Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

Armed Forces of South Russia 100,000 Rubles Treasury Bill, November 1920 (Pick S431c), Imperial eagle at left

Russia 1920 - Armed Forces of South Russia 100,000 Rubles Treasury Bill (November Issue, Pick S431c)

The bill promises payment to the bearer at official State Bank offices and carries detailed interest, transfer, and endorsement instructions. Its bilingual inscriptions were deliberately retained by the collapsing White administration to reassure foreign creditors and align the fiscal paper with pre-revolutionary international financial norms. Read more →

RussiaTreasury Bond Note1920100,000 Rubles- Treasury Bill100000 RublesFiscal DocumentHigh-Value DenominationGovernment ObligationBond IssueImperial EaglePick S431cRussian Civil WarWhite MovementArmed Forces of South RussiaWrangel GovernmentCrimea AdministrationCollapse of White RussiaEmergency FinanceExile Government HistoryTransitional Fiscal SystemsAnti-Bolshevik AdministrationRussiaCrimeaSimferopol1920Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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1912 illustrated Allen Alderson Alexandria machinery agents letterhead with five engraved industrial vignettes

Egypt 1912 - Allen, Alderson & Co. Machinery Agents, Alexandria (Illustrated Letterhead)

Illustrated engineering letterheads of this calibre are exceedingly rare in Egypt. Most were discarded after administrative use or lost during business closures and urban redevelopment. This 1912 example-dated, signed, fully intact, and carrying multiple machine engravings-stands as a museum-level artifact documenting the transfer of British industrial technology to Egypt at a pivotal moment before World War I, when mechanisation began reshaping agriculture, transport, and industry across the country. Read more →

EgyptCommercial Document1912N/A (Machinery Trade Correspondence)Uncertified (VF, Strong Impressions) Commercial DocumentIllustrated LetterheadEngineering LetterheadMachinery AgentsIndustrial CorrespondenceTechnical IllustrationIndustrial HistoryEarly Mechanisation EgyptBritish EngineeringSteam EnginesRuston ProctorAgricultural ModernisationEngineering ImportersPre WWI CommerceCommercial History EgyptCosmopolitan AlexandriaEgyptAlexandria1912Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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1931 Deutsche Orientbank Cairo correspondence set including bank letter, account statement, and registered cover

1931 - Deutsche Orientbank A.G. Cairo Correspondence Set (Letter, Registered Cover, and Account Statement)

Complete 1931 Deutsche Orientbank A.G. Cairo correspondence set consisting of three original components: a printed bank letterhead with bilingual Arabic–French text, the matching addressed postal cover bearing a King Fuad 5m franking and Cairo postal strikes, and the full Konto–Korrent account statement issued to the same client on the same date. Taken together, these documents preserve the complete administrative chain between the German overseas bank's Cairo branch and one of its Egyptian clients during the interwar period. Read more →

EgyptFinancial Document1931N/A (Complete Bank Correspondence Set)Uncertified (VF, Complete Three-Piece Set) Bank CorrespondenceFinancial DocumentKonto Korrent StatementRegistered CoverPostal HistoryGerman Overseas BankingDeutsche OrientbankInterwar PeriodTrade FinanceForeign Bank BranchesGerman Economic PresenceCommercial History EgyptCross Border BankingInternational FinanceColonial Era BankingForeign Exchange AdministrationEgyptCairo1931Museum GradeR6 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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1918 Banque Belge pour l’Étranger Cairo branch issued cheque with Art Nouveau border and full branch list

Egypt 1918 - Banque Belge pour l’Étranger, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

The guilloche work-consisting of wave-patterned borders, fine line engraving, and micro-text-matches the high-security printing standards used by Belgian and French engravers during the 1910s. Such designs were produced not only to prevent forgery but also to visually convey the bank’s reputation and financial solidity during a period of global instability. Even in wartime, foreign banks in Egypt adhered to European-style aesthetic and technical requirements for their negotiable instruments. Read more →

EgyptFinancial Document1918Cheque (Pounds Sterling)Uncertified (VF, Complete Issued Instrument) Financial DocumentIssued ChequeCheque HistorySecurity PrintingArt Nouveau Security PrintingBanking InstrumentBelgian BankingBanque BelgeOverseas BanksCorrespondent BankingAnglo Belgian FinanceWWI Financial SystemEgyptian Banking HistorySterling PaymentsForeign Exchange HistoryCommercial History EgyptWartime Economy EgyptEgyptCairo1918World War IMuseum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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1923 Banco di Roma Cairo issued cheque with Capitoline Wolf emblem and engraved Roman header

Egypt 1923 - Banco di Roma, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

The cheque is completed in multiple period inks. The handwritten date '17 Novembre 1923' appears at top, with payee information and the manuscript amount entered across the lower guilloche band designed to prevent alteration or erasure. A prominent red BANCO DI ROMA overprint identifies the Cairo branch and displays the bank’s fully paid capital in both lira and sterling. This bilingual capital declaration was typical of Banco di Roma's overseas branches, which catered to clients who settled payments in multiple currencies across the Mediterranean. At lower right, a violet PASSÉ clearing stamp dated 17 NOV. 1923 confirms same-day internal settlement. Pencil notations and endorsement initials along the left margin reflect the routine processing steps performed by bank clerks and receiving institutions. Read more →

EgyptFinancial Document1923Cheque (Egyptian Pounds)Uncertified (VF, Strong Impressions) Financial DocumentBanking DocumentIssued ChequeCheque HistorySecurity PrintingEngraved LetterheadItalian BankingBanco di RomaItalian Overseas ExpansionMediterranean FinanceEgyptian Banking HistoryInterwar FinanceForeign Exchange HistoryColonial Era BankingCorrespondent BankingCommercial History EgyptEgyptCairo1923Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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1901 Philibin and Vve Barrot Cairo Art Nouveau hardware merchant letterhead invoice with floral bilingual masthead

Egypt 1901 - Philibin & Vve. Barrot, Cairo Hardware Merchants (Art Nouveau Letterhead Invoice)

Original 1901 illustrated invoice from Philibin & Vve. Barrot, the prominent Cairo ironmongery and hardware firm founded in 1871. The masthead is printed in a pale blue-grey Art Nouveau style, featuring an ornamental banner with PHILIBIN & Vve. BARROT in bold serif capitals framed by curling acanthus leaves and floral sprays. At left appears a decorative shield listing the firm's specialties-grand assortiment de quincaillerie, ferronnerie, serrurerie, and outils et articles de ménage-accompanied by a full Arabic translation in fine Khedivial-era type. The imprint 'Alex., Imp. Générale A. Mourès & Cie 8199' at the lower margin identifies one of Egypt's leading commercial lithographers. Read more →

EgyptCommercial Document1901N/A (Merchant Invoice)Uncertified (VF, Full Header, Clean Margins) Commercial DocumentCommercial InvoiceIllustrated LetterheadArt Nouveau DesignHardware MerchantsIronmongeryA. Mourès & CieCommercial History EgyptRetail History EgyptCommercial Invoice HistoryFrench Arabic LetterheadBilingual PrintingCosmopolitan CairoTurn of the Century CommerceArt Nouveau PrintingEuropean Trade GoodsPre Protectorate EgyptEgyptCairo1901Museum GradeR6 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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1910 Riches & Mawas commercial draft for 1600 piastres with deep-blue engraved border

Egypt 1910 - Riches & Mawas, Cairo–Alexandria–Tanta Commercial Draft for 1600 Piastres

Paper shows natural vertical folding from office handling, as well as small corner wrinkles and light toning consistent with early 20th-century commercial storage. All engraved elements remain sharp, with no trimming, reductions, punch cancellations or damage. The reverse retains the faint ink shadowing of the front text but no modern additions. Read more →

EgyptFinancial Document19101600 PiastresUncertified (VF, Strong Impressions) EgyptFinancial DocumentRiches MawasCommercial DraftCairoAlexandriaTanta1910British Levantine TradersB. Arnaud Printer

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1927 Chahine and Sbath Cairo commercial draft endorsed by Banque d’Orient with violet boxed handstamp

Egypt 1927 - Chahine & Sbath Cairo Commercial Draft Endorsed by Banque d’Orient

The reverse includes a full handwritten endorsement payable to the order of Mestarban et Candiyrly, dated 22 December 1927 in flowing French cursive. Below it is a second blue ink stamp, Payez à l’ordre de la Banque d’Orient, dated 23 NOV 1927 and signed by Souki, Makarius & Co. A large ANNULÉ cancellation in violet spans the lower half, applied after settlement. Several red and blue pencil ledger numbers are written at the bottom. Read more →

EgyptFinancial Document1927250 PiastresUncertified (VF, Clean Reverse Endorsement) EgyptFinancial DocumentChahine and SbathBanque d’OrientCommercial DraftCairo1927Greek Egyptian BankingLevantine MerchantsB. Arnaud PrinterAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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1912 Compagnie des Bateaux Omnibus illustrated Nile steamer letterhead with pyramids and palm vignette

Egypt 1912 - Compagnie des Bateaux Omnibus (Nile Steamer Illustrated Letterhead)

Administrative correspondence linking a private navigation company directly with a ministerial office-especially with routing stamps, dated signatures, and full vessel accounting references-is extremely uncommon. Most river transport records from this era were discarded during later bureaucratic reorganisations or lost to environmental conditions. Illustrated letterheads of the Compagnie des Bateaux Omnibus survive only in very small numbers. Full examples with unaltered mastheads, intact ministry processing marks, and complete typed text represent the highest tier of Egyptian river-navigation ephemera. Read more →

EgyptCommercial Document1912N/A (Transport Company Letterhead)Uncertified (VF, Strong Engraving, Full Header, Tier 6) Commercial DocumentCommercial InvoiceCommercial Invoice HistoryIllustrated LetterheadRiver Transport LetterheadNavigation Company DocumentBateaux OmnibusNile SteamerA. Mourès & CieTransportation HistoryRiver Navigation EgyptBahr Youssef CanalPre WWI CommerceTourism History EgyptPostal Transport HistoryIrrigation Canal SystemPublic Works AdministrationMinistry of Public WorksFrench Arabic LetterheadCosmopolitan CairoCommercial History EgyptEarly 20th Century InfrastructureColonial Era EgyptPrivate Navigation CompaniesEgyptCairo1912Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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1950 Oldsmobile and Vauxhall Cairo Gamil Fawzi El Motei service station letterhead with photographic showroom views

Egypt 1950 - Gamil Fawzi El-Motei Oldsmobile & Vauxhall Service Station (Heliopolis–Abbassia)

Gamil Fawzi El-Motei’s dealership represents a pivotal moment in Egypt’s motoring history. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Cairo experienced a surge in imported cars as American manufacturers-General Motors, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, and British Vauxhall-expanded formal representation in the Middle East. Heliopolis and Abbassia became the heart of Egypt’s early automotive corridor, with fuel stations, garages, parts dealers, and brand agencies clustered along tram lines and new suburban arteries. Dealerships like El-Motei acted as the frontline institutions introducing Egyptians to mass-produced American cars, providing not only mechanical service but also the technical literacy, spare parts supply, and formal administrative structure required to sustain motorcar ownership. Read more →

EgyptCommercial Document1950N/A (Automotive Service Letterhead)Uncertified (VF, Complete Illustrated Example) Commercial DocumentCommercial InvoiceCommercial Invoice HistoryAutomotive DocumentAutomotive Service RecordDealership LetterheadIllustrated LetterheadGamil Fawzi El MoteiOldsmobileVauxhallGeneral MotorsGM EgyptVehicle RegistrationAutomobile DeliveryWorkshop SealEgyptian Motoring HistoryPostwar Automotive ExpansionHeliopolis Automotive DistrictAbbassia Automotive DistrictCairo ModernizationArab Automotive IndustryCommercial History EgyptAutomotive Dealership HistoryAmerican Cars EgyptMid Century TechnologyUrban Transport HistoryBilingual PrintingCorporate Branding EgyptEgyptCairo1950Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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1908 Mohammed El Komi Cairo carriage and automobile workshop invoice with illustrated carriage header

Egypt 1908 - Mohammed El Komi Carriage & Automobile Workshop Invoice

Original 1908 trade invoice from Mohammed El Komi, a Cairo-based carriage and early automobile workshop situated on Rue El Saha near the palace of Mazloum Pasha. The upper section features a finely lithographed header showing a side-profile illustration of a horse-drawn carriage with the driver seated at the front. Above the vignette, the workshop name 'MOHAMMED EL KOMI' appears in a bold curved arc. The left column lists the shop’s services in French-atelier de réparation et mise à neuf de voitures, peinture, automobiles, sellerie-while the right column repeats the same services in Arabic, printed in clean Khedivial-era type. Read more →

EgyptCommercial Document1908N/A (Workshop Invoice)Uncertified (VF, Clear Seal, Full Header) Commercial DocumentCommercial InvoiceCommercial Invoice HistoryTrade InvoiceIllustrated LetterheadAutomobile WorkshopCarriage MakerCoachbuildingWorkshop SealEarly Automotive HistoryCarriage to Auto TransitionFrench Arabic LetterheadCommercial Invoice HistoryCraft Workshop HistoryCommercial History EgyptCosmopolitan CairoPre WWI CommerceKhedivial Era BusinessUrban Transport HistoryEgyptCairo1908Mohammed El KomiMuseum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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1922 to 1927 Anglo-Egyptian Bank Alexandria multicolor cheque set showing blue red and black engraved varieties

Egypt 1922–1927 - Anglo-Egyptian Bank, Alexandria Multicolor Cheque Set (Transition to Barclays DCO)

Set of four original cheques issued by The Anglo-Egyptian Bank Limited, Alexandria branch, spanning the years 1922 to 1927. Each piece is printed on period cream banking stock with engraved borders, full branch listings, manuscript completions, and clearing stamps, offering a detailed view of interwar British banking operations in Egypt. The cheques include three distinct color printings-black, blue, and red-reflecting the evolving design and internal accounting systems used by the bank before its rebranding to Barclays DCO. Read more →

EgyptFinancial Document1922Cheque (Egyptian Pounds)Uncertified (VF Group, Complete, Four-Piece Set) EgyptFinancial DocumentAnglo-Egyptian BankBarclays DCOAlexandriaCheque Set19221927British BankingInterwar FinanceColor Variants

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