Collection PL

New Zealand 1895-1908 - Bank of New Zealand £10 Brown with Serial Number Prefix Specimen (Pick S193bs)

Engraved and printed in London between 1895 and 1908 by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, the note reflects mature late-Victorian engraving practice. The obverse composition features paired Māori figures, a maritime vignette, and a structured brown duty-tint guilloche frame associated with upper-denomination issues. The brown coloration forms part of the Bank of New Zealand’s chromatic system, positioned alongside the one pound green and five pounds orange within the BNZ color lineage. Read more →

United States 1902 - 5 Dollars Blue Seal Plain Back National Bank Note - The First National Bank of Youngstown, Ohio Charter 3 (Friedberg 600)

Why “Plain Back”: in 1908 the BEP dropped the back date panel used on earlier Blue Seals, creating the Plain Back subtype while retaining the ornate front. This issue represents the final large‑size style before small‑size Nationals debuted in 1929. Read more →

United States 1974 - 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note, Chicago District Paper Jam Error (Friedberg 1908-G, GD Block)

This 1974 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note from the Chicago District (Friedberg 1908-G, GD Block) presents a distinct Paper Jam Error-an uncommon and revealing production mishap that occurs when the currency paper fails to feed smoothly through the intaglio press or overprint unit. The result is a wrinkled or crumpled section of paper that becomes permanently flattened into the design, often distorting part of the printed image or leaving telltale creases and folds embedded beneath the ink. Read more →

Egypt 1908 - Mohammed El Komi Carriage & Automobile Workshop Invoice

Original 1908 trade invoice from Mohammed El Komi, a Cairo-based carriage and early automobile workshop situated on Rue El Saha near the palace of Mazloum Pasha. The upper section features a finely lithographed header showing a side-profile illustration of a horse-drawn carriage with the driver seated at the front. Above the vignette, the workshop name 'MOHAMMED EL KOMI' appears in a bold curved arc. The left column lists the shop’s services in French-atelier de réparation et mise à neuf de voitures, peinture, automobiles, sellerie-while the right column repeats the same services in Arabic, printed in clean Khedivial-era type. Read more →