Collection PL

South Africa 1828 - Cape of Good Hope Bank 5 Shillings Pre-Issue Sample (Pick S171p)

This five shillings note was prepared as a pre-authorization sample while the bank’s founder, John Bardwell Ebden, awaited official government permission to establish the institution. Such samples were not intended for circulation, but rather served as formal demonstration pieces presented to colonial authorities, prospective shareholders, and financial backers to validate design, denomination structure, and institutional credibility. As a result, this issue was never released into circulation and must be distinguished categorically from later remainders or unissued stock associated with operating banks. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie D, Specimen No. 23 (Pick 41cs)

The imprint of Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited appears at the lower center of the reverse. The London security printer combined portrait engraving, architectural framing, fine-line backgrounds, watermark integration, and repeated denomination devices into a design capable of expressing both high monetary value and official state authority. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie C, Specimen No. 2 (Pick 41bs)

Across the obverse, the issuer's authority is stated in exceptionally prominent form. REPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY stretches across the upper center, while MIL PESOS occupies the central ornamental panel. The obligation text and reference to the law of 2 January 1939 establish the note within the legal structure of the issue, making the design both a monetary instrument and a printed declaration of state-backed value. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie A, Specimen No. 29 (Pick 40as)

The obverse design gives monumental treatment to the five hundred pesos denomination. QUINIENTOS PESOS occupies the center of an ornate composition formed from engraved frames, vertical architectural elements, fine geometric backgrounds, and repeated value devices. Above, the name of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay establishes the issuing authority, while Serie A and the paired zero serials reproduce the formal structure of an issued note in a securely neutralized form. Read more →

Italy 1745 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Pre-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

This proof sheet represents the back of the one hundred lire denomination prepared for the Regie Finanze of the Kingdom of Sardinia and preserves a pre-date control state in which the control framework is fully engraved but carries no engraved date. All elements originate from plate number two. The entire composition is enclosed within a rectangular ornamental frame and printed under full intaglio pressure on official laid paper, with plate impression clearly visible from the verso. Read more →

Italy 1746 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Fixed-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

This proof sheet represents the back of the one hundred lire denomination prepared for the Regie Finanze of the Kingdom of Sardinia and preserves the fixed-date control state dated Torino il p. Gen. 1746. The entire composition is engraved within a rectangular ornamental frame and printed under full intaglio pressure on official laid paper, with the plate impression clearly visible from the verso. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1970 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Unissued Back Photographic Proof

This unissued photographic proof represents the back design prepared for the one dollar denomination of the Cayman Islands Currency Board during the late colonial monetary period around 1970. The object survives as a standalone design-stage artifact and documents a phase in which the reverse layout, ornamental balance, and security composition were evaluated independently as a complete surface in its own right. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Issued Note (Pick 5d)

The reverse presents a detailed marine vignette featuring reef imagery and a prominent fish, a design choice that simultaneously expresses local identity and introduces extensive organic linework. Coral textures, scale patterns, and layered background shading generate broad areas of visual complexity that function as both aesthetic elements and practical anti-counterfeiting measures. The reverse layout preserves large framed denomination panels while maintaining balance between decorative and institutional components. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1970 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Unissued Back Photographic Proof

This unissued photographic proof represents the reverse design prepared for the five dollars denomination of the Cayman Islands Currency Board during the transitional monetary planning period around 1970. The piece survives as a standalone back design proof and documents a stage at which the reverse composition was evaluated independently before any finalized pairing with an approved obverse. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Issued Note (Pick 6a)

This issued five dollars note of the Cayman Islands Currency Board forms part of the 1974 design series authorized under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974. The series represents the mature phase of the Currency Board system, where disciplined monetary backing was combined with high-grade security engraving executed by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1991 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 100 Dollars Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 15s)

The obverse presents Queen Elizabeth the Second in refined intaglio engraving at right, balanced by marine motifs and the Cayman Islands coat of arms integrated into the denomination panel. The layered background coloration and controlled use of pastel tonal fields reflect the evolved security aesthetic of the early 1990s Cayman series. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 Pesos Specimen Oval De La Rue Cancel Serie B Specimen No. 45 (Pick 40as)

The face is structured around the large QUINIENTOS PESOS denomination, presented within a formal architectural framework of columns, scrollwork, patterned borders, and fine security backgrounds. The name of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay spans the upper register, placing state authority above the central value statement. The composition is disciplined and symmetrical, but the open watermark oval at left and the portrait at right create a controlled visual contrast across the sheet. Read more →