Search Results for "banknote production" - Collection

Australia 1880–1910 Commercial Bank of Australia £100 specimen, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Australia 1880–1910 - Commercial Bank of Australia £100 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Engraved by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London and printed locally by Sands & McDougall in Melbourne, the note embodies the cooperative evolution of Australian banknote production. Bradbury, Wilkinson supplied the master plates, security devices, and engraving framework, while Sands & McDougall executed local printing to supply the bank's circulation demands across Victoria and the wider Australian colonies. The imprint 'Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., Engravers, London' confirms its master-plate origin, while the local printer’s marks establish the dual-track production typical of the late colonial banking era. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen1880100 PoundsPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Specimen100 PoundsHigh DenominationCommercial Bank of AustraliaBradbury WilkinsonBWCSands & McDougallColonial SpecimenBilingualChinese-EnglishPick UnlistedColonial Banking HistoryAustralian Private BanknotesPre-Notes Act Era19th Century BankingMulticultural Trade NetworksSecurity Printing HistoryBritish Engraving InfluenceAustralian Monetary HistoryAustralia188019101880–1910PMG 64Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company 1877 Portrait of Woman intaglio vignette proof, printer's library design element associated with the City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds colonial Australian banknote design

Australia 1877 - Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company Portrait of Woman Intaglio Vignette Proof for City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds Design (Pick Unlisted)

As a stand-alone intaglio impression, the vignette preserves the original pictorial element independently from the financial instrument in which it was used and documents Bradbury Wilkinson's portrait engraving and banknote production practice at the component level. Read more →

AustraliaVignette Proof1877Reference VignetteArchival Intaglio Proof Vignette ProofIntaglio Vignette ProofPortrait VignettePortrait of WomanEngraved PortraitPrinter's Library ElementPrinter's Design ArchiveProduction Stage ArtifactStandalone VignetteReference VignetteCity of Melbourne Bank Limited Design Source20 Pounds Design SourceBradbury, Wilkinson and CompanyBradbury, Wilkinson and Company LondonLondon Security PrinterIntaglio PrintingIntaglio EngravingSecurity EngravingBanknote PrintingSecurity PrintingPrivate Banknote ProductionProofing and Plate ApprovalDesign Verification ArtifactPick UnlistedAustralian Banking HistoryAustralian Colonial BankingPre Federation AustraliaVictoria Banking HistoryCity of Melbourne BankCity of Melbourne Bank LimitedColonial VictoriaPrivate Banknote TraditionNineteenth Century Paper MoneyVictorian Era EngravingHistoryAustraliaVictoria1877R9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade

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Poland 1994 50 Złotych front proof, Pick 175ap1, PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated, final approved obverse design by Thomas De La Rue

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Front Proof (Pick 175ap1)

The 1994 series marked Poland’s first fully modern banknote family following economic transformation and redenomination. It introduced a new visual identity grounded in historical portraiture, contemporary engraving techniques, and significantly upgraded anti-counterfeiting structures. Surviving proof material from this stage is exceptionally scarce due to routine archival destruction of trial and approval sheets once production concluded. Read more →

PolandFront Proof199450 ZłotychPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Front Proof, Top Pop 1/1) Front ProofPick 175ap1Thomas De La RueTDLRNarodowy Bank PolskiKazimierz WielkiCasimir the GreatModern Polish BanknotesRedenomination SeriesPoland1994PMG 63Top PopR9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade

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Australia Federal Bank of Australia Limited one pound Sydney specimen printed by Bradbury Wilkinson, annotated 1882, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Australia 1879–1903 - Federal Bank of Australia, Limited £1 Sydney Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A pencilled annotation reading “9 May 82” appears on the note. Such annotations are rarely preserved on specimen material and provide valuable documentary evidence of how reference notes were handled during the working life of a banknote design. Specimens were commonly retained in printer archives, banking offices, or presentation sets used during the approval and distribution process. Handwritten notes added during this process form part of the historical record of the object itself. In this case, the annotation confirms that the specimen was already in institutional reference use by 1882, within the earliest operational period of the Federal Bank of Australia. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen18791 PoundPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (Annotated, Top Population) Specimen Banknote1 PoundPrinter SpecimenAnnotated SpecimenExport Engraved NoteLarge Format BanknoteBradbury WilkinsonBWCBritish Security PrintingVictorian Era EngravingPrivate Banknote ProductionFederal Bank of Australia LimitedAustralian Private BanksPre Federation AustraliaSydney Banking HistoryVictorian Banking Crisis1893 Banking CollapseAustraliaSydney187919031879–1903Pick UnlistedTop PopMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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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)

Surviving examples of the S192s specimen type remain extremely scarce, with most archival copies destroyed or lost during transitions in banking structure and currency authority. Positioned between the one pound green (Pick S191s) and the ten pounds brown (Pick S193s), this five pounds orange specimen completes the central triad of New Zealand’s most important pre-Reserve Bank engraved series, representing both artistic and technical maturity within early banknote production. 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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New Zealand ND 1924-1933 Bank of New South Wales ten shillings proof printed by Charles Skipper and East, perforated SPECIMEN control marking, single sided with blank reverse

New Zealand ND (1924-1933) - Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings Proof, Perforated SPECIMEN (Pick S161s)

As an object, this proof documents a stage of banknote production that sits outside normal issue chronology. The ND 1924-1933 date range used by PMG and the Standard Catalog does not indicate a single year of printing. Instead, it reflects the period during which the Bank of New South Wales operated under this design lineage in New Zealand. Skipper and East routinely reused and adapted master steel plates over extended periods, modifying lettering, borders, and institutional references as banking charters evolved. Proofs such as this capture the printers finalized working model rather than a dated circulation release. Read more →

New ZealandProof192410 ShillingsChoice Uncirculated Proof Banknote10 ShillingsPrinter ProofPerforated SPECIMENPrinter Control MarkingNon Circulating ProofBank of New South WalesColonial BankingAustralasian BankingCharles Skipper and EastLondon Security PrintingGuilloche EngravingMicroletteringBlank ReverseNew ZealandND 1924-193319241933Pick S161sPick S161Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Argentina 1881 Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro Proof, PMG 64 Top Pop

Argentina 1881 - Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro Proof (Pick S536fp)

Only one example is certified in the PMG census, graded 64 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) - the sole recorded proof of this denomination and date. Beyond its rarity, this engraving illustrates the precision and artistry characteristic of the American Bank Note Company during the late 19th century, when U.S. firms dominated Latin American banknote production. This proof stands as a tangible artifact of that era’s intersection between artistry, financial expansion, and technological excellence. Read more →

ArgentinaProof18812 Pesos OroPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) Proof2 Pesos OroArchivalTop PopEngraved Security PrintingBanco de la Provincia de Buenos AiresArgentine Provincial Banks19th Century BankingPesos Oro SeriesABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyLatin American NumismaticsPre-National ConsolidationProvincial Monetary HistoryArgentinaBuenos Aires18811883PMG 64Museum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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Uruguay 1862 Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 100 Pesos Pick S245s specimen, perforated SPECIMEN, engraved by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., graded PMG 64 EPQ

Uruguay 1862 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 100 Pesos Specimen (Pick S245s)

Engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London, the note reflects the firm’s first major commission for the Rio de la Plata area. The allegorical vignettes-Mercury representing trade and Agriculture symbolizing prosperity-conveyed both British confidence and local ambition. Dense guilloché fields, lathe-turned borders, and watermarked paper illustrate BWC’s early transition from hand-engraved dies to mechanical precision engraving, a security standard that shaped modern banknote production. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen1862100 PesosPMG 64 EPQ Pick S245sPick S245SpecimenBanco de Londres y Rio de la PlataBradbury WilkinsonBWCUruguay 19th Century100 PesosUruguay1862

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Libya 1971 Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars color trial specimen with Omar al-Mukhtar portrait, pre-issue intaglio color calibration, specimen overprint, PMG 64 choice uncirculated

Libya 1971 - Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Color Trial Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37cts)

Color trial specimens occupy a critical position within the banknote production sequence. They are not presentation pieces and not substitutes for issued notes, but technical print evaluations pulled during the final calibration of the intaglio face plate and associated tint stones. Their purpose was to test color harmony, ink density, and registration behavior under production conditions before full authorization of the circulating issue. Read more →

LibyaColor Trial Specimen197110 DinarsPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (Top Population) Color TrialProduction ProofPre-Issue Print StageSingle Punch HolePunch CancelledIntaglio Color CalibrationSpecimen Of No ValueControl SerialOmar al-MukhtarPost Monarchy Currency ReformLibyan Arab RepublicRevolutionary Era IconographyCentral Bank Of LibyaLibya19711971–1972Pick 37ctsPick 37Top PopMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Libya 1971 Central Bank of Libya Omar al Mukhtar intaglio vignette proof, standalone engraved portrait master used for the 10 Dinars series, PMG certified

Libya 1971 - Central Bank of Libya Omar al-Mukhtar Intaglio Vignette Proof (Portrait Master for 10 Dinars Issue)

This intaglio vignette proof represents the master engraved portrait of Omar al-Mukhtar prepared for the Central Bank of Libya’s post-monarchy currency redesign introduced in 1971. The vignette constitutes a standalone production artifact, engraved independently of any completed banknote and intended for transfer into the face plate of the new 10 Dinars issue following final approval. Read more →

LibyaVignette1971Portrait Only (10 Dinars Design Element)PMG Uncirculated Intaglio Vignette ProofMaster Portrait EngravingProduction Stage ArtifactPre Issue EngravingStandalone VignetteOmar al MukhtarAnti Colonial IconographyPost Monarchy Currency ReformLibyan Arab RepublicCentral Bank of LibyaLibya19711971–1972Pick 37 RelatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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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)

This 1920 Ulster Bank Limited 1 Pound proof is a completed proof-stage example of one of the most visually distinctive private-bank issues from Ireland before partition. Dated Belfast, 1st June 1920, and bearing serial number A 00,005, the note belongs to the Ireland category rather than the later Northern Ireland issue structure. Its PMG classification as Proof, together with the Pick 388p and UB39 references, places it among the specialized archival forms of Ulster Bank Limited's early twentieth-century note production. 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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Great Britain Derby Bank £5 proof, circa 1806–1812, engraved private bank issue payable via Samuel Smith & Co., PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated

Great Britain c.1806–1812 - Derby Bank £5 Proof (Pick Unlisted)

A printer’s proof of a £5 note prepared for the Derby Bank during the formative years of British provincial banking, dating to circa 1806–1812. This piece belongs to the critical transitional period between eighteenth-century handwritten credit instruments and the fully industrialized, security-driven banknote production that would dominate the nineteenth century. Read more →

Great BritainProof18065 PoundsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Proof5 PoundsPrivate Bank IssueProvincial BankingEarly British BanknotesNapoleonic War EraBank Restriction PeriodSecurity EngravingCalligraphic DesignPre Standardization CurrencyLondon Correspondent BankingGreat BritainDerby18061806–1812Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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