Collection PL

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

This specimen carries prefix A1, placing it within the earliest control sequence (A1–A500). Evidence indicates that issued £100 notes were fully redeemed and destroyed, as high-denomination colonial notes typically had short life spans, strict redemption procedures, and low survival rates due to institutional consolidation. The perforated 'BW & Co LONDON' cancellation and printer annotations confirm that this example was withdrawn from production and preserved exclusively for archival or approval purposes. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix with Red Overprint and Oval Stamp Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Discovery AR-prefix red-overprint specimen of the 50 Zlotych banknote from the 1994 Polish issue, bearing serial number AR0000000. The note carries a red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint, paired red oval NO VALUE stamps, round punch cancellations, and De La Rue specimen-control number 005. This AR-prefix form is unrecorded in Milczak and Pick and belongs to the same discovery-level production group as the related AR approval specimen. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Serial number AR0000000 identifies the piece within the previously undocumented AR-prefix specimen group. The SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE perforation passes directly through the printed note and forms the principal cancellation feature of this specimen type. Read more →

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

Myers Frs. & Co. represents the earliest wave of London engravers to supply the island, preceding Waterlow, Perkins Bacon, and De La Rue. Their Mauritius output was limited, and very few printed notes from this early period survive in any condition. The combination of early date, high denomination, full issuance, and complete cancellation marks places this note among the most critical documents of the island’s monetary origins. Read more →

Australia 1890 - Bank of New South Wales £10 Brisbane Circular Note Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Specimen status is shown by the perforated SPECIMEN cancellation through the lower right portion of the face. The note remains fully unissued, with the operational fields left blank and the Accountant and Manager lines unsigned. Read more →

Australia 1900 - Bank of New South Wales £10 London Circular Note Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Specimen status is recorded through a perforated SPECIMEN cancellation at the lower right of the face. The note remains fully unissued, with the operational fields blank and the Accountant and Manager lines unsigned. Read more →

Australia 1890 - Bank of New South Wales £10 Melbourne Circular Note Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Specimen status is recorded physically through a large perforated SPECIMEN cancellation passing through the lower right portion of the face. The perforation remains clearly visible from the reverse, preserving the specimen-control treatment as part of the paper itself. Read more →

New Zealand 1895–1915 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange Specimen (Pick S192s)

A perforated CANCELLED marking is applied across the lower central area, executed through pin-perforation rather than ink overprint, serving as the primary method of invalidation. At far left, a wide vertical audit margin remains visible, a characteristic feature of printer’s file copies retained for inspection and documentation. This margin, combined with the cancellation method, firmly places the note within Bradbury Wilkinson’s internal specimen retention system rather than external presentation formats. Read more →

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

The proof is printed single sided in orange red intaglio with a completely blank reverse and carries the perforated control legend SPECIMEN C SKIPPER AND EAST. This marking is formed through a fine matrix of pinhole perforations applied by the printer and serves as a control device identifying non circulating material. Such perforations were not cancellations and were not applied by issuing authorities. They were internal printer controls used to distinguish proofs and reference material from production stock. Read more →

New Zealand ND (1924-1933) - Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings Oversized with Perforated SPECIMEN Printers Archival Proof (Pick S161s)

The sheet carries the perforated control legend SPECIMEN C SKIPPER AND EAST, formed through a fine matrix of pinhole perforations applied by the printer. This marking functioned as an internal control device identifying non circulating proof material. It was not a cancellation and was not applied by an issuing authority. Read more →

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

The manuscript signatures, cashier validations, and pen script date confirm authentic circulation. The oval CANCELLED stamps - struck at redemption - document the bank’s auditing cycle, which removed exhausted notes from the economy and destroyed them thereafter. Fully issued and redeemed notes from the early 1840s are particularly rare because high-value dollars were usually handled only by merchants, shipping firms, and sugar estates, leaving little chance for survival. Read more →

Argentina 1871 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos Rosario No. 000001 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The note bears the control serial number 000001, applied as an internal reference designation rather than as part of a circulating sequence. Such numbering was used for approval, registration, and correspondence between provincial offices and the London head office. Two circular punch cancellations confirm its non circulating status and archival function. Read more →