Search Results for "banknote engraving" - Collection

Australia 1877 City of Melbourne Bank Limited £20 specimen engraved by Bradbury Wilkinson, PMG 62 Uncirculated, unique surviving example

Australia 1877 - City of Melbourne Bank Limited £20 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A unique surviving specimen of the £20 denomination issued by the City of Melbourne Bank Limited, representing one of the highest-value private banknotes produced in colonial Victoria. Printed from Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. master plates, this note belongs to the final generation of Australian private banknote engraving before national standardization and the destruction of nearly all high-denomination material. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen187720 PoundsPMG 62 Uncirculated Specimen20 PoundsCity of Melbourne Bank LimitedBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick UnlistedColonial SpecimenEngraved Security PrintingAustralian Private BanknotesVictoria Banking HistoryPre-Federation FinanceGold Rush Era BankingSecurity Printing History19th Century BankingAustralian Monetary HistoryAustraliaVictoria1877PMG 62Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Italy 1871–1872 - Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire Specimen (Pick S976s)

Produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London during the early stages of their European expansion, the engraving reflects a transitional moment in BWC’s development from commercial engravers into one of the world’s premier security printers. The deeply cut guilloches, vast empty margins, and sculptural allegory of Standing Italia exhibit a sophistication rarely seen on private Italian issues of the period. BWC’s design language of the 1870s-ornate, aspirational, and technically ambitious-foreshadows the company’s later dominance in colonial and European banknote engraving. As an artifact of design history alone, this note marks one of the earliest intersections between British engraving expertise and the newly unified Italian state. Read more →

ItalySpecimen1871250 LirePMG 64 (Top Pop) Private BankOversizedSpecimenDouble Punch HolePunch Cancelled250 LireEngraved Security PaperProof and Archive PieceBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S976sItalian StatesPost Unification ItalyItalian Banking HistoryFailed Banknote IssuesGerman Capital in Italy19th Century FinanceNational AllegorySecurity Printing HistoryRome Banking ExperimentsUnissued Banknote ProjectItaly1871PMG 64Top PopR9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade

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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 design is fully realized rather than skeletal. The large blue central panel carries the denomination, while the engraved promise-to-pay text sweeps across the face in dramatic script. The top border names Ulster Bank Limited, and the lower border includes Belfast and Dublin, reflecting the bank's pre-partition Irish operating identity. At the center is a maritime and industrial vignette with a sailing ship, dockside structure, cart, plough, and landscape elements, tying the note visually to trade, agriculture, and commercial movement across Ireland. The denomination appears again in ornate cartouches at left and right, with a bold ONE panel below, creating a layered composition typical of high-quality private banknote engraving. 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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Photographic transparency essay showing the Maenad engraving prepared for the 1996 North Macedonia 5000 Denari banknote

North Macedonia 1996 - 5000 Denari Photographic Transparency Essay (Maenad Vignette)

Because the transparency records the engraving without ink spread, paper absorption, or offset color layers, it preserves the Maenad figure in its most technically precise state. Every engraved line appears exactly as cut into the die, providing a rare view of the design before it was integrated into the complex layered printing structure of the finished banknote. Read more →

North MacedoniaPhotographic Proof19965000 DenariPCGS 63 Choice New Photographic ProofEssayPhotographic TransparencyPre-Press ProofEngraving Stage ProofMaenadMaenad VignetteBanknote EngravingSecurity Printing ProcessDe La RueBanknote Production WorkflowPre-Press MaterialsBanknote Design DevelopmentNorth Macedonia19965000 DenariPCGS 63Choice NewMuseum Grade

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Engraved vignette die proof of the Golden Mask motif used on the 1996 North Macedonia 500 Denari banknote

North Macedonia 1996 - 500 Denari Vignette Die Proof (Golden Death Mask)

A vignette die proof is printed directly from the engraved steel die before the image is transferred to the working plates used for banknote production. At this stage the engraving is evaluated in isolation from the surrounding design elements of the note. The proof allows the issuing authority and printer to inspect the precision of the burin work, tonal depth, and overall balance of the vignette before it is incorporated into the multi-layer printing structure of the finished banknote. Read more →

North MacedoniaVignette1996500 DenariPCGS 64 PPQ Very Choice New VignetteDie ProofVignette Die ProofGolden Death MaskGolden Mask of TrebenishtaBanknote EngravingEngraving Approval StagePre-Press ProofSecurity PrintingBanknote Production WorkflowDe La RueDe La Rue Engraving DepartmentNorth Macedonia1996500 DenariPick 17aPCGS 64 PPQVery Choice NewMuseum Grade

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1996 North Macedonia 500 Denari issued banknote GB2531560 featuring the Golden Death Mask motif, graded PMG 66 EPQ

North Macedonia 1996 - 500 Denari Issued Note GB2531560 Golden Death Mask (Pick 17a)

Within the production chain documented by related pieces in this series, the issued banknote represents the final stage of development. Earlier steps included vignette die proofs of the Golden Mask engraving and De La Rue printer specimens carrying specimen control markings. The present note demonstrates the completed integration of engraving, offset color structure, and security features in the form released for circulation. Read more →

North MacedoniaIssued Note1996500 DenariPMG 66 EPQ Issued NoteGolden Death MaskGolden Mask of TrebenishtaArchaeological HeritageBanknote EngravingDe La RueSecurity PrintingIntaglio EngravingOffset PrintingSecurity ThreadMicrotextSee-Through RegisterGuilloche PatternsWatermarkNorth Macedonia1996500 DenariPick 17aPMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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2003 North Macedonia 500 Denari issued banknote DA8148021 featuring the Golden Death Mask motif, graded PMG 67 EPQ

North Macedonia 2003 - 500 Denari Issued Note DA8148021 Golden Death Mask (Pick 21a)

The printing architecture follows the standard De La Rue security model of the period. A multicolor offset underprint establishes the geometric field and tonal background of the note, while the primary design elements are rendered through intaglio engraving, producing the raised tactile surface associated with high-security banknote production. This layered approach combines aesthetic depth with functional anti-counterfeiting performance. Read more →

North MacedoniaIssued Note2003500 DenariPMG 67 EPQ Issued NoteGolden Death MaskGolden Mask of TrebenishtaArchaeological HeritageBanknote EngravingDe La RueSecurity PrintingIntaglio EngravingOffset PrintingSecurity ThreadMicrotextSee-Through RegisterGuilloche PatternsWatermarkNorth Macedonia2003500 DenariPick 21aPMG 67 EPQSuperb Gem UncirculatedMuseum 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)

Vignette proofs such as this were printed directly from the engraved steel die during the approval phase of banknote production. At this stage the printer and issuing bank evaluated the engraving quality, tonal balance, and compositional stability of the central image before transferring the design to working printing plates. Because the proof is taken directly from the die, it preserves the engraving in its pure form, without color layers, guilloche backgrounds, or additional plate elements that would appear in the completed banknote. 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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Canada 1896 Bank of Nova Scotia 20 Dollars front and back proof pair engraved by the American Bank Note Company

Canada 1896 - Bank of Nova Scotia 20 Dollars Front and Back Proofs (Pick Unlisted)

The reverse proof is printed in deep ABNCo blue and centers on the corporate seal of The Bank of Nova Scotia. The vignette shows a three-masted sailing ship surrounded by the inscription 'Incorporated 1832', referencing the founding year of the institution. Radiating guilloche patterns, interlocking geometric lathework, and precisely engraved denomination counters demonstrate the advanced anti-counterfeiting design techniques developed by American Bank Note Company during the golden age of steel banknote engraving. Read more →

CanadaProof Pair (Front & Back)189620 DollarsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Front and Back Proof Pair) Proof PairPick UnlistedFront ProofBack ProofEngraved ProofIntaglio EngravingABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyABNCo Security PrintingLathework GuillocheSteel Banknote EngravingThe Bank of Nova ScotiaHalifaxNova ScotiaCanadian Chartered BanknotesVictorian Era BankingCanada189620 DollarsPMG 63Choice UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company engraved portrait die proof of José Gervasio Artigas, reference 192A, printed on India paper and mounted on card with cancellation notation

Uruguay 1920 - Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company José Gervasio Artigas Engraved Portrait Die Proof (Reference 192A, Cancelled)

The portrait depicts Artigas in restrained neoclassical profile, engraved with finely controlled line work and tightly structured cross-hatching. The treatment reflects British security engraving practice of the early twentieth century, emphasizing anatomical precision, tonal balance, and institutional authority rather than heroic or romanticized interpretation. Read more →

UruguayEngraved Portrait Die Proof1920NoneUncertified (archival engraved die proof) Engraved Portrait Die ProofIndia Paper ProofMounted on CardPrinter Archive MaterialJosé Gervasio ArtigasBradbury, Wilkinson and CompanyEarly Twentieth Century Currency DesignBritish Banknote EngravingUruguayan Monetary HistoryState IconographyEngraving Reference MaterialUruguay1920Pick UnlistedR9 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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United States 1844 four dollars state bank note issued by the Bank of Florida in Tallahassee during its final revival, engraved by Rawdon Wright Hatch and Edson, New York payable, bearing official crosscut cancellation, graded PCGS 58 Choice About Uncirculated

United States 1844 - Bank of Florida - Tallahassee 4 Dollars, State Bank Note, Final Revival Issue, FL-65-G26

Engraving for this issue is attributable to Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson, the predecessor firm to the American Bank Note Company. This attribution is supported by later archival material and aligns stylistically with mid-nineteenth-century American banknote engraving conventions. The face design employs classical allegorical figures and commercial imagery intended to project continuity, legitimacy, and economic order at a moment when the issuing institution itself was financially unstable. Read more →

United StatesState Bank Note18444 DollarsPCGS Banknote 58 Choice About Uncirculated 4 DollarsState Bank NoteBank of FloridaTallahasseeFlorida TerritoryFinal Revival IssueNew York PayableCrosscut CancelledRedeemed BanknoteAntebellum BankingState Chartered BankingFlorida Banking HistoryAmerican Engraved BanknotesUnited StatesFlorida1844PCGS BanknotePCGS 58Haxby Florida FL-65-G26Museum Grade

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South Africa 1861 Montagu Bank five pounds remainder, large format steel plate engraved private banknote with green counterfeit protector

South Africa 1861 - Montagu Bank 5 Pounds Remainder (Pick S231r)

Printed from a hard steel plate by William Brown of London, with local agency handled by Ewan Christian in Cape Town, the note exemplifies the highest standards of mid nineteenth-century private banknote engraving. Steel-plate production required significant capital investment and technical skill, underscoring the bank’s intention to project stability, credibility, and permanence despite its ultimately fragile financial position. Read more →

South AfricaRemainder18615 Pounds SterlingUncirculated Remainder5 PoundsUnissued CurrencyMontagu BankPrivate BanknoteSteel Plate EngravingMid Nineteenth Century CurrencyCape Colony BankingCounterfeit ProtectorColonial Monetary HistorySouth Africa1861Pick S231rR7 Very RareMuseum Grade

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