Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

Australia 1900 Bank of New South Wales £20 Sydney Circular Note specimen, 19__ form with red SPECIMEN overprint, two Charles Skipper & East specimen stamps, large BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES ornamental watermark, Pick Unlisted, R9 Extremely Rare, unique

Australia 1900 - Bank of New South Wales £20 Sydney Circular Note Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Together, the face instructions, Letter of Indication reference, signature-verification procedure, London exchange provision, reverse demand draft, institutional watermark, and printer specimen markings preserve the complete operating structure of an early 20th-century Australian circular note. The Sydney £20 red-overprint specimen form is Pick Unlisted and is recorded here as R9 Extremely Rare, with this example representing the only known specimen of the exact form. Read more →

AustraliaCircular Note Specimen190020 Pounds SterlingUncirculated Circular Note SpecimenCircular Note20 Pounds Sterling20 PoundsRed SPECIMEN OverprintSpecimen OverprintCharles Skipper & East Specimen StampsTwo Specimen StampsUnissued Banking InstrumentBank of New South WalesThe Bank of New South WalesBank of New South Wales Circular NoteBank of NSWSydneySydney Circular NoteAustralian Private BankingAustralian Banking HistoryInternational Banking InstrumentTravel BankingLetter of IndicationSignature VerificationDemand DraftLondon DraftSterling Payment InstrumentCharles Skipper & EastLondon Security PrintingSecurity PrintingSecurity PaperBank of New South Wales WatermarkLarge WatermarkOrnamental WatermarkYellow Gold UnderprintBlue BorderBank of NSW Security Panel29 Threadneedle StreetThreadneedle StreetLondon OfficeLondonSydney London BankingCorrespondent BankingInternational SettlementExchange on LondonAustralia190019__ Date FormatEarly 20th Century BankingPick UnlistedUncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Mauritius 1839 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 20 Dollars / 4 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled Note (Pick S125)

Rarity is severe. PMG census lists only 15 total graded examples for Pick S125 across all grades and subtypes. Surviving raw pieces in private hands and institutions likely number only a handful more. Combining these yields an estimated total population of approximately <10 extant issued-and-cancelled examples in all conditions, placing the type squarely in the R8 range of rarity. As an intact, fully issued, pre-1840 Mauritius note from the formative period of the island’s banking history, this piece stands as a museum-grade cornerstone for early Indian Ocean finance and colonial economic studies. Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note183920 Dollars / 4 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled20 Dollars4 PoundsColonial CurrencyDual-CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1839Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Australia 1890 Bank of New South Wales £10 Brisbane Circular Note specimen, 18__ form with perforated SPECIMEN and large BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES ornamental watermark, Pick Unlisted, R9 Extremely Rare, unique

Australia 1890 - Bank of New South Wales £10 Brisbane Circular Note Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Specimen status is shown by the perforated SPECIMEN cancellation through the lower right portion of the face. The note remains fully unissued, with the operational fields left blank and the Accountant and Manager lines unsigned. Read more →

AustraliaCircular Note Specimen189010 Pounds SterlingUncirculated Circular Note SpecimenCircular Note10 Pounds Sterling10 PoundsPerforated SPECIMENSpecimen PerforationUnissued Banking InstrumentBank of New South WalesThe Bank of New South WalesBank of NSWBrisbaneBrisbane Circular NoteAustralian Private BankingAustralian Banking HistoryInternational Banking InstrumentTravel BankingLetter of IndicationSignature VerificationDemand DraftLondon DraftSterling Payment InstrumentCharles Skipper & EastLondon Security PrintingSecurity PrintingSecurity PaperBank of New South Wales WatermarkLarge WatermarkOrnamental WatermarkYellow Gold UnderprintBlue BorderBank of NSW Security PanelOld Broad StreetLondon OfficeLondonBrisbane London BankingCorrespondent BankingInternational SettlementExchange on LondonAustralia189018__ Date Format19th Century BankingPick UnlistedUncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Australia 1900 Bank of New South Wales £10 London Circular Note specimen, 19__ form with perforated SPECIMEN, large BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES ornamental watermark, reverse Old Broad Street London demand draft, Pick Unlisted, R9 Extremely Rare, unique

Australia 1900 - Bank of New South Wales £10 London Circular Note Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Specimen status is recorded through a perforated SPECIMEN cancellation at the lower right of the face. The note remains fully unissued, with the operational fields blank and the Accountant and Manager lines unsigned. Read more →

AustraliaCircular Note Specimen190010 Pounds SterlingUncirculated Circular Note SpecimenCircular Note10 Pounds Sterling10 PoundsPerforated SPECIMENSpecimen PerforationUnissued Banking InstrumentBank of New South WalesThe Bank of New South WalesBank of NSWLondonLondon Circular NoteAustralian Private BankingAustralian Banking HistoryInternational Banking InstrumentTravel BankingLetter of IndicationSignature VerificationDemand DraftLondon DraftSterling Payment InstrumentCharles Skipper & EastLondon Security PrintingSecurity PrintingSecurity PaperBank of New South Wales WatermarkLarge WatermarkOrnamental WatermarkYellow Gold UnderprintBlue BorderBank of NSW Security PanelOld Broad StreetLondon OfficeLondon BankingCorrespondent BankingInternational SettlementExchange on LondonAustralia190019__ Date FormatEarly 20th Century BankingPick UnlistedUncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Australia 1890 Bank of New South Wales £10 Melbourne Circular Note specimen, 18__ form with perforated SPECIMEN, large BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES ornamental watermark, reverse London demand draft, Pick Unlisted, R9 Extremely Rare, unique

Australia 1890 - Bank of New South Wales £10 Melbourne Circular Note Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The face is dominated by a large yellow-gold denomination underprint extending through the central field, combined with fine script, denomination lettering, and an elaborate vertical security panel at left containing "BANK OF N.S.W." The surrounding pale blue paper border creates a strong visual frame around the otherwise lightly printed central field. Read more →

AustraliaCircular Note Specimen189010 Pounds SterlingUncirculated Circular Note SpecimenCircular Note10 Pounds Sterling10 PoundsPerforated SPECIMENSpecimen PerforationUnissued Banking InstrumentBank of New South WalesThe Bank of New South WalesBank of NSWMelbourneMelbourne Circular NoteAustralian Private BankingAustralian Banking HistoryInternational Banking InstrumentTravel BankingLetter of IndicationSignature VerificationDemand DraftLondon DraftSterling Payment InstrumentCharles Skipper & EastLondon Security PrintingSecurity PrintingSecurity PaperBank of New South Wales WatermarkLarge WatermarkOrnamental WatermarkYellow Gold UnderprintBlue BorderBank of NSW Security PanelOld Broad StreetLondon OfficeLondonMelbourne London BankingCorrespondent BankingInternational SettlementExchange on LondonAustralia189018__ Date Format19th Century BankingPick UnlistedUncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Poland 1936 50 Zlotych Jan Henryk Dabrowski, Pick 78a, PMG 55 EPQ

Poland 1936 - 50 Zlotych Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (Pick 78a, Miłczak 77a–b)

Today, two distinct survivor groups are known: a very small number of uncirculated notes preserved from bank reserves, and a limited population of circulated examples reflecting wartime deployment. High-grade survivors are exceptional, underscoring the note’s dual identity as both an unrealized peacetime issue and an artifact of national collapse. Read more →

PolandUnissued Note193650 ZlotychPMG 55 EPQ About Uncirculated Unissued Note50 ZlotychJan Henryk DabrowskiBank PolskiPaństwowa Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych in WarsawPolish Interwar CurrencySecond Polish RepublicNational IconographySteel EngravingPortrait WatermarkPoland1936PMG 55 EPQMuseum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1895–1915 Bank of New Zealand 5 Pounds Orange Specimen Pick S192s with dual serial numbers A000001 and A020000, perforated CANCELLED marking, left audit margin, and dated top margin printer annotations, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, PMG 55 About Uncirculated.

New Zealand 1895–1915 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange Specimen (Pick S192s)

The visual architecture of the note is highly structured. The left vertical column presents stacked vignette medallions-Māori portraiture above and a pastoral or maritime landscape below-serving both decorative and symbolic functions tied to New Zealand identity. The central orange-tinted obligation panel anchors the composition, overlaid with intricate guilloche and denomination text, while the outer borders exhibit dense, repeating security patterns designed to resist reproduction. The denomination appears in multiple formats-numeric, textual, and embedded within ornamental devices-creating layered redundancy typical of high-value colonial issues. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen18955 PoundsPMG 55 About Uncirculated Specimen5 PoundsBank of New ZealandBradbury WilkinsonBWCA Prefix SpecimenA000001A020000Dual Serial NumbersPrinter Control NumberingPerforated CANCELLEDAudit Margin LeftPrinter AnnotationsTop Margin AnnotationDated Annotation 1915Printer Ledger MarkingsColonial IssueHigh DenominationEdwardian DesignMāori Portrait SeriesEngraved Security PrintingNew Zealand Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankBNZ Color LineageVictorian to Edwardian TransitionMaritime Economy NotesBritish Colonial FinanceSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsHistoryNew Zealand189519151895-1915Pick S192sPMG 55Museum GradeR7 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1870–1890 Bank of New Zealand 1 Pound Green Specimen Pick S191s, dual serial numbers A197001 and B047000, perforated CANCELLED, Bradbury Wilkinson printing, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated

New Zealand 1870–1890 - Bank of New Zealand £1 Green Specimen (Pick S191s)

This specimen carries a dual-prefix serial system, with A197001 at left and B047000 at right. These are not circulation serials but internal control numbers applied by Bradbury Wilkinson to track production stages, plate alignment, and archival referencing. The use of two independent serial blocks reflects early control methodology, allowing cross-verification between printing batches and ledger records. This dual-format numbering is a defining feature of early BNZ specimens and distinguishes them from later standardized serial practices. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen18701 PoundPMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated Specimen1 PoundBank of New ZealandBradbury WilkinsonBWCDual Serial NumbersA197001B047000Perforated CANCELLEDAudit MarginPrinter Control SystemColonial IssueVictorian DesignMāori Portrait SeriesEngraved Security PrintingNew Zealand Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankBNZ Color LineageColor Lineage Origin19th Century OceaniaMaritime Economy NotesEarly Indigenous ImageryBritish Colonial FinanceHistoryNew Zealand187018901870–1890Pick S191sPMG 58Choice About UncirculatedMuseum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1905–1916 Bank of New Zealand £1 Red Pick S212bs, serial prefix G000001–G100000, perforated CANCELLED, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., PMG 55 AU

New Zealand 1905-1916 - Bank of New Zealand £1 Red with Serial Number Prefix G000001-G100000 Cancelled Perforation Specimen (Pick S212bs)

The G000001–G100000 range functioned as the opening control block within a structured multi-block printing order. Archival evidence indicates continuation with G100001–G300000, followed by an alphabetical transition to E300001–E400000. The pencilled annotation dated 19 January 1915 on the selvage aligns with Bradbury Wilkinson internal press-balance markings and confirms late–World War I handling of this material. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix19051 PoundPMG 55 About Uncirculated Specimen1 PoundRedBNZ Color LineageSerial-Prefix VarietyCancelledBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S212bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankWartime ProductionPrefix Block SequenceMāori Portrait SeriesSecurity Printing HistoryNew Zealand190519161905–1916PMG 55Museum GradeR8 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1905–1916 Bank of New Zealand £1 Red Pick S212bs, serial prefix G100001–G300000, perforated CANCELLED, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

New Zealand 1905-1916 - Bank of New Zealand £1 Red with Serial Number Prefix G100001-G300000 Cancelled Perforation Specimen (Pick S212bs)

Numbered specimen from the G100001–G300000 block of the BNZ £1 Red (Pick S212bs), printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London. Fully executed in final inks with live production numbering and perforated CANCELLED across the signature panel, identifying it as a printer-archive invalidation of a fully finished note rather than a proof or unfinished file copy. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix19051 PoundRaw (Serial-numbered Specimen, cancelled) Specimen1 PoundRedBNZ Color LineageSerial-Prefix VarietyCancelledBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S212bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankWartime ProductionPrefix Block SequenceMāori Portrait SeriesSecurity Printing HistoryNew Zealand190519161905–1916Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1905–1916 Bank of New Zealand £1 Red Pick S212bs, serial prefix E300001–E400000, perforated SPECIMEN, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

New Zealand 1905–1916 - Bank of New Zealand £1 Red Cancelled Specimen with Serial Number Prefix E300001–E400000 (Pick S212bs)

As the final documented prefix block of the BNZ £1 Red series, this specimen represents the end of New Zealand’s private-banknote era and is properly classified as R8 Extremely Rare. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix19051 PoundRaw (Serial-numbered Specimen, wide selvage) Specimen1 PoundRedBNZ Color LineageSerial-Prefix VarietyE-prefixBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S212bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankWartime ProductionPrefix Block SequenceMāori Portrait SeriesSecurity Printing HistoryNew Zealand190519161905–1916Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand ND 1924-1933 Bank of New South Wales ten shillings proof printed by Charles Skipper and East, perforated SPECIMEN control marking, single sided with blank reverse

New Zealand ND (1924-1933) - Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings with Perforated SPECIMEN Printers Archival Proof (Pick S161s)

The design itself exemplifies Skipper and East mature interwar engraving style. Ornamental guilloche frames, dense microlettering within the TEN SHILLINGS value panels, and balanced symmetry reflect London security printing conventions intended to convey institutional authority and trust. The central vignette combines maritime and pastoral imagery, showing an allegorical female figure with sheep in the foreground and a fully rigged sailing vessel behind. This imagery functions as a visual synthesis of agriculture, trade, and transport, representing the economic foundations of Australasian banking and commerce during the early twentieth century. Read more →

New ZealandPrinters Archival Proof192410 ShillingsChoice Uncirculated Proof Banknote10 ShillingsProofPrinter ProofPrinters Archival ProofPerforated SPECIMENPrinter Control MarkingNon Circulating ProofBank of New South WalesColonial BankingAustralasian BankingCharles Skipper and EastLondon Security PrintingGuilloche EngravingMicroletteringBlank ReverseNew ZealandND 1924-193319241933Pick S161sPick S161Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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