Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

United States 1934 New Jersey City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Ten Dollars Recovery Bond specimen, black engraved design, serial C0000, Depression era municipal bond instrument

United States 1934 - New Jersey 10 Dollars City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

Tax anticipation notes were not emergency substitutes or informal scrip, but legally sanctioned debt instruments issued in advance of expected tax receipts. In early 1934, municipalities such as Asbury Park were compelled to monetize future tax income in order to meet immediate operating expenses, maintain essential services, and avoid default. This note was issued pursuant to Chapter 192 of the Laws of 1917 of the State of New Jersey, as amended, anchoring it firmly within an established statutory framework rather than ad hoc crisis improvisation. Read more →

United StatesTax Anticipation Note Specimen193410 DollarsUncirculated Specimen Tax Anticipation NoteRecovery BondMunicipal Bond InstrumentCity Issued Obligation10 DollarsBlack Engraved NoteSpecimen OverprintRed OverprintSerial Number C0000Municipal 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 1933 State of Delaware Tax Paid on Half Barrel of Beer fifty cents specimen strip of five orange engraved fiscal stamps with specimen overprint and punch cancellations, post Prohibition excise taxation

United States 1933 - State of Delaware 50 Cents Tax Paid on Half Barrel of Beer Uncut Specimen Strip of Five

This specimen strip represents an official State of Delaware excise tax stamp issued in 1933 for beer, explicitly designated TAX PAID ON HALF BARREL OF BEER and denominated Fifty Cents. It originates from the earliest phase of state-level alcohol regulation following the repeal of national Prohibition, when individual states were forced to reconstruct taxation, licensing, and enforcement systems that had been dormant or dismantled for more than a decade. Read more →

United StatesFiscal Stamp Specimen193350 CentsUncirculated Specimen Strip Fiscal StampBeer Tax StampAlcohol Excise TaxState Revenue StampsExcise Tax StampsHalf Barrel of Beer50 CentsSpecimen OverprintSerial Number 0000Perforated StripPunch CancelledDelaware Liquor CommissionState Tax InstrumentPost Prohibition Alcohol ControlFiscal Printing HistoryUnited StatesDelaware1933Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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United States 1844 four dollars state bank note issued by the Bank of Florida in Tallahassee during its final revival, engraved by Rawdon Wright Hatch and Edson, New York payable, bearing official crosscut cancellation, graded PCGS 58 Choice About Uncirculated

United States 1844 - Bank of Florida - Tallahassee 4 Dollars, State Bank Note, Final Revival Issue, FL-65-G26

The presence of repaired cancellation areas confirms that the note entered active monetary use and was formally invalidated through recognized banking procedures. Variation in the visibility and condition of these cancellations among surviving examples reflects differences in strike force, paper response, and subsequent conservation, not the use of multiple cancellation systems. Read more →

United StatesState Bank Note18444 DollarsPCGS Banknote 58 Choice About Uncirculated 4 DollarsState Bank NoteBank of FloridaTallahasseeFlorida TerritoryFinal Revival IssueNew York PayableCrosscut CancelledRedeemed BanknoteAntebellum BankingState Chartered BankingFlorida Banking HistoryAmerican Engraved BanknotesUnited StatesFlorida1844PCGS BanknotePCGS 58Haxby Florida FL-65-G26Museum Grade

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Lower Canada 1837 Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad full uncut sheet showing six notes with 15 Sous, Quarter Dollar, and Half Dollar denominations in A and B series paired layout

Lower Canada 1837 - Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad - 15 Sous, Quarter Dollar, Half Dollar (Full Uncut Dual Series Sheet)

The full uncut format measures 350 millimeters by 220 millimeters and preserves the complete production configuration. This is a critical distinction, as many surviving examples are in fact half sheets-typically consisting of either the A series or B series portion only-and are often misrepresented as full sheets. The present example retains both series in their original unified format, preserving the full structural and functional design. Read more →

Lower CanadaRailroad Scrip Uncut Sheet183715 Sous, Quarter Dollar, Half DollarUncut Sheet, ungraded Railroad ScripUncut SheetFull SheetDual Series LayoutA SeriesB SeriesPaired Denomination FormatTwo of Each DenominationSix Note SheetChamplain and St. Lawrence RailroadLower CanadaPrivate CurrencyTransportation CurrencyLocomotive VignettesIndustrial Engraving15 SousQuarter DollarHalf DollarFifteen PenceSeven Pence Half PennyThirty SousThree FrancsPre Confederation CanadaLower Canada Rebellion EraCanadian Railroad HistoryNineteenth Century FinanceHistory1837August 1 1837350mm x 220mmUngradedR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Spain 1875 - Banco de España 50 Pesetas Contemporary Counterfeit (Pick 7x)

This example bears large circular hole punches and an applied FALSO stamp, both representing official defacement measures after the note was identified as counterfeit. Such cancellations were applied by authorities to permanently remove fraudulent notes from circulation while preserving them for documentation, study, or evidentiary purposes. These markings form part of the object’s historical narrative rather than post-circulation damage. Read more →

SpainContemporary Counterfeit187550 PesetasPMG 25 Very Fine Contemporary CounterfeitBanco de España50 PesetasPeriod ForgeryCirculating CounterfeitFALSO StampHole Punch CancelledNineteenth Century CurrencySpanish Monetary HistoryPaper Money SecurityCounterfeit StudiesSpain1875Pick 7xPMG 25R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Spain 1876 Banco de España one hundred pesetas contemporary counterfeit, Pick 11x, with large circular hole punches and FALSO stamp, Top Pop graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine

Spain 1876 - Banco de España 100 Pesetas Contemporary Counterfeit (Pick 11x)

As a result, this 1876 one hundred pesetas contemporary counterfeit must be regarded as an extremely rare monetary artifact. It provides direct evidence of the vulnerabilities of nineteenth-century Spanish paper currency systems and the enforcement mechanisms developed to combat forgery, while standing as a scarce and well-documented survivor of period counterfeit circulation. Read more →

SpainContemporary Counterfeit1876100 PesetasPMG 40 Extremely Fine Contemporary CounterfeitBanco de España100 PesetasPeriod ForgeryCirculating CounterfeitFALSO StampHole Punch CancelledNineteenth Century CurrencySpanish Monetary HistoryPaper Money SecurityCounterfeit StudiesSpain1876Pick 11xPMGPMG 40Top PopR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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South Africa 1828 Cape of Good Hope Bank five shillings pre issue sample note, engraved border and ships vignette, Smithsonian class institutional artifact

South Africa 1828 - Cape of Good Hope Bank 5 Shillings Pre-Issue Sample (Pick S171p)

This note represents a pre-issue sample of the Cape of Good Hope Bank five shillings denomination, produced in the late 1820s during the formative period of private banking in the Cape Colony, well before the bank was formally authorized to commence operations. It predates all circulating issues of the institution and belongs to the earliest documentary layer of South African private-bank paper money. Read more →

South AfricaPre-Issue Sample1828Five Shillings SterlingUncirculated Pre Issue Sample5 Shillings SterlingSample NoteApproval Stage CurrencyCape of Good Hope BankPrivate Colonial BankingEarly Nineteenth Century CurrencyCape Colony Monetary HistoryBritish Colonial FinanceInstitutional ProvenanceSouth Africa1828Pick S171pR9 Extremely RareMuseum GradeSmithsonian Held Class

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South Africa 1861 Montagu Bank five pounds remainder, large format steel plate engraved private banknote with green counterfeit protector

South Africa 1861 - Montagu Bank 5 Pounds Remainder (Pick S231r)

This note is an unissued remainder of the Montagu Bank five pounds denomination, produced in the early 1860s during the brief operational life of one of the Cape Colony’s most distinctive private commercial banks. As the highest denomination authorized by the Montagu Bank, the five pounds issue occupied the uppermost tier of the institution’s monetary structure and was intended for large commercial settlements, capital transactions, and internal accounting rather than routine daily exchange. Read more →

South AfricaRemainder18615 Pounds SterlingUncirculated Remainder5 PoundsUnissued CurrencyMontagu BankPrivate BanknoteSteel Plate EngravingMid Nineteenth Century CurrencyCape Colony BankingCounterfeit ProtectorColonial Monetary HistorySouth Africa1861Pick S231rR7 Very RareMuseum Grade

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Uruguay 1939 Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 pesos specimen Pick 41as, perforated cancellation

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Perforated Cancel, Series A–B (Pick 41as)

This specimen note represents a distinct institutional handling variant of the one thousand pesos denomination of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939, during the mature phase of state-directed banking and currency policy in Uruguay. As the highest denomination issued within the national paper money system at the time, the 1000 pesos was reserved exclusively for interbank settlement, treasury accounting, and large-scale financial operations, and was never intended for routine public circulation. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen19391000 Pesos SpecimenPerforated CancelMechanical PerforationSeries A-BBanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayHighest DenominationInterbank Settlement NoteState Banking ReferenceInstitutional SpecimenUruguay19391000 PesosPick 41asR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Uruguay 1939 Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos specimen, Serie D, Specimen No. 23, Pick 41cs, with all-zero serial numbers, diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint, red oval specimen stamps, portrait and watermark of Jose Gervasio Artigas, and equestrian reverse, graded PMG 65 Gem Uncirculated Exceptional Paper Quality

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie D, Specimen No. 23 (Pick 41cs)

The reverse presents a broad equestrian composition showing a mounted figure in traditional dress crossing an open landscape. The scene is framed by heavy architectural ornament, grape clusters, scrolls, columns, and large denomination panels. The rider gives the reverse a distinctly national character, evoking the rural landscape, mounted culture, and historical traditions associated with Uruguay and the wider Rio de la Plata region. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen with Red Overprint and Oval Stamps19391000 PesosPMG 65 Gem Uncirculated Exceptional Paper Quality Specimen1000 PesosSerie DSpecimen No 23All Zero Serial NumbersRed SPECIMEN OverprintRed Oval Specimen StampsJose Gervasio Artigas PortraitJose Gervasio Artigas WatermarkEquestrian ReverseBanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedIntaglio PrintingSecurity EngravingGuilloche DesignWatermarked PaperPrinted Specimen CancellationInstitutional Reference SpecimenUruguay Monetary HistoryLaw of 2 January 1939High Denomination CurrencyState BankingSpecimen DistributionBanknote Production HistoryHistoryUruguay19391000 PesosPick 41csPick 41cPMG 65Exceptional Paper QualityR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Uruguay 1939 Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos specimen, Serie C, Specimen No. 2, Pick 41bs, with all-zero serial numbers, diagonal red SPECIMEN overprints, red oval specimen stamps, portrait and watermark of Jose Gervasio Artigas, and mounted rider reverse, graded PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie C, Specimen No. 2 (Pick 41bs)

Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited printed the note in London, as stated in the lower reverse margin. The work reflects the firm's ability to unite symbolic portraiture, narrative engraving, watermark security, ornamental geometry, and large-denomination typography within a single coherent banknote design. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen with Red Overprint and Oval Stamps19391000 PesosPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Specimen1000 PesosSerie CSpecimen No 2Low Specimen NumberAll Zero Serial NumbersRed SPECIMEN OverprintRed Oval Specimen StampsJose Gervasio Artigas PortraitJose Gervasio Artigas WatermarkEquestrian ReverseBanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedIntaglio PrintingSecurity EngravingGuilloche DesignWatermarked PaperPrinted Specimen CancellationNumbered Reference SpecimenUruguay Monetary HistoryLaw of 2 January 1939High Denomination CurrencyState BankingEarly Specimen SequenceBanknote Production HistoryHistoryUruguay19391000 PesosPick 41bsPick 41bPMG 63R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 pesos specimen Pick 41as with De La Rue CANCELLED stamp and Specimen No. 50

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, De La Rue Cancel Stamp, Serie A, Specimen No. 50 (Pick 41as)

The obverse design features the engraved portrait of José Gervasio Artigas, Uruguay’s foundational national figure, executed within an ornate architectural framework characteristic of Thomas De La Rue and Company’s late-interwar intaglio production. The denomination MIL PESOS dominates the central cartouche, underscoring the note’s position at the apex of the denomination hierarchy. This example belongs to the Series A–B grouping and bears a controlled all-zero serial format, accompanied by the printed designation SPECIMEN No. 50 at the lower left margin, confirming its place within a numbered specimen sequence. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen19391000 PesosPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated SpecimenDe La Rue Cancel StampSerie ASpecimen No 50Uruguay1000 Pesos1939Pick 41asPMG 64Museum Grade

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