Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

Uruguay 1939 Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 pesos specimen Pick 40as with perforated cancellation

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 Pesos Specimen, Perforated Cancel, Serie A (Pick 40as)

This Serie A five hundred pesos specimen of the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay preserves a distinctive perforation-cancel format from the 1939 issue. Rather than relying on red ink overprints, numbered specimen inscriptions, or printer control stamps, the note was permanently invalidated by a diagonal perforated CANCELLED inscription cut directly through the paper. The result is a reference note whose monetary status was removed mechanically while its printed design remained almost completely unobstructed. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen1939500 PesosPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Specimen500 PesosPerforated CancelMechanical PerforationSerie ABanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayInstitutional Reference NoteInterwar Monetary SystemState Issued CurrencyUruguay1939PMG 64Pick 40asMuseum Grade

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Uruguay 1939 Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 pesos specimen, Pick 40as, Serie A, printed SPECIMEN overprint with De La Rue CANCELLED stamp and Specimen No. 29

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie A, Specimen No. 29 (Pick 40as)

The portrait vignette at right is modeled through dense intaglio linework and placed against imagery associated with industry and economic activity. It forms the human center of the design, while the watermark area at left provides an open counterweight within the otherwise heavily engraved surface. This balance between portraiture, unprinted paper, monumental typography, and ornamental security work is characteristic of Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited's high-denomination designs of the period. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp1939500 PesosPMG 55 About Uncirculated SpecimenRed Overprint500 PesosPrinted CancelSerie ASpecimen No 29Banco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayState Issued CurrencyInterwar Monetary SystemInstitutional Reference NoteUruguay1939PMG 55Pick 40asMuseum Grade

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United States 1854 Empire City Bank 100 Dollars proof note, Collins Line steamship vignette, blank reverse with American Bank Note Company archival stamp, PMG Uncirculated 62 EPQ

United States 1854 - Empire City Bank 100 Dollars Proof (Pick NY1585G16P)

This one hundred dollars proof must therefore be understood not as a failed issue or unissued remainder, but as a controlled institutional artifact documenting the mechanics of private banknote design, engraving, and presentation in the pre Civil War United States. It stands as museum grade evidence of how American private banks projected credibility and authority through engraved paper money in an era before centralized monetary control. Read more →

United StatesProof1854100 DollarsPMG Uncirculated 62 EPQ ProofProof Banknote100 DollarsHigh DenominationEmpire City BankABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyArchival ProofPunch of CancellationAmerican Private BankingPre Civil War CurrencyNew York Banking HistoryNineteenth Century BankingSecurity Printing HistoryCollins Line Steamer VignetteUnited States1854Pick NY1585G16PPMG 62Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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United States 1838 Olney Alabama uncut remainder sheet with 25 cents, 50 cents, and 1 dollar notes printed by Manly and Orr, deckled bottom margin, PCGS Banknote Very Fine 25

United States 1838 - Olney, Alabama 25 Cents, 50 Cents, 1 Dollar Uncut Sheet Remainder

The notes were printed from stock designs produced by Manly and Orr of Philadelphia, a major nineteenth century security printing firm that supplied generic engraved templates to a wide range of customers across the United States during the 1830s. These designs were marketed for rapid adoption by banks, merchants, and local issuers seeking to introduce paper money without the expense of commissioning custom engravings. As a result, identical or closely related layouts appear across numerous state and local issues of the period. Read more →

United StatesRemainder183825 Cents, 50 Cents, 1 DollarPCGS Banknote Very Fine 25 RemainderUncut Sheet25 Cents50 Cents1 DollarFractional CurrencyStock EngravingManly and OrrDeckled EdgeAntebellum CurrencyPanic of 1837 EraLocal ScripUnofficial IssuerAlabama Monetary HistoryEarly American PrintingUnited StatesAlabamaOlney1838Gunther and Derby AO-386PCGS 25Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Italy 1781 Regie Finanze di Torino five scudi front proof sheet with two impressions from plate 1 and plate 2, visible plate numbers, deep intaglio bite, unique surviving proof sheet

Italy 1781 - Regie Finanze di Torino 5 Scudi Front Proof Sheet (Pick Unlisted)

The Regie Finanze di Torino served as the central fiscal authority of the Savoyard state, overseeing taxation, state credit, and the issuance of paper instruments during the late eighteenth century. The introduction of paper money during this period marked a decisive institutional development, reflecting the state’s effort to formalize credit issuance beyond reliance on metallic reserves. Read more →

ItalyProof17815 ScudiUncirculated ProofFront ProofProof Sheet5 ScudiRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate NumberedPlate 1Plate 2Kingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1781Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueUnique Proof Sheet

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Italy Regie Finanze di Torino 100 lire back proof sheet in pre-date control state from plate 2, full margins, undated control framework

Italy 1745 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Pre-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

This pre-date control state survives as a complete and independently preserved proof impression. Its preservation as a full sheet records an early control stage within the production of the one hundred lire issue, prior to the addition of dated and fully populated legal text on later control impressions. Read more →

ItalyBack Proof1745100 LireUncirculated ProofBack ProofPre-Date Control State100 LireRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate 2Control FrameworkKingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1745Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniquePick Unlisted

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Italy Regie Finanze di Torino 100 lire back proof sheet dated 1746 from plate 2, showing crowned Savoyard shield, laurel wreath, denomination cartouches, full legal text, and complete ornamental frame

Italy 1746 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Fixed-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

The design is organized symmetrically around a central crowned Savoyard shield bearing the cross of Savoy, enclosed within a laurel wreath and flanked by scrollwork and denomination cartouches marked 100. To the left and right of the central emblem appear formal legal text blocks beginning with No. and Per il Capitale di lire cento, establishing the monetary obligation. The dated inscription Torino il p. Gen. 1746 is engraved within the right-hand text field, fixing the control state to a specific administrative year. Read more →

ItalyBack Proof1746100 LireUncirculated ProofBack ProofFixed-Date Control State100 LireRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate 2Control FrameworkKingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1746Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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Italy Regie Finanze di Torino 100 lire front proof sheet from plate 2 dated 1765 showing landscape vignette with Savoyard shield, obligation text panels, denomination inscriptions, and full ornamental frame

Italy 1765 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Front Proof, Final Face State (Pick Unlisted)

The lower portion of the design contains a secondary obligation panel beginning with No. and repeating the denomination text Per il Capitale di lire cento, again dated Torino il p. Gen. 1765. This lower panel is framed by fine linear borders and preserves the complete layout intended for a fully realized face of the instrument. Read more →

ItalyProof1765100 LireUncirculated ProofFront ProofFinal Face State100 LireRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate 2Kingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1765Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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Cayman Islands Currency Board unissued photographic back proof for the one dollar denomination, circa 1970, showing a fully developed ornamental reverse design prepared as a standalone security printing surface

Cayman Islands 1970 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Unissued Back Photographic Proof

This proof carries no serial numbers, signatures, legal text, or circulation elements. Its format and finish confirm that it was never intended for monetary use, serving instead as internal reference material associated with currency design preparation. The absence of any complementary printed surface is consistent with its function as a single-sided design proof rather than as part of a completed banknote. Read more →

Cayman IslandsUnissued Design Proof19701 DollarPCGS 62 Unissued Design ProofPhotographic ProofBack ProofSecurity Printing1 DollarCurrency Board IssueBritish Caribbean Monetary HistoryLate Colonial Currency SystemsCurrency Design and Approval ProcessSecurity Printing HistoryCayman Islands1970Pick UnlistedPCGS 62Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Cayman Islands Currency Board one dollar issued note dated 1974, Pick 5e, serial prefix A/6 number 105218, Queen Elizabeth the Second portrait and Cayman Islands coat of arms on the obverse, marine vignette on the reverse, PMG 67 Exceptional Paper Quality holder

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Issued Note (Pick 5e)

This issued one dollar note of the Cayman Islands Currency Board belongs to the long-running series authorized under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974, a framework that formalized the islands’ modern paper currency system while maintaining the Currency Board model of disciplined issuance. Although the note is dated 1974 in the series structure, the PMG label attribution indicates the later printing date as not dated 1985, reflecting a practice common to currency board emissions: a stable design and legal base date, paired with later printings as replacement and demand required during successive administrative terms. Read more →

Cayman IslandsIssued Note19741 DollarPMG 67 EPQ Issued Note1 DollarSerial Prefix A/6Serial Number 105218A. Jefferson SignatureTurtle WatermarkExceptional Paper QualityThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedCayman Islands Currency BoardCayman Islands Currency Law 1974British Overseas Territory CurrencyCurrency Board Monetary SystemLate Twentieth Century Security PrintingCaribbean Monetary HistoryCayman Islands19741985PMG 67 EPQMuseum GradePick 5e

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Cayman Islands Currency Board one dollar issued note, Pick 5d, serial prefix A/5 number 997069, Queen Elizabeth the Second portrait and coat of arms on the obverse, marine reef vignette on the reverse, PMG 68 Exceptional Paper Quality Top Pop

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Issued Note (Pick 5d)

The serial number 997069 with prefix A/5 is printed at left and right, reflecting controlled batch identification within the issued run and distinguishing this emission from earlier and later printings of the same design. The presence of Jefferson’s signature situates the note within a specific administrative phase of the Currency Board’s operation rather than as a generic example of the 1974 series. Read more →

Cayman IslandsIssued Note19741 DollarPMG 68 EPQ Superb Gem Uncirculated (Top Pop) Issued Note1 DollarSerial Prefix A/5Serial Number 997069A. Jefferson SignatureTurtle WatermarkExceptional Paper QualityThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedCayman Islands Currency BoardCayman Islands Currency Law 1974British Overseas Territory CurrencyCurrency Board Monetary SystemLate Twentieth Century Security PrintingCaribbean Monetary HistoryCayman Islands19741985PMG 68 EPQTop PopMuseum GradePick 5d

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Cayman Islands Currency Board one dollar specimen note with a single bold red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint, serial prefix A/3 with all-zero serial number, Queen Elizabeth the Second portrait on the obverse and marine reef vignette on the reverse, Pick 5as

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Specimen with Red Overprint (Pick 5as)

The defining invalidation on this example is a single bold red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint applied across the face of the note. This classic specimen format represents the standard presentation form used by Thomas De La Rue for institutional reference and controlled distribution. No additional invalidation devices are present: there are no oval NO VALUE stamps, no perforations, and no punch cancellations. The absence of secondary control marks distinguishes this example from later or more heavily invalidated specimen forms. Read more →

Cayman IslandsSpecimen with Red Overprint19741 DollarPMG 65 EPQ SpecimenRed OverprintClassic Specimen FormatAll Zero Serial NumberV. G. Johnson SignatureSerial Prefix A/3Turtle WatermarkThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedCayman Islands Currency BoardCayman Islands Currency Law 1974British Overseas Territory CurrencyCurrency Board Monetary SystemLate Twentieth Century Security PrintingSpecimen Presentation ProceduresCayman Islands19741981PMG 65 EPQMuseum GradePick 5as

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