Collection PL

Australia ca.1939 — Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 Travellers Cheque Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of a £5 Travellers Cheque prepared for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED around 1939, mounted on cardstock and annotated at upper margin for archival use. This early pre-war layout marks one of the first generations of CBC traveller’s cheques, preceding the coloured issues of the 1960s. Produced during the late interwar period when secure portable payment instruments were vital for travel within the British Empire, this proof reflects the evolution of Australian financial printing in collaboration with Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London. ... Read more →

Brazil ca.1963 — Tesouro Nacional, Undated ‘Valor Legal’ Test Proof

Typography and layout test prepared for the Tesouro Nacional, featuring the arced inscription 'TESOURO NACIONAL' and upper legend 'VALOR LEGAL'. Printed without denomination or date on thin archival paper, this undated printer’s trial was created to evaluate font weight, curvature, and typographic balance for potential note headers. During the 1960s, Brazil’s currency authorities frequently requested printer samples to refine the national identity of Tesouro Nacional issues. ... Read more →

Brazil 1964 — 100 Cruzeiros (Essay Face Proof, SCWPM 170b)

Large-format essay face proof for a proposed 100 Cruzeiros design, mounted on card and attributed to the early Tesouro Nacional redesign period of the 1960s. This archival printer’s pull demonstrates the face layout considered for adoption under SCWPM 170b, with unfinished margins and unprinted color fields typical of pre-production material. Essays such as this served as presentation pieces for government and bank approval before finalizing plate engravings. ... Read more →

Brazil 1963 — 100 Cruzeiros (Specimen, Pick 180s, TDLR)

Specimen of the 100 Cruzeiros printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., marked by a red SPECIMEN overprint, punch cancels, and De La Rue control ovals at the margin. Identified as Estampa 2A / Série 216A, this note typifies the elegant late-period Cruzeiro designs that bridged classic British engraving with emerging modernist trends in Brazilian note art. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 (ND 1967) — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 50 Pesos Specimen, Red Overprint, Serie D (Pick 42As)

Specimen of the 50 Pesos dated 22 January 1939, reauthorized for Banco Central del Uruguay under the ND 1967 release. Printed by Thomas De La Rue with unchanged design and updated issuer legend. Serial D 000000-2, watermark J. ... Read more →

Scotland 1959 — National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited £1 (Pick 265, Bradbury Wilkinson, PMG 58 EPQ Choice About Uncirculated)

One Pound of the National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited dated 16 September 1959. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company, the note carries the Head of Caledonia watermark and presents a panoramic view of the Forth Bridge—Scotland's engineering icon—beneath the central promise text. The National Commercial Bank was a pillar of Scottish banking until its merger with the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1969. ... Read more →

Scotland 1967 — British Linen Bank £1 Specimen (Pick 168s, TDLR, Sorting Lines on Back, PMG 55 EPQ About Uncirculated)

Specimen One Pound of the British Linen Bank dated 13 June 1967, printed by Thomas De La Rue. The face shows the royal arms above the title and an ornate security panel at center. Standard De La Rue SPECIMEN oval handstamps and a specimen control number are present, together with a cancellation punch. ... Read more →

United States ca. 1960s–70s – American Bank Note Company Test Note, 10 Units, Green Series of 1929 (With Watermark and Segmented Foil Security Thread, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated)

This engraved test note by the American Bank Note Company (ABNCo) represents one of the firm’s most enduring demonstration designs, known as the 'Series of 1929' specimen. Although dated 1929, these were printed decades later—primarily in the 1960s and 1970s—as house proofs and sales samples showcasing engraving precision, watermark technology, and later innovations such as foil-thread anti-counterfeiting devices. The layout follows classic ABNCo symmetry: a central allegorical portrait of Liberty, derived from earlier U.S. ... Read more →

Australia 1961 — Bank of New South Wales Sterling Travellers Cheques, Complete Printer’s Proof Set £2-£50 (Pick Unlisted)

A complete archival printer’s proof set of five Sterling Traveller’s Cheques produced by Bradbury Wilkinson & Company in London for the Bank of New South Wales in April 1961. The set comprises the full denomination range — 2 Pounds, 5 Pounds, 10 Pounds, 20 Pounds, and 50 Pounds — preserved together from a single, documented submission event within the printer’s internal approval and numbering workflow. Each sheet displays the finished engraved face design adopted by the Bank of New South Wales for its early-1960s traveller’s cheque issue. ... Read more →

Barbados 1960 — Government of Barbados 1,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix B

Specimen Treasury Bill issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922, prepared as a non-circulating reference instrument for internal administrative and archival use. The bill is denominated at one thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados, reflecting the earlier legal wording also observed on the photographic proof and preceding later standardized Treasury Bill formulations. The place of issue, Bridgetown, is included within the printed layout, confirming its issuance within the central administrative framework of Barbados. ... Read more →

Barbados 1960 — Government of Barbados 5,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix C

This specimen Treasury Bill was issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922 and prepared as a non-circulating reference instrument for internal administrative, accounting, and archival use. The bill is denominated at five thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados. This bearer formulation reflects the earlier legal wording employed on Treasury Bills of this period and differs from the later “payable to order” language introduced on subsequent issues. ... Read more →

Barbados 1960 — Government of Barbados 10,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix D

This specimen Treasury Bill was issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922 and prepared as a non-circulating reference instrument for internal administrative, accounting, and archival use. The bill is denominated at ten thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados. This bearer formulation reflects the earlier legal wording employed on Treasury Bills of this period and predates the later standardized “payable to order” language adopted on subsequent issues. ... Read more →