Collection PL

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

The first Bank of New Zealand specimen and the foundation of the country’s pre-Reserve Bank note lineage. Engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, this one pound green specimen (Pick S191s) established the visual architecture reused throughout all later BNZ issues: paired Māori figures at left, an engraved coastal vignette below, and an ornate duty-tint panel framing the ONE POUND denomination. This design became the structural and visual origin of the Bank of New Zealand color lineage that defined New Zealand’s early commercial-bank currency. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 - 100 Francs Archival Gridlines Calibration Specimen Serial D170001 (Pick 56s)

Archival calibration specimen of the 1970 one hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced during the Belgian Luxembourg Economic Union period and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London. Unlike standard specimen notes bearing placeholder serials, this example carries a live production-format serial number D170001, linking it directly to an active print batch within the manufacturing process. Across the full surface, original blue registration gridlines remain visible. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 20 March 1970 - 100 Francs Face Photographic Proof Grand Duke Jean (Pick Unlisted)

Face-side photographic proof of the 1970 one hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced as part of the final design validation process prior to full printing. This example presents the complete obverse layout in monochrome, mounted on archival cardstock, and retains full design clarity without color application. The note displays serial number A000000 in dual placement, consistent with specimen-format numbering used for internal production and review material. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 24 February 1970 - 100 Francs Back Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Back-side photographic proof of the 1970 one hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced during the final design validation stage prior to full printing. The image is presented in monochrome and mounted on archival cardstock, preserving the complete reverse composition without color separation. A handwritten production annotation dated 24 February 1970 is visible along the lower margin, providing a direct reference to the internal review timeline. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 - 100 Francs Specimen (Pick 56s)

Specimen of the issued 1970 one hundred francs type of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, bearing a red SPECIMEN overprint and circular punch hole cancellation across the central signature area. The note carries serial number A000000 in dual placement, consistent with specimen-format control numbering used for internal distribution and archival reference. The punch hole cancellation serves as the primary method of invalidation, physically rendering the note non-circulating while preserving the full design. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 - 100 Francs Color Trial Specimen (Pick 56cts)

Color trial specimen of the 1970 one hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced during the development phase of the Grand Duke Jean series. This example is executed in an alternative blue-toned palette rather than the green coloration adopted for circulation, representing a controlled press trial used to evaluate tonal hierarchy, engraving clarity, and denomination contrast. The note carries serial number A000000 33, applied within the standard specimen numbering format. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 - 100 Francs Issued Note (Pick 56a)

Issued 1970 one hundred francs note of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the finalized and circulating form of the Grand Duke Jean series within the Belgian Luxembourg Economic Union framework. This example, serial A143655, reflects the completed execution of a design system that balanced national identity with the technical demands of a shared currency environment. The note embodies the mature stage of late twentieth-century European banknote production. ... Read more →

Scotland 1959 - National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited £1 (Pick 265)

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 →

Ireland - Northern 1968–72 - Provincial Bank of Ireland Limited £1 Specimen PR99 (Pick 245s)

De La Rue specimen of the Provincial Bank of Ireland £1, dated 1 January 1968. Classical head within a guilloche medallion at center, with the denomination framed by large sterling symbols. SPECIMEN diagonal overprint and De La Rue control ovals confirm its archival status, accompanied by a cancellation punch and specimen serial panel. ... Read more →

United States ca. 1970s – Giori Test Note – Jefferson Center, Black Front / Greenback Inverted Experimental Serial With Watermark

Experimental intaglio test note printed around the 1970s by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on the Giori multicolor press system. Named for engineer Giovanni Giori, these sheets were used to evaluate multi-plate registration, color density, and press alignment on machinery that would later define modern currency production. The design known as the Jefferson Center joins engraved portraits of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Ulysses S. ... Read more →

United States ca. 1970s – C.O.P.E. Experimental Test Note Serial A82432955A

Blank-format experimental note printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing during the 1970s as part of internal testing for the C.O.P.E. (Currency Overprinting and Processing Equipment) program. This machinery represented a major modernization step in U.S. ... Read more →

United States 1929 – American Bank Note Company Test Note, 10 Units, Green Series of 1929 With Watermark and Segmented Foil Security Thread

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 →