Collection — Specimens, Proofs & Issued Banknotes

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

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

Printers archival oversized proof for the Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings, classified in the Standard Catalog and grading records as New Zealand Pick S161s (ND 1924-1933) and produced in London by Charles Skipper and East. This example survives on an oversized, untrimmed sheet and represents the most internal and earliest preserved production state of the design. Read more →

New ZealandPrinters Archival Proof192410 ShillingsChoice Uncirculated Proof Banknote10 ShillingsProofPrinter ProofPrinters Archival ProofPerforated SPECIMENPrinter Control MarkingNon Circulating ProofUntrimmed MarginsBlank ReverseBank of New South WalesColonial BankingAustralasian BankingCharles Skipper and EastLondon Security PrintingGuilloche EngravingMicroletteringNew ZealandND 1924-193319241933Pick S161sMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

Held

Ask PMG Census

Mexico 1884 Fabrica de Tunal 1 Peso ABNC PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated serial A07769

Mexico 1884 – Fábrica de Tunal 1 Peso (Pick Unlisted, ABNC)

As an issued and numbered piece (serial 07769, control letter 'A') this example comes from the active circulation series-not an archival pull or proof. Issued ABNC corporate notes are dramatically scarcer than the proofs occasionally seen from late ABNC dispersals. Notes like this circulated aggressively, were redeemed on payday, and were routinely destroyed during accounting consolidation. Their life expectancy was short, and surviving high-grade examples are exceptionally rare, especially in the PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated range. Read more →

MexicoIssued Note18841 PesoPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Private Issue1 PesoABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyCorporate CurrencyIndustrial ScripEngraved Security PrintingPorfiriatoIndustrial FinanceMining Region CurrencyMexican Private BanknotesSilver StandardDurango Monetary HistoryRegional CirculationPayroll InstrumentsLatin American EngravingABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyPick UnlistedMexicoDurango1884PMG 64Museum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

Held

Ask PMG Census

Argentina 1844 Provincia de Buenos Ayres 5 Pesos Moneda Corriente Rosas Confederation legend with Rosas manuscript signature and nandu vignette

Argentina 1844 - Provincia de Buenos Ayres 5 Pesos Moneda Corriente Issued Note, 1º Febrero 1844, Rosas Confederation Legend, Rosas Signature (Pick S389)

Moneda Corriente represented circulating fiduciary paper currency within a strained metallic system shaped by civil conflict, trade imbalance, and shortages of specie. Under Rojas’ administration, revenue collection and treasury flows were systematized, with regular reporting and tighter integration between fiscal governance and circulating obligations. Read more →

ArgentinaIssued Note18445 Pesos Moneda CorrienteUngraded Issued Note5 Pesos Moneda CorrienteRosas SignatureRojas SignatureJosé María Rojas SignatureJosé María Rojas y PatrónHand SignedLaid PaperRosas Confederation LegendNandu VignetteCheckered Security BandProvincia de Buenos AyresCasa de Moneda de Buenos AyresJose Maria Rojas y PatronMinister of Finance Buenos AiresCasa de Moneda ReformJuan Manuel de Rosas EraArgentine Confederation PeriodPre National Banking SystemArgentina1844Benegas and Ahlstrom BA42bPick S389R9 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

Held

Ask PMG Census

Mauritius 1842 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled (Pick S122a)

This 1842 note represents the second evolutionary stage in the island’s early paper-money system. After the Mauritius Commercial Bank was founded in 1838, the island faced acute shortages of hard coin, forcing banks to issue promissory paper redeemable in sterling. The initial 1839 notes displayed a single-currency format with only textual sterling equivalence; by 1841–1842, the bank introduced dual-face printing with an engraved red sterling panel to simplify conversion between local dollars and British pounds. Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note184210 Dollars / 2 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled10 Dollars2 PoundsDual-CurrencyColonial CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1842Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

Held

Ask PMG Census

Mauritius 1843 Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Remainder, PMG 50 NET

Mauritius 1843 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Remainder (Pick S122r)

As an unissued remainder, this note was never completed with manuscript signatures, serials, or cashier validations. Instead, it shows wide margins, crisp plate detail, and period ink burn caused by iron-gall annotations during internal inventorying at the bank or printer. The 'ink burn' noted by PMG is a natural oxidation effect from 19th-century ink formulas and is frequently found on surviving remainders from Mauritius and other tropical colonies where humidity accelerated the chemical reaction. Read more →

MauritiusRemainder184310 Dollars / 2 Pounds SterlingPMG 50 NET (Ink Burn) Remainder10 Dollars2 PoundsDual-CurrencyColonial CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingInk BurnMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance1840s Currency Reform19th Century BanknotesMauritiusPort Louis1843PMG 50Museum GradeR6 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

Held

Ask PMG Census

Argentina 1881 Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro Proof, PMG 64 Top Pop

Argentina 1881 - Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro Proof (Pick S536fp)

Only one example is certified in the PMG census, graded 64 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) - the sole recorded proof of this denomination and date. Beyond its rarity, this engraving illustrates the precision and artistry characteristic of the American Bank Note Company during the late 19th century, when U.S. firms dominated Latin American banknote production. This proof stands as a tangible artifact of that era’s intersection between artistry, financial expansion, and technological excellence. Read more →

ArgentinaProof18812 Pesos OroPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) Proof2 Pesos OroArchivalTop PopEngraved Security PrintingBanco de la Provincia de Buenos AiresArgentine Provincial Banks19th Century BankingPesos Oro SeriesABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyLatin American NumismaticsPre-National ConsolidationProvincial Monetary HistoryArgentinaBuenos Aires18811883PMG 64Museum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

Held

Ask PMG Census

New Zealand 1924–1925 Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Front Proof Pick S231p1 with SPECIMEN perforation, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

New Zealand 1924-1925 - Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings with SPECIMEN Perforation Front Proof (Pick S231p1)

Historically, this issue stands at the crossroads between private banknote autonomy and centralized national control. Ten years after this proof was produced, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand assumed exclusive note-issuing authority in 1934. These late BNZ proofs therefore represent the final expression of a 60-year private-note tradition that began in the 1870s and ended when New Zealand joined the global movement toward nationalized currency systems. Read more →

New ZealandFront Proof192410 ShillingsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop, Front Proof with SPECIMEN Perforation) Front Proof10 ShillingsSpecimen PerforationIntaglioBradbury WilkinsonBWCTamati Waka NeneBank of New ZealandNew Zealand Banking HistoryPre-Reserve BankPrivate Banknote EraInterwar Currency DesignEngraved Security PrintingLate Edwardian PlateworkTint-Stone UnderprintMāori Portrait SeriesNew Zealand192419251924–1925PMG 63Top PopMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

Held

Ask PMG Census

Argentina 1867 Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 4 Reales Plata Boliviana proof, PCGS 63

Argentina 1867 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 4 Reales Plata Boliviana Proof (Pick S1734p)

Certified population: only three known examples in total (two issued, one proof - this specimen), making it both a numismatic rarity and a historically instructive piece of Argentina’s 19th-century financial development. Read more →

ArgentinaProof18674 RealesPCGS 63 Choice New Pick S1734p4 RealesProofABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyBanco de Londres y Rio de la PlataRosarioBritish-Argentine BankingEngraved Security PrintingMoneda Boliviana StandardPre-Decimal ArgentinaTransitional CurrencyLivestock EconomyCattle Trade SymbolismProvincial Banking19th Century ArgentinaFrontier Monetary HistoryArgentina1867Choice NewMuseum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

Held

Ask PMG Census

Argentina 1871 Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos Rosario control specimen, serial 000001, punch cancelled, with period pencil annotation dated February 1872

Argentina 1871 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos Rosario No. 000001 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The design combines national symbolism with British security engraving. The portrait of General Jose de San Martin anchors the note in Argentine identity, while the surrounding border architecture, denomination counters, and symmetrical layout reflect Bradbury Wilkinson early export style for Latin America, engineered for rapid recognition and trust in active commercial environments such as ports, warehouses, and trading houses. Read more →

ArgentinaSpecimen187110 Pesos Moneda BolivianaUncirculated (Archival Control Specimen, Serial 000001) Specimen BanknotePick UnlistedSingle Instance Control SpecimenSerial Number 000001Punch CancelledArchival Control MaterialBanco de Londres y Rio de la PlataBritish Controlled BankingRosario BranchProvincial Private BankingMoneda BolivianaFragmented Monetary SystemNineteenth Century ArgentinaJose de San MartinNational IconographyEngraved Portrait VignetteBradbury WilkinsonBWCBritish Security PrintingExport Engraved NotesArgentinaRosario1871Handwritten Archival AnnotationMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

Held

Ask PMG Census

Argentina 1884 El Banco del Chaco 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro, Serial 05056, corner-missing example

Argentina 1884 - El Banco del Chaco 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro Serial 05056 (Pick S1566)

El Banco del Chaco operated within Argentina’s fragmented 1880s banking system, when provincial institutions issued gold-backed paper convertible on demand. Under this charter the Chaco branch financed frontier settlement and export agriculture, embodying the optimism of the northern provinces before the 1890 crash. Cataloged Pick S1566 / Bauman CHA-01a. Read more →

ArgentinaIssued Note18841 Peso Moneda Nacional OroFair–Good (missing corner) Fragment1 Peso OroEl Banco del ChacoBradbury WilkinsonBWCVilla OcampoPrivate BankSeries ISerial 05056Frontier CirculationNorthern ArgentinaChaco Region HistoryLey de Bancos GarantidosProvincial IssuerCirculated SurvivorAgriculture AllegoryFrontier BankingArgentina1884Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

Held

Ask PMG Census

Argentina 1884 - El Banco del Chaco 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro Serial 15849 (Pick S1566)

Issued provincial note from El Banco del Chaco, Villa Ocampo branch, dated 1 Octubre 1884, printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, under Argentina’s Ley de Bancos Garantidos system. Hand-signed, Series I, serial 15849. The allegorical female personifies Agriculture, flanked by a dog and bull symbolizing loyalty, vigilance, and strength. BWC’s London plates combine intaglio portraiture with delicate micro-lathe patterns, equal in finesse to any contemporary British colonial issue. Read more →

ArgentinaIssued Note18841 Peso Moneda Nacional OroFine–Very Fine (est.) 1 Peso OroIssued NoteEl Banco del ChacoBradbury WilkinsonBWCVilla OcampoPrivate BankSerial 15849Frontier CirculationLey de Bancos GarantidosProvincial BankingNorthern ArgentinaChaco Region HistoryAgriculture AllegoryBritish Influence19th Century ArgentinaCirculated SurvivorArgentina1884Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

Held

Ask PMG Census

Uruguay 1867 Banco Oriental 10 Pesos equals 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado issued banknote, American Bank Note Company, single handwritten right-side circulation signature, serial number 55818, Pick S385a, PMG 15 Choice Fine, plate position pp B

Uruguay 1867 - Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado Handwritten Right-Side Signature Serial 55818 Issued Note (Pick S385a)

Printed on thin, high-quality paper stock consistent with American Bank Note Company Latin American contracts of the 1860s, the note exhibits fine line engraving, precise guilloche work, and the mature security printing standards that underpinned Uruguay’s reliance on foreign printers during its formative banking period. Read more →

UruguayIssued Note186710 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro SelladoPMG 15 Choice Fine Issued BanknoteHandwritten SignatureRight Side Signature PlacementPlate Position BGold Convertible DenominationABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyNineteenth Century Security PrintingEngraved Allegorical DesignGuilloche Security PatternBanco OrientalUruguay1867MontevideoPick S385aHistoryMuseum GradeAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

Held

Ask PMG Census