great, the Polish eagle, vertical PIĘĆDZIESIĄT ZŁOTYCH denomination text, large 50 value device, National Bank of Poland title, Warsaw date of 25 March 1994, and printed signatures of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Wieslaw Biernatowicz. Read more →

PolandSpecimen with Red Overprint and Oval Stamp199450 ZlotychPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated SpecimenDiscovery AR PrefixDiscovery PrefixDiscovery MaterialProduction-Stage DiscoveryRed OverprintRed SPECIMEN OverprintOval NO VALUE StampPunch CancelledSpecimen Tracking PanelDe La Rue Specimen Control Number 005Specimen Control Number 005Control Number 005Unique Specimen Control NumberAR PrefixSerial AR0000000Zero Serial NumberThomas De La RueTDLRMilczak UnlistedPick UnlistedMilczak Unlisted AR PrefixPreviously Undocumented AR PrefixAR Prefix Specimen EvidencePhysical Specimen Control FormPoland Currency Redesign 1994National Bank of PolandNarodowy Bank PolskiModern Polish BanknotesSecurity Printing HistorySpecimen Control ProceduresPre Issue Control NotePrinter Control MaterialFinal Issued-Style DesignKing Casimir III the GreatKazimierz WielkiAndrzej HeidrichHanna Gronkiewicz-WaltzWieslaw BiernatowiczPolandPoland 1994199450 ZlotychPMG 66 EPQMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Poland 1994 50 Zlotych discovery AR prefix specimen perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE, serial AR0000000, with handwritten archive date 30.4.96, printer annotations, and Thomas De La Rue production origin.

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Discovery AR-prefix perforated specimen of the 50 Zlotych banknote from the 1994 Polish issue, bearing serial number AR0000000 and cancelled by the perforated inscription SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE. This AR-prefix form is unrecorded in Milczak and Pick and belongs to the same discovery-level production group as the related AR approval specimen and AR red-overprint specimen. Read more →

PolandDiscovery AR Prefix Specimen Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE199450 ZlotychUncirculated SpecimenDiscovery AR PrefixDiscovery PrefixDiscovery MaterialProduction-Stage DiscoveryPerforated SpecimenPerforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUESpecimen of No ValuePrinter AnnotationsHandwritten Archive Date30.4.96AR PrefixSerial AR0000000Zero Serial NumberThomas De La RueTDLRMilczak UnlistedPick UnlistedMilczak Unlisted AR PrefixPreviously Undocumented AR PrefixAR Prefix Specimen EvidencePhysical Specimen Control FormDe La Rue Archival ControlPoland Currency Redesign 1994National Bank of PolandNarodowy Bank PolskiModern Polish BanknotesSecurity Printing HistorySpecimen Control ProceduresPre Issue Control NotePrinter Control MaterialFinal Issued-Style DesignKing Casimir III the GreatKazimierz WielkiAndrzej HeidrichHanna Gronkiewicz-WaltzWieslaw BiernatowiczPolandPoland 1994199450 ZlotychMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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Complete nine-note Stockholm Spinnhus pollett monetary system from circa 1785, including all denominations from one half öre to one daler, preserved in unissued condition and classified as R10 extremely rare.

Sweden 1785 - Stockholm Spinnhus Pollett System – Complete Nine-Denomination Institutional Currency Set:One Half Öre to One Daler (Pick Unlisted)

This complete nine-note ensemble represents the entire internal monetary system of Stockholm’s Spinnhus, the women’s correctional institution and workhouse operating on Långholmen Island during the late eighteenth century. Produced circa 1785, these engraved pollett notes functioned as closed-economy institutional currency, issued exclusively for use within the prison environment. They served as a controlled medium of exchange through which inmates were compensated for labor, particularly the spinning and processing of flax and wool. Internally, the notes operated as proto-fiat currency, enabling regulated transactions, discipline, and subsistence within a self-contained penal micro-economy. Read more →

SwedenInstitutional Paper Currency Set1785Complete nine-note system: one half öre, one öre, two öre, five öre, six öre, seven öre, sixteen öre, twenty-four öre, one dalerUncirculated PollettInstitutional paper currencyEngraved copperplate noteEighteenth century rag paperAnopisthographic printingUnissuedUncirculatedStockholm engravingSwedish copperplate productionPre-industrial note manufactureStockholm SpinnhusLångholmen prison economyPenal labor currencyClosed economy tenderProto-fiat institutional moneyInternal monetary systemSweden1785One half öreOne öreTwo öreFive öreSix öreSeven öreSixteen öreTwenty-four öreOne dalerFull denomination setPick UnlistedR10 UniqueR10UniqueUnique Known ExampleUnique Set

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1943 Patriarchal letter signed by Cyril IX Moghabghab, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch, issued in Alexandria

Egypt 1943 - Cyril IX Moghabghab, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch (Signed Patriarchal Letter, Alexandria)

Addressed to Dr. Tawfiq Hajjar in Cairo, the letter opens with the formal Melkite invocation of peace and apostolic blessing. However, its content is explicitly political, offering a rare glimpse into the diplomatic and intercessory functions of the Patriarchate during the final months of World War II and immediately before the proclamation of Lebanese independence (November 1943). Hajjar had requested patriarchal support for his appointment as a Lebanese political representative in the Egyptian kingdom. Cyril IX acknowledges this request and commends Hajjar’s standing among Cairo’s senior figures, noting that his reputation strengthens the legitimacy of the proposed appointment. Read more →

EgyptEcclesiastical Document1943N/A (Patriarchal Correspondence)Uncertified (VF, Strong Signature, Full Text Intact) Ecclesiastical DocumentPolitical CorrespondenceMelkite Greek Catholic ChurchPatriarch of Antioch Alexandria JerusalemCyril IX MoghabghabSigned LetterPatriarchal ChanceryReligious LeadershipChristian EgyptLevantine ChristianityMiddle Eastern ChristianityLebanese RepresentationChurch and StateWWII EgyptClerical InfluenceEgyptAlexandria1943Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Italy 1871–1872 - Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire Specimen (Pick S976s)

An exceptional and academically important survival from the experimental phase of Italy’s early post-unification banking era, this 250 Lire specimen from the short-lived Banca Italo-Germanica, cataloged as Pick S976s, represents one of the rarest and most ambitious private note-issuing projects attempted in Rome during the 1870s. No issued examples of this type are known to exist, and all scholarship indicates that the bank’s banknote program collapsed before any notes entered circulation, leaving only a microscopic number of presentation pulls, proofs, or internal printer’s archive sheets. This PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated example is the sole graded specimen in the PMG census, making it both Top Pop and Only Pop. Read more →

ItalySpecimen1871250 LirePMG 64 (Top Pop) Private BankOversizedSpecimenDouble Punch HolePunch Cancelled250 LireEngraved Security PaperProof and Archive PieceBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S976sItalian StatesPost Unification ItalyItalian Banking HistoryFailed Banknote IssuesGerman Capital in Italy19th Century FinanceNational AllegorySecurity Printing HistoryRome Banking ExperimentsUnissued Banknote ProjectItaly1871PMG 64Top PopR9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade

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Italy 1871 Germania with shield and spear vignette die proof engraved by Bradbury Wilkinson for the Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire (Pick PS976)

Italy 1871 - Standing Italia used on Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire Vignette Die Proof

Bradbury Wilkinson developed banknote designs from separately engraved components, including allegorical figures, portraits, heraldic devices, landscapes, architectural views, borders and denomination elements. This proof documents that component stage directly, preserving the complete Standing Italia engraving apart from the lettering, counters, serial fields and financial text of the finished note. Read more →

ItalyVignette1871-Uncirculated Italia AllegoryDie ProofBanca Italo-Germanica250 LireItalian StatesBradbury WilkinsonBWCItaly1871

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Uruguay 1872 100 Pesos equals 10 Doblones printer archival specimen, early serial number 010001, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson

Uruguay 1872 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 100 Pesos = 10 Doblones Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

This specimen was never intended for circulation. Its preservation without signs of handling, together with specimen markings and the absence of circulation wear, confirms its role as a controlled archival reference. While issued examples of this type are historically documented, no confirmed issued survivors are presently traceable, and none approach the clarity, completeness, or condition of this specimen. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen1872100 Pesos = 10 DoblonesPMG 35 Choice Very Fine SpecimenPrinter Archival SpecimenDual DenominationGold EquivalenceEarly Pull Serial 010001Oversized FormatBradbury WilkinsonBWCLondon Security PrintingNineteenth Century EngravingArchival Reference NoteGold Standard ExperimentPeso Doblone ParityBanco de Londres y Rio de la PlataLatin American Monetary HistoryNineteenth Century State FinanceUruguayMontevideo1872Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Paraguay 1907 100 Pesos Banco de la República specimen with 1912 dual-side state and treasury fiscal revalidation overprint, including Emisión del Estado on the face and Departamento de Hacienda Junta Fiscalizadora Diez Pesos Oro Sellado validation on the reverse, base Pick 159, Pick Unlisted, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Paraguay 1907 - 100 Pesos with 1912 Dual-Side State and Treasury Revalidation Overprint Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

This does not mean the overprint magically protected the note from all market inflation in ordinary daily commerce. Rather, it shows a far more precise administrative purpose. The face overprint asserted state liability by converting the dormant Banco de la República obligation into an emergency state-recognized issue. The reverse overprint added treasury verification, confirming that this specific note had passed through the Departamento de Hacienda and the Junta Fiscalizadora under the decree of 20 May 1912. In practical terms, the dual-side overprint created a stronger and more official instrument than the ordinary single-overprint examples: a note whose validity, origin, and fiscal authorization were visibly confirmed on both sides. Read more →

ParaguayOverprint Specimen1907100 PesosPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Specimen100 PesosPick UnlistedPick 159OverprintState OverprintTreasury OverprintDual-Side OverprintDual-Signature OverprintProvisionalFiscal RevalidationTreasury RevalidationEmergency State IssueParaguayan Emergency Issues1912 ReformJanuary 11 1912 State EmissionMay 20 1912 DecreeBanco de la RepúblicaDepartamento de HaciendaJunta FiscalizadoraEmisión del EstadoDiez Pesos Oro SelladoGold-Value ReaffirmationWaterlow & SonsSouth American Monetary HistoryEarly 20th Century FinanceGovernment RevalidationOverprint VarietiesParaguay19071912PMG 64Choice UncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Late Qing Sinkiang textile emergency currency printed on red-dyed cloth using hand-carved woodblocks, circa 1880

China 1880 - Sinkiang Textile Emergency Currency Cloth Note (Pick Unlisted)

The absence of modern security engraving, serial numbering systems, and standardized typographic elements confirms its placement before the institutional reforms that transformed Chinese currency production in the early Republican period. Nothing in the printing technique, material choice, or visual language aligns with post-1910 monetary infrastructure. Read more →

ChinaTextile Emergency Currency1880Unknown Local DenominationFine (Textile Issue) Textile BanknoteTextile Emergency CurrencyCloth BanknoteCloth NoteHand-Carved Woodblock PrintingLate Qing Frontier IssueWoodblock PrintingSinkiangChina1880R9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum GradePick Unlisted

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China 1915 South Sinkiang Border Defence Headquarters 1 tael textile emergency banknote printed on woven cloth with red overprint and bilingual inscriptions

China 1915 - South Sinkiang Border Defence Headquarters 1 Tael Textile Emergency Issue (Pick Unlisted)

This 1 tael textile banknote represents a formally authorized military emergency issue produced in 1915 by the South Sinkiang Border Defence Headquarters during a period of severe administrative and monetary fragmentation in western China. Issued within the southern frontier zone encompassing Khotan, Yarkand, and Karghalik, the note reflects a localized system of fiscal control exercised by military authorities operating with substantial autonomy from central government structures. Read more →

ChinaTextile Banknote19151 TaelFine (Textile Issue) Textile BanknoteTextile Emergency CurrencyCloth CurrencyMilitary Emergency Issue1 TaelWoodblock PrintingRed OverprintSouth Sinkiang Border Defence HeadquartersFrontier Military AdministrationRegional Monetary SystemUyghur-Chinese Bilingual IssueCentral Asian Frontier FinanceSecurity Printing HistoryChinaSinkiangSouth Sinkiang1915R9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum GradePick Unlisted

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China 1918 Xinjiang textile emergency currency printed on red cloth by woodblock, with framed inscription panel, vegetal side borders, winged emblem, and wave-pattern lower band

China 1918 - Xinjiang Textile Emergency Currency Printed on Red Cloth, Local Authority Issue (Pick Unlisted)

Compared with earlier textile emissions from the region, this note displays denser calligraphy, more consistent stroke weight, and darker ink saturation. These characteristics suggest a later workshop phase within the same tradition, marked by re-cut blocks and incremental refinement rather than centralized standardization. The overall composition differs materially from the known 1880 Xinjiang issue and from subsequent paper issues such as those of the Dihua Coin Bureau. Read more →

ChinaTextile Emergency Currency1918UnspecifiedIssued (Textile Emergency Currency) Textile BanknoteTextile Emergency CurrencyCloth BanknoteIssued Emergency MoneyWoodblock PrintingFrontier CurrencyXinjiangSinkiangLocal Authority IssueEarly Republican PeriodRegional Monetary SystemChina1918Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniquePick Unlisted

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