Collection PL

Portugal 1917 - Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis Specimen (Pick 110s)

Specimen of the Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis, the grandest denomination of the First Republic’s intricate 1916–1919 issue. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, without serials or signatures and perforated SPECIMEN, it reveals the full design before numbering and underprint were applied. PMG 35 Choice Very Fine. ... Read more →

Poland 1919 (ND 1924) - 100 Złotych Issued Note (Pick 57)

100 Złotych dated 28 February 1919, part of the first złoty issue commissioned by the newly reborn Republic of Poland. Printed by Waterlow & Sons in London, this landmark series replaced the chaotic wartime mark with a stable national currency, reinforcing sovereignty after more than a century of partitions. The obverse features Tadeusz Kościuszko, hero of both Poland and the American Revolution, whose portrait was chosen to embody sacrifice, unity, and independence. ... Read more →

Poland 1919 (ND 1924) - 1 Złoty Issued Note Radar Serial 070070 (Pick 51)

The 1 złoty of 28 February 1919, printed in London by Waterlow & Sons, stands as the inaugural złoty of the reborn Republic of Poland following independence in 1918. It was the lowest denomination of the reform series and among the most widely used, yet it carried enormous symbolic weight: the obverse bears the portrait of Tadeusz Kościuszko, national hero of both Poland and the American Revolution, surrounded by intricate guilloches and the bold legend 'Bank Polski.' Kościuszko’s inclusion underscored the continuity of national identity after more than a century of partitions. This example is further distinguished by its serial number: a radar repeater, 070070 (Series S.26 C), a pattern highly prized by collectors for its symmetry and rarity. ... Read more →

Poland 1919 - 1 Złoty WZÓR „Bez wartości” (Pick 51s)

Specimen of the 1 złoty from the 1919 reform issue, printed by Waterlow & Sons in London and featuring the same Kościuszko portrait as the circulating note. Series S.36 B. This official specimen carries the full set of trial cancellations: diagonal red overprint 'WZÓR.' (with dot) between parallel lines, 'Bez wartości' twice on each side, and two vertical perforations. ... Read more →

Poland 1919 - 1000 Złotych Unissued Note (Pick 59a)

The 1000 złotych of the 1919 reform series, printed by Waterlow & Sons in London, is one of the largest and most ornate denominations prepared for the new złoty. Intended as part of the first złoty issue of the Second Republic, it was never officially released into circulation in 1924 due to its very high value. Some researchers suggest that a portion of the stock may have been used informally during the September Campaign of 1939 to pay Polish military officers, though no formal documentation confirms this. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1919 - Thomas Cook and Son 5 Pounds Circular Note Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of the 5 Pounds Circular Note prepared for Thomas Cook and Son in 1919, representing an early post First World War production-stage record from the firm's international private payment system. Mounted on cardstock and dated 24 April 1919 in manuscript on the mount, this proof preserves the face design of a 5 Pounds circular note before finished specimen or issued-form production. The design is printed in a warm brown photographic tone and shows a highly developed Thomas Cook and Son composition built around secure international payment rather than ordinary circulation. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1919 - Thomas Cook and Son 5 Pounds Circular Note Photographic Proof, Alternate Design (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of the 5 Pounds Circular Note prepared for Thomas Cook and Son Limited in 1919, representing an alternate design approach within the firm's post First World War circular note production. Mounted on cardstock and identified by Professional Coin Grading Service as a 5 Pounds 19xx circular note proof from about 1919, this piece preserves a distinct proof-stage design for the same denomination and payment system as the companion 1919 photographic proof. The design is built around a dense ornamental structure rather than the portrait-based layout seen on the companion proof. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1919 - Thomas Cook and Son Limited 50 Dollars Travellers Cheques Photographic Proof, Central Eagle Vignette Design (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of the 50 Dollars Travellers Cheques prepared for Thomas Cook and Son Limited in 1919, representing a production-review record from the firm's post First World War international payment programme. Mounted on cardstock and dated 20 October 1919 on the reverse mount, this proof preserves a dollar-denominated traveller-payment design created for use within a defined North American payment channel. The face should be read as a working financial instrument, not simply as an ornamental proof image. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1919 - Thomas Cook and Son Limited 50 Dollars Travellers Cheques Photographic Proof, Ornamental Oval Design (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of the 50 Dollars Travellers Cheques prepared for Thomas Cook and Son Limited in 1919, representing a distinct ornamental design state within the firm's post First World War dollar-denominated traveller-payment programme. Mounted on cardstock and dated 10 November 1919 on the reverse mount, this proof preserves a related but visually separate 50 Dollars design from the same United States and Canada payment branch as the earlier pictorial payment panel proof. The face is dominated by a large ornamental oval structure that carries the main traveller-payment wording through a dense engraved security field. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1919 - Thomas Cook and Son Limited 50 Dollars Travellers Cheques Photographic Proof, Control Layout Design (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of the 50 Dollars Travellers Cheques prepared for Thomas Cook and Son Limited in 1919, representing a highly developed control-layout design for the firm's post First World War international traveller-payment system. Mounted on cardstock and dated 29 March 1919 on the reverse mount, this proof records a more operationally structured 50 Dollars form than the companion United States and Canada design proofs, with serial-number placement, formal payment instruction text, and a detailed international exchange-rate grid built directly into the face. The upper field is dominated by the Thomas Cook and Son name, with New York printed beneath it, immediately identifying the design as part of the firm's transatlantic payment network. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1900 - Thomas Cook and Son 4 Pounds 1 Shilling 8 Pence Sight Draft Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of a Thomas Cook and Son sight draft for 4 Pounds, 1 Shilling and 8 Pence, prepared in Great Britain during the early twentieth century and preserved mounted on cardstock. The proof records a compact sterling payment form issued from the firm's Ludgate Circus office in London, with the amount, payment instruction, date line, and signature guidance arranged as a controlled private travel-finance document. Ludgate Circus is central to the identity of this proof. ... Read more →