Collection PL

New Zealand 1907–1926 — Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue Serial-Prefix Audit Specimen (Pick S194s)

A unique high-denomination Bradbury Wilkinson audit-range specimen and the rarest surviving document from New Zealand’s private-banknote era, the £20 Blue (Pick S194s) represents the apex of BNZ’s color-coded denomination hierarchy. This specimen is not a generic zero-serial example: it carries dual live serials (No. 061001 and No. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1896 — Bank of Australasia £50 Christchurch Proof (Pick Unlisted)

This proof represents a pre issue banknote of the Bank of Australasia, denominated Fifty Pounds and prepared for the Christchurch office during the late nineteenth century expansion of British chartered banking in New Zealand. It was produced as part of the institution internal design approval and presentation process and was never intended for public circulation. The Bank of Australasia, incorporated by Royal Charter in 1835, operated as one of the dominant British joint stock banks across Australia and New Zealand. ... Read more →

Poland 1936 — 50 Zlotych Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (Pick 78a, Miłczak 77a–b)

The 50 Zlotych note dated 11 November 1936 with the portrait of General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski represents the highest artistic and symbolic achievement of Polish interwar banknote design. Conceived as the flagship denomination of a fully modernized Bank Polski series, it was intended to embody state continuity, national identity, and technical excellence at a moment when the Second Polish Republic had reached institutional maturity. The choice of date was deliberate. ... Read more →

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 →

New Zealand 1895–1915 — Bank of New Zealand 5 Pounds Orange Specimen (Pick S192s)

The high-denomination anchor of the Bank of New Zealand color series, this five pounds orange specimen (Pick S192s) represents one of the most structurally complex and production-informative notes of New Zealand’s private banking era. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, it embodies the transition from richly ornamental Victorian engraving toward the more controlled and symmetrical Edwardian framework that followed. The composition preserves the defining elements of the earlier series—paired Māori figures within oval medallions at left, a lower maritime vignette reflecting colonial trade identity, and a dense guilloche lattice enclosing the denomination—while introducing a more disciplined spatial hierarchy across the central obligation panel. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1905–1916 — Bank of New Zealand £1 Red Cancelled Specimen with Serial Number Prefix G000001–G100000 (Pick S212bs)

An archival £1 Red specimen from the Bank of New Zealand private-issue series, catalogued as Pick S212bs and drawn from the opening serial block G000001–G100000. This example was pulled directly from the working plates of Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London, as an approval and control specimen for internal printer and bank-director reference during the closing phase of BNZ private note production. The presence of live production serial numbers with the letter prefix G clearly distinguishes this class from unnumbered file specimens. ... Read more →

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

Unissued remainder from the earliest Mauritius Commercial Bank dual-currency series, printed by Myers Frs. & Co., London. This note represents the archival stock of the 1840s issue — printed but never signed or circulated. ... Read more →

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37s)

This specimen represents the official pre-issue specimen of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, the first high-denomination issue of the Libyan Arab Republic following the abolition of the monarchy. Bearing the red SPECIMEN overprint and zero control serials, the note documents the final approved design state immediately before full circulation printing commenced. Specimen banknotes occupy a distinct position within the currency production and distribution process. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1982 — 1000 Francs Proof Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52bp)

Plate proof of the 1982 one thousand francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the earliest finalized stage of the design before specimen marking, color testing, or production handling. As the highest denomination of the series, this proof captures the complete engraving program at its purest state—prior to overprints, serial application, or cancellation. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, the note displays the full intaglio structure exactly as prepared for final production. ... 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 →

Mauritius 1940 — Government of Mauritius 1 Rupee Uncut Pair Remainder (Pick 26r1)

Uncut vertical pair of Government of Mauritius 1 Rupee remainder notes on ND (1940) paper, cataloged as Pick 26r1 (remainder of the Pick 26 issue type). Two impressions aligned head-to-tail with circular punch cancels; printed in green and rose with the national coat of arms at left and a right-facing portrait at right. Remainders document the production stage between plate approval and issued stock. ... Read more →

Poland 1940 — 10 Złotych Contemporary Counterfeit with WERTLOS Stamp (Pick 94x)

Striking example of a 1940 Poland 10 Złotych contemporary counterfeit, catalogued as Pick 94x and certified PMG 55 About Uncirculated. Produced clandestinely during the German occupation, this note replicates the official Bank Emisyjny design but lacks serial numbers and issue letters — clear hallmarks of underground production. A bold purple 'WERTLOS' (worthless) overprint was applied across the face, likely as an official or resistance-era cancellation after discovery. ... Read more →