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)

This denomination completes the matching-number WZÓR 010 group preserved in this collection. Its AA0000000 serial and shared specimen number place it within the same five-denomination reference sequence as the 10, 20, 50, and 100 Zlotych notes. 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)

The printed face follows the established Banque de la Martinique cheque format, bearing the heading “Chèque sur la Banque de la Martinique,” internal control marking “B.P.F. 1,” and a printed acknowledgment of receipt for the sum of one franc, to be debited from the account of a named holder. The place of issue is Saint-Pierre, with a printed year line left incomplete, consistent with cheque forms intended to be dated at the time of use. Ornamental engraved borders composed of tropical flora frame the document, reflecting French metropolitan engraving conventions adapted for colonial financial instruments. Printer imprints at the lower margins attribute production to Claverie et Fils, with engraved elements credited to Reschérer. 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

Issued in Lisboa in 1799 under the authority of the Real Erario, this 20,000-reis apolice is a Portuguese royal-era public debt instrument payable to bearer. It represents state-backed debt from a period of administrative continuity in late eighteenth-century Portugal, before the political and fiscal disruptions of the nineteenth century. 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)

Contemporary counterfeits occupy a distinct and historically important category within paper money studies. Unlike modern reproductions, they were produced to deceive during circulation and therefore interacted directly with the economy, merchants, and the public. In the Brazilian Empire under Dom Pedro II, paper currency circulated widely across a vast territory with uneven enforcement and limited centralized oversight, conditions that created both opportunity and incentive for skilled counterfeit production. 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)

Face proofs occupied a distinct place within nineteenth-century banknote production. They were technical production artifacts used to evaluate and approve the engraved face before full note manufacture proceeded. This example therefore records the design at a critical production stage, preserving the approved plate work and original control layout associated with the 10 Pesos issue. 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 complete absence of any named city, county, or state is intentional and central to the instrument’s purpose. Rather than representing a failure of attribution, it identifies the piece as a pre-issuance master form occupying a level above individual municipal obligations. Once adopted by a specific city, such forms would normally be modified by overprint, validation, or countersignature, transforming the generic template into a localized financial instrument. 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)

This specimen represents an official county-level school tax scrip issued by the County of Atlantic, New Jersey, dated November 1, 1934, and denominated Ten Dollars. It belongs to a category of legally authorized educational finance instruments created during the Great Depression, when counties were confronted with the collapse of normal revenue flows and were forced to adopt extraordinary measures to sustain public schooling. 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)

Municipal scrip functioned as a direct acknowledgment of indebtedness by the issuing authority, intended for local circulation or settlement rather than long-term financing. In Palmyra’s case, the scrip was structured as a general obligation of the borough, transferable by delivery and bearing interest at the rate of three percent per annum from the date of issue. It was expressly acceptable in payment of taxes or other indebtedness to the borough, with redemption to be fixed by the Borough Council, integrating it directly into the municipality’s fiscal system. 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)

The obverse is executed in blue engraved security printing by E. A. Wright Bank Note Company of Philadelphia, a major American printer of municipal and financial instruments. The design features dense wave-pattern lathe work, dual ornamental SCRIP cartouches, and a recessed central denomination panel reading ONE DOLLAR. 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 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)

The obverse is executed in green engraved security printing by E. A. Wright Bank Note Company of Philadelphia, a prominent American printer of municipal and financial instruments. The design presents a formal civic layout with clear identification of the issuing city, denomination counters, and a large engraved corporate seal of Asbury Park. The serial number A0000 and the overprinted word SPECIMEN identify this example as a printer-issued specimen produced for authorization, approval, or archival reference rather than circulation. 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)

The obverse is executed in orange engraved security printing by E. A. Wright Bank Note Company of Philadelphia, a prominent American security printer specializing in municipal and financial instruments. The design features bold municipal titling, denomination counters, and a large engraved corporate seal of Asbury Park, visually asserting legal authority and institutional continuity amid economic instability. The serial number B0000 and the overprinted word SPECIMEN identify this example as a printer-issued specimen produced for authorization, approval, or archival reference rather than for circulation. 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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