Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

Poland 1994 200 zlotych WZÓR specimen number 010 issued by Narodowy Bank Polski, featuring King Sigismund I the Old and red WZÓR overprint

Poland 1994 - 200 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 177s)

The reverse features the Sigismund Chapel at Wawel in Krakow, directly connecting the denomination with the reign and cultural legacy of Sigismund I the Old. The note preserves the complete design and security structure of the 200 Zlotych issue, including guilloche work, denomination fields, ornamental security elements, and the Sigismund I watermark. Read more →

PolandSpecimen1994200 ZlotychPMG 64 Uncirculated SpecimenWZORSpecimen Number 010Lowest Released WZOR NumberPost-Denomination ReformNarodowy Bank PolskiModern Polish BanknotesKing Sigismund I the OldPolish Renaissance IconographyPoland1994PMG 64R9 Extremely RareUniqueUnique SetMuseum GradePick 177sThomas De La Rue

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Martinique 1870 Banque de la Martinique 1 franc unissued cheque, Saint-Pierre issue, unused condition

Martinique 1870 - Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Unissued Cheque (Pick P.5A)

An unissued cheque for one franc prepared for the Banque de la Martinique and intended for use at Saint-Pierre, dating from the early period of organized colonial banking on the island. Classified as Pick P.5A, this form represents a non-circulating banking instrument rather than a circulating banknote, designed for internal settlement, account debiting, and controlled monetary transfers within the colonial financial system. Read more →

MartiniqueUnissued Cheque18701 FrancUncirculated Unissued Cheque1 FrancBanque de la MartiniqueColonial Banking InstrumentFrench Colonial FinancePick P.5AColonial Banking HistoryFrench Overseas TerritoriesCaribbean Monetary History19th Century BankingDocumentary Financial InstrumentsSecurity Printing HistoryFrench Engraving TraditionMartinique1870Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Martinique 1870 Banque de la Martinique 1 franc cheque recovered from the ruins of Saint-Pierre after the 1902 Mount Pelée eruption, with contemporary handwritten provenance notes

Martinique 1870 - Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Cheque Recovered After the 1902 Mount Pelée Eruption (Pick P.5A)

This cheque therefore occupies a dual identity: it is both a nineteenth-century colonial banking instrument and a primary disaster relic from one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. Its significance lies not in monetary function but in documentary survival, direct event association, and contemporaneous human testimony preserved in ink. Within French colonial numismatics and disaster-related financial ephemera, this example stands as a museum-grade reference piece whose historical value is inseparable from its catastrophic provenance. Read more →

MartiniqueDisaster Recovery Cheque18701 FrancVery Fine Disaster Recovery Cheque1 FrancBanque de la MartiniqueMount Pelee EruptionSaint Pierre DestructionColonial Bank RuinsPick P.5AColonial Banking HistoryFrench Overseas TerritoriesCaribbean Monetary HistoryNineteenth Century BankingDisaster Recovered ArtifactDocumentary Financial InstrumentsSecurity Printing HistoryFrench Engraving TraditionMartinique18701902Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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Portugal 1799 Real Erario 20000 reis apólice issued in Lisboa, serial number 37723 in red, blind embossed seal on the face, no red overprint present, with multiple official ink seals on the reverse

Portugal 1799 - Real Erario 20000 Reis Apólice, Original Issue, No Overprint, Lisboa No. 37723

This example belongs to the original issue phase of Portuguese treasury apolices and predates the period commonly associated with the War of the Brothers. It was produced under stable royal administration as part of the established pre-war fiscal system. That context is important: later conflict-period instruments frequently show different validation practices, heavier fiscal markings, and systematic overprinting linked to wartime controls. Read more →

PortugalPublic Debt Bond179920000 ReisVery Fine Public Debt BondApolice20000 ReisPayable to BearerBlind Embossed SealMultiple Reverse SealsNo OverprintOriginal IssuePre War of the BrothersReal ErarioLisboaPortuguese Treasury FinanceRoyal Era Fiscal PaperEighteenth Century State DebtAdministrative Validation SealsFiscal Control HistorySecurity Printing HistoryPortuguese Monetary HistoryPortugal17991811Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareTreasury BondShort-Term Treasury BondOne-Year MaturityInterest-Bearing DebtCirculating Treasury PaperFiduciary Paper MoneyEarly Portuguese Paper MoneyCirculating Public DebtGovernment Debt InstrumentPublic Loan InstrumentTreasury BillShort-Term Government DebtOne-Year Treasury InstrumentBearer Treasury NotePortuguese Paper MoneyEarly Paper CurrencyRoyal Treasury NoteInterest-Bearing Treasury NoteState Debt PaperCirculating Government DebtHistoric Treasury InstrumentGovernment BondSovereign DebtRoyal Treasury BondTreasury DebtBearer BondGovernment Paper MoneyCirculating BondPublic Debt InstrumentPortuguese Government DebtPortuguese Treasury BondPortuguese Treasury Bill18th Century Paper Money18th Century Government DebtEarly Government PaperHistoric Public DebtRoyal Erario BondReal Erario ApolicePortuguese Apolice1799 Portugal1799 Treasury Bond1799 Treasury Bill20000 Reis Apolice20000 Reis Treasury Bond20000 Reis Treasury Bill

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Brazil Imperial Treasury ten mil réis contemporary counterfeit, Pick A231x, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated, period forgery from the Dom Pedro II era

Brazil ca. 1852–1870 - Imperial Treasury of Brazil 10 Mil Réis Contemporary Counterfeit (Pick A231x)

This note represents a contemporary counterfeit of the Imperial Treasury of Brazil ten mil réis issue, produced during the active circulation period of the official banknote and intended to pass as legal tender in everyday commerce. Classified in standard references as Pick A231x, it is a period forgery rather than a later reproduction or fantasy piece, created using materials, engraving methods, and paper consistent with mid-nineteenth-century Brazilian monetary circulation. Read more →

BrazilContemporary Counterfeit185210 Mil RéisPMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated Contemporary CounterfeitImperial Treasury of BrazilEmpire of Brazil10 Mil RéisPeriod ForgeryExceptional Paper QualityEPQTop PopNineteenth Century CurrencyBrazilian EmpireDom Pedro II EraMonetary Security HistoryCounterfeit StudiesBrazil18521870Pick A231xPMGPMG 64 EPQR7 RareCondition R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Uruguay 1871 Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos face proof, obverse-only engraving proof, PCGS 61 New

Uruguay 1871 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos Face Proof (Pick S239p)

This proof connects with the later 1883 Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos specimen preserved in this collection. The two pieces belong to different catalog issues and production dates, but together they document the continuing 10 Pesos denomination within the bank's nineteenth-century note history. The 1871 face proof preserves an earlier plate-approval state, while the 1883 Pick S242s specimen records a later completed two-sided specimen issue with full color, retained counterfoil, reverse design, and perforated SPECIMEN BW & Co LONDON cancellation. Their relationship provides a direct study of the denomination across separate production periods. Read more →

UruguayFace Proof187110 PesosPCGS 61 New Face ProofObverse OnlyEngraving Approval ProofPrinter Reference ProofBanco de Londres y Rio de la PlataNineteenth Century Security PrintingLatin American Banknote ProductionPlate Development ProcessPre Issue Production ArtifactUruguay1871MontevideoPick S239pMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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United States 1933 Any City U.S.A. City and County Scrip Five Dollars specimen with brown engraved design, serial 0000, generic municipal master form, Great Depression era

United States 1933 - Any City, U.S.A. 5 Dollars City and County Scrip Specimen (Generic Municipal Master Form)

The obverse is executed in dense brown engraved line work, incorporating wave-pattern security engraving, dual ornamental SCRIP cartouches, and a recessed central denomination panel reading FIVE DOLLARS. The lower margin carries the serial number No. 0000 and is overprinted SPECIMEN, confirming its status as a non-circulating printer-issued reference piece. The reverse is dominated by a large, highly complex radial guilloche medallion, reflecting professional security printing standards consistent with established banknote production rather than improvised emergency printing. Read more →

United StatesMunicipal Scrip Specimen19335 DollarsUncirculated Specimen City and County ScripMunicipal ScripAny City IssueGeneric Municipal Master FormInterest Bearing Instrument5 DollarsBrown Engraved NoteSpecimen OverprintSerial Number 0000Guilloche Security MedallionE. A. Wright Bank Note CompanySecurity PrintingPrivate Banknote PrinterDepression Era PrintingMunicipal Finance InstrumentGreat DepressionEmergency CurrencyMunicipal Debt InstrumentUnited States Monetary HistoryMunicipal Scrip HistoryUnited States1933Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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United States 1934 New Jersey Atlantic County School Scrip Ten Dollars specimen with red engraved design, serial P0000, interest bearing county school tax instrument, Great Depression era

United States 1934 - New Jersey 10 Dollars County of Atlantic School Scrip Specimen (November 1 Issue)

The obverse is executed in bold red engraved security printing by E. A. Wright Bank Note Company of Philadelphia, a prominent American printer of municipal and financial instruments. The design features an ornate guilloche border, clear identification of the County of Atlantic and the State of New Jersey, and a large central denomination cartouche reading TEN DOLLARS. The reverse is dominated by a complex radial lathe-work medallion, a professional anti-counterfeiting device consistent with established security printing standards rather than ad hoc local production. Read more →

United StatesMunicipal Scrip Specimen193410 DollarsUncirculated Specimen School ScripCounty School ScripSchool Tax InstrumentInterest Bearing Instrument10 DollarsRed Engraved NoteSpecimen OverprintSerial Number P0000Guilloche Security MedallionE. A. Wright Bank Note CompanySecurity PrintingPrivate Banknote PrinterDepression Era PrintingMunicipal Finance InstrumentGreat DepressionSchool Finance HistoryCounty-Level ScripMunicipal Debt InstrumentNew Jersey Monetary HistoryUnited States Fiscal HistoryUnited States1934New JerseyAtlantic CountyPick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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United States 1933 New Jersey Borough of Palmyra Municipal Scrip Five Dollars specimen, brown engraved design, serial V0000, general obligation borough instrument

United States 1933 - New Jersey 5 Dollars Borough of Palmyra Municipal Scrip Specimen (General Obligation)

The obverse is executed in dense brown engraved security printing by E. A. Wright Bank Note Company of Philadelphia, a major American printer of municipal and financial instruments. The design features wave-pattern lathe engraving, dual ornamental SCRIP cartouches, and a recessed central denomination panel reading FIVE DOLLARS. The issuer is clearly identified as the Borough of Palmyra, Burlington County, New Jersey, leaving no ambiguity as to municipal responsibility. Read more →

United StatesMunicipal Scrip Specimen19335 DollarsUncirculated Specimen Municipal ScripBorough Issued ScripGeneral ObligationInterest Bearing Instrument5 DollarsBrown Engraved NoteSpecimen OverprintSerial Number V0000Guilloche Security MedallionE. A. Wright Bank Note CompanySecurity PrintingDepression Era PrintingMunicipal Finance InstrumentGreat DepressionMunicipal Finance HistoryNew Jersey Monetary HistoryUnited States Fiscal HistoryUnited States1933New JerseyBurlington CountyPalmyraPick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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United States 1935 New Jersey Borough of Palmyra Municipal Scrip One Dollar specimen, blue engraved design, serial A0000, general obligation borough instrument

United States 1935 - New Jersey 1 Dollar Borough of Palmyra Municipal Scrip Specimen (General Obligation)

This specimen represents an official municipal scrip issued by the Borough of Palmyra, Burlington County, New Jersey, Series of 1935, and denominated One Dollar. It belongs to the later phase of Depression-era local finance, when smaller municipalities continued to rely on interest-bearing scrip to manage routine obligations amid prolonged economic strain and uneven recovery. Read more →

United StatesMunicipal Scrip Specimen19351 DollarUncirculated Specimen Municipal ScripBorough Issued ScripGeneral ObligationInterest Bearing Instrument1 DollarBlue Engraved NoteSpecimen OverprintSerial Number A0000Guilloche Security MedallionE. A. Wright Bank Note CompanySecurity PrintingDepression Era PrintingMunicipal Finance InstrumentGreat DepressionMunicipal Finance HistoryNew Jersey Monetary HistoryUnited States Fiscal HistoryUnited States1935New JerseyBurlington CountyPalmyraPick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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United States 1934 New Jersey City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note One Dollar Recovery Bond specimen, green engraved design, serial A0000, Depression era municipal bond instrument

United States 1934 - New Jersey 1 Dollar City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

Specimen examples of tax anticipation notes were produced in extremely limited numbers and were typically discarded once an issue was approved and operational. Unlike issued notes, which were redeemed, cancelled, and destroyed through routine fiscal processes, specimens had no functional role and survived only by chance. Read more →

United StatesTax Anticipation Note Specimen19341 DollarUncirculated Specimen Tax Anticipation NoteRecovery BondMunicipal Bond InstrumentCity Issued Obligation1 DollarGreen Engraved NoteSpecimen OverprintSerial Number A0000Municipal SealE. A. Wright Bank Note CompanySecurity PrintingDepression Era PrintingMunicipal Finance InstrumentGreat DepressionTax Anticipation FinancingMunicipal Recovery ProgramsNew Jersey Monetary HistoryUnited States Fiscal HistoryUnited States1934New JerseyAsbury ParkPick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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United States 1934 New Jersey City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Five Dollars Recovery Bond specimen, orange engraved design, serial B0000, Depression era municipal bond instrument

United States 1934 - New Jersey 5 Dollars City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

Specimen examples of tax anticipation notes were produced in extremely limited quantities and typically retained only temporarily within printer or municipal files once an issue was authorized. Unlike issued notes, which were redeemed, cancelled, and destroyed in the normal course of fiscal operations, specimens had no operational role and survived only by circumstance. Read more →

United StatesTax Anticipation Note Specimen19345 DollarsUncirculated Specimen Tax Anticipation NoteRecovery BondMunicipal Bond InstrumentCity Issued Obligation5 DollarsOrange Engraved NoteSpecimen OverprintSerial Number B0000Municipal SealE. A. Wright Bank Note CompanySecurity PrintingDepression Era PrintingMunicipal Finance InstrumentGreat DepressionTax Anticipation FinancingMunicipal Recovery ProgramsNew Jersey Monetary HistoryUnited States Fiscal HistoryUnited States1934New JerseyAsbury ParkPick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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