Search Results for "banking history" - Collection

Mauritius 1839 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 20 Dollars / 4 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled Note (Pick S125)

One of the earliest surviving issued notes of the Mauritius Commercial Bank-the oldest banking institution in the Indian Ocean-this 1839 Twenty Dollar / Four Pounds Sterling note is a foundational artifact of Mauritian monetary history. Issued only one year after the bank’s founding in 1838, it belongs to the first generation of fully functional colonial paper money used on the island. These early issues circulated at a time when coin shortages were severe, and private banknotes became the primary medium of exchange for merchants, plantation owners, and shipping houses. Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note183920 Dollars / 4 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled20 Dollars4 PoundsColonial CurrencyDual-CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1839Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1870–1890 Bank of New Zealand 1 Pound Green Specimen Pick S191s, dual serial numbers A197001 and B047000, perforated CANCELLED, Bradbury Wilkinson printing, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated

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

Surviving specimens of the S191s type are extremely scarce. Most were removed during archival reductions or lost during the transition from private-bank to centralized currency issuance. As the earliest and foundational specimen of New Zealand’s engraved banknote history, this one pound green stands as the origin point of the BNZ color lineage and a cornerstone reference within the broader narrative of colonial-era currency development. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen18701 PoundPMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated Specimen1 PoundBank of New ZealandBradbury WilkinsonBWCDual Serial NumbersA197001B047000Perforated CANCELLEDAudit MarginPrinter Control SystemColonial IssueVictorian DesignMāori Portrait SeriesEngraved Security PrintingNew Zealand Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankBNZ Color LineageColor Lineage Origin19th Century OceaniaMaritime Economy NotesEarly Indigenous ImageryBritish Colonial FinanceHistoryNew Zealand187018901870–1890Pick S191sPMG 58Choice About UncirculatedMuseum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1895–1915 Bank of New Zealand 5 Pounds Orange Specimen Pick S192s with dual serial numbers A000001 and A020000, perforated CANCELLED marking, left audit margin, and dated top margin printer annotations, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, PMG 55 About Uncirculated.

New Zealand 1895–1915 - Bank of New Zealand £5 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 ZealandSpecimen18955 PoundsPMG 55 About Uncirculated Specimen5 PoundsBank of New ZealandBradbury WilkinsonBWCA Prefix SpecimenA000001A020000Dual Serial NumbersPrinter Control NumberingPerforated CANCELLEDAudit Margin LeftPrinter AnnotationsTop Margin AnnotationDated Annotation 1915Printer Ledger MarkingsColonial IssueHigh DenominationEdwardian DesignMāori Portrait SeriesEngraved Security PrintingNew Zealand Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankBNZ Color LineageVictorian to Edwardian TransitionMaritime Economy NotesBritish Colonial FinanceSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsHistoryNew Zealand189519151895-1915Pick S192sPMG 55Museum GradeR7 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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Mauritius 1842 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled (Pick S122a)

Each note was printed on watermarked paper, completed by hand, and countersigned by bank officials. Surviving examples such as this are among the earliest tangible records of Mauritius’s entry into formal banking and British colonial monetary structure. Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note184210 Dollars / 2 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled10 Dollars2 PoundsDual-CurrencyColonial CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1842Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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Mauritius 1843 Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Remainder, PMG 50 NET

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

Graded PMG 50 NET About Uncirculated for ink burn alone - rather than circulation wear - the note retains exceptional embossing, paper strength, and plate clarity. As a high-denomination Ten Dollar / Two Pounds Sterling remainder from the earliest functional period of Mauritian banking under British administration, it stands as a museum-grade artifact documenting the origins of the island’s formal monetary structure, its dependence on sterling, and the technical evolution of one of the British Empire’s rarest early colonial paper-money systems. Read more →

MauritiusRemainder184310 Dollars / 2 Pounds SterlingPMG 50 NET (Ink Burn) Remainder10 Dollars2 PoundsDual-CurrencyColonial CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingInk BurnMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance1840s Currency Reform19th Century BanknotesMauritiusPort Louis1843PMG 50Museum GradeR6 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1924–1925 Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Front Proof Pick S231p1 with SPECIMEN perforation, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

New Zealand 1924–1925 - Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Front Proof with SPECIMEN Perforation (Pick S231p1)

Archival proofs like this survive only because Bradbury Wilkinson preserved reference sets for internal documentation. When BWC’s archives were dispersed in the late 20th century, just a handful of front proofs from this series reached collectors. With PMG 63 Top Pop status, this example is the finest-known surviving representation of the BNZ’s last major design update-a foundational artifact in the story of New Zealand’s path from provincial commercial banking to a unified national monetary identity. Read more →

New ZealandFront Proof192410 ShillingsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop, Front Proof with SPECIMEN Perforation) Front Proof10 ShillingsSpecimen PerforationIntaglioBradbury WilkinsonBWCTamati Waka NeneBank of New ZealandNew Zealand Banking HistoryPre-Reserve BankPrivate Banknote EraInterwar Currency DesignEngraved Security PrintingLate Edwardian PlateworkTint-Stone UnderprintMāori Portrait SeriesNew Zealand192419251924–1925PMG 63Top PopMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Ireland 1920 Ulster Bank Limited 1 Pound proof, Pick 388p and UB39, serial A 00,005, graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated, with blue central denomination panel, maritime vignette, Belfast and Dublin border, and Charles Skipper and East Limited London printer imprint

Ireland 1920 - Ulster Bank Limited 1 Pound Proof (Pick 388p / UB39)

The date of 1920 gives the proof additional historical weight. It falls immediately before the formal partition of Ireland and before the later Northern Ireland banknote categories became distinct in catalog and collector usage. This makes the proof an earlier Ireland-category Ulster Bank Limited issue, separate from but historically connected to the later Northern Ireland Issue designs of the 1929-1934 period and beyond. The presence of both Belfast and Dublin in the border is especially meaningful in this context, preserving the all-Ireland commercial footprint of Ulster Bank Limited before later political boundaries reshaped how such issues are described. Read more →

IrelandProof19201 PoundPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated ProofCompleted ProofPrivate Banknote IssueAuthorized Banknote IssueIrish Private BankSerial A 00,0051 PoundUlster BankUlster Bank LimitedBelfastDublinBlue Central Denomination PanelMaritime VignetteSailing ShipDockside SceneCharles Skipper and East LimitedCharles Skipper and East Limited LondonLondon Security PrinterBanknote PrintingSecurity PrintingEngraved ProofPrivate Banknote ProductionProof-stage MaterialPick 388pUB39Irish Banking HistoryPre-partition IrelandPrivate Banknote TraditionCommercial Banknote IssueIrish Financial HistoryEarly Twentieth Century Paper MoneyHistoryIreland1920PMG 64PMG 64 Choice UncirculatedTop PopPopulation 1R9 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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United States 1929 The Warren National Bank of Peabody Massachusetts 10 Dollars Type 2 National Bank Note, Charter 616, Friedberg 1801-2, serial number A000791, plate position E, brown seal National Currency note certified PMG 25 Very Fine.

United States 1929 - The Warren National Bank of Peabody, Massachusetts 10 Dollars Type 2 National Bank Note, Charter 616 (Fr. 1801-2)

The note belongs to the small-size National Currency series introduced in 1929, when United States paper money was reduced to the modern smaller format. National Bank Notes of this period retained the local bank identity that had defined the National Banking era since the Civil War, but presented it within a standardized federal currency design printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Read more →

United StatesNational Bank Note192910 DollarsPMG 25 Very Fine National Bank NoteNational CurrencySmall Size National Bank NoteSeries of 19291929 Type 2Type 2 National Bank Note10 DollarsTen DollarsBrown SealIssued NoteFederal CurrencyLocal BanknoteCharter Bank NoteCharter Number NoteThe Warren National Bank of PeabodyWarren National BankPeabody MassachusettsPeabodyMassachusettsEssex CountyCharter 616CH 616Serial A000791Plate Position EAlexander HamiltonHamilton PortraitBureau of Engraving and PrintingBEPUnited States TreasuryNational Banking EraSmall Size Currency1930s CurrencyPeabody Leather IndustryLeather IndustryNew England BankingMassachusetts Banking HistoryLocal Banking HistoryIndustrial Banking HistoryAmerican Financial HistoryFriedberg 1801-2Fr. 1801-2PMG 25 Very FinePMG 25 VFVery FineCertified NoteUnited StatesUnited States 1929

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United States 1929 Type 1 - 10 Dollars National Bank Note The First National Bank of Philadelphia Pennsylvania Fr 1801-1 Charter 1 PMG 25 Very Fine

United States 1929 Type 1 - 10 Dollars National Bank Note - The First National Bank of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Charter 1 (Fr. 1801-1)

The First National Bank of Philadelphia holds Charter 1, the very first federal national bank charter issued under the National Banking Act of 1863. Granted on June 20, 1863, it became the prototype for a new system that tied local banknotes to United States bonds and standardized design, redemption, and supervision across the country. Read more →

United StatesNational Bank Note192910 DollarsPMG 25 Very Fine 10 DollarsNational Bank NoteIssued NoteType 1PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaCharter 1Low CharterHamilton1929PMG 25 VFFederal Banking History

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Italy 1869 Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire specimen serial number 0001 printed by Bradbury Wilkinson and Company PMG 63 Top Pop

Italy 1869 - Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Credito Agricolo institutions operated as specialized credit channels designed to stabilize agricultural production and extend liquidity to rural sectors, where fragmented coinage systems and inconsistent monetary supply remained a persistent issue. Notes of this type were not intended for broad commercial exchange but instead functioned within controlled issuance frameworks, often tied to specific lending agreements, redemption structures, or cooperative credit systems. Read more →

ItalySpecimen186930 LirePMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Top Pop Serial Number 0001 SpecimenAgricultural Credit NoteCredito AgricoloCassa di Risparmio in BolognaPrivate Banking InstrumentControlled Credit IssueOdd Denomination30 LireBradbury Wilkinson and CompanySecurity PrintingGuilloche EngravingBlue UnderprintPortrait MedallionIssuance PanelItalian Banking HistoryPost Unification ItalyNineteenth Century FinanceAgricultural Credit SystemHistoryItaly1869Pick UnlistedPMG 63Top PopUniqueR9 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Italy 1869 Bradbury Wilkinson engraved portrait vignette used directly in the Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire banknote design

Italy 1869 - Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Portrait Vignette (Bradbury Wilkinson and Company)

The imprint of Bradbury Wilkinson and Company, Engravers, London, confirms its origin within one of the most important security printing firms of the period. Their involvement underscores the reliance of continental European financial institutions on British engraving expertise during the early development of modern banking systems. Read more →

ItalyVignette1869Not ApplicablePMG Certified VignettePortrait VignetteEngraving ProofIntaglio EngravingBradbury Wilkinson and CompanySecurity PrintingDesign ElementBanknote ProductionCredito AgricoloCassa di Risparmio in Bologna30 Lire30 Lire IssueCompanion PieceLinked ArtifactItalian Banking HistoryPost Unification ItalyNineteenth Century FinanceHistoryItaly1869Pick UnlistedR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Italy 1871 Germania with shield and spear vignette die proof engraved by Bradbury Wilkinson for the Banca Italo-Germanica 500 Lire design

Italy 1871 - Germania with Shield and Spear Vignette Die Proof Used on 500 Lire (Pick PS977)

The allegorical figure represents Germania, the female national personification of Germany. Crowned with laurel and armed with spear and shield bearing the imperial eagle, she embodies the newly unified German Empire proclaimed in 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War. The appearance of Germania on a banknote prepared for an Italian banking institution reflects the transnational character of the Banca Italo-Germanica, a financial enterprise intended to facilitate commercial and industrial cooperation between Italy and the newly unified Germany during the rapid economic expansion of the period. Read more →

ItalyVignette1871-PMG Certified (Vignette Proof) VignetteVignette ProofIntaglio PrintSteel EngravingBanknote EngravingGermania AllegoryGermania with Shield and SpearFemale Personification of GermanyImperial Eagle ShieldBradbury WilkinsonBWCSecurity Printing19th Century EngravingEngraving Approval StageBanca Italo-GermanicaItalo-German Banking RelationsEuropean Banking HistoryGerman Unification EraItaly1871500 LirePS977Museum Grade

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