Collection PL

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

The first Bank of New Zealand specimen and the foundation of the country’s pre-Reserve Bank note lineage. Engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, this one pound green specimen (Pick S191s) established the visual architecture reused throughout all later BNZ issues: paired Māori figures at left, an engraved coastal vignette below, and an ornate duty-tint panel framing the ONE POUND denomination. This design became the structural and visual origin of the Bank of New Zealand color lineage that defined New Zealand’s early commercial-bank currency. ... Read more →

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37s)

This specimen represents the official pre-issue specimen of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, the first high-denomination issue of the Libyan Arab Republic following the abolition of the monarchy. Bearing the red SPECIMEN overprint and zero control serials, the note documents the final approved design state immediately before full circulation printing commenced. Specimen banknotes occupy a distinct position within the currency production and distribution process. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 — 100 Francs Color Trial Specimen (Pick 56cts)

Color trial specimen of the 1970 one hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced during the development phase of the Grand Duke Jean series. This example is executed in an alternative blue-toned palette rather than the green coloration adopted for circulation, representing a controlled press trial used to evaluate tonal hierarchy, engraving clarity, and denomination contrast. The note carries serial number A000000 33, applied within the standard specimen numbering format. ... Read more →

France 1792 — Domaines Nationaux Assignat 15 Sols Série 1808 (Pick A54)

Early small‑denomination assignat dated to the constitutional monarchy’s final months—'Loi du 4 Janvier 1792' and 'L’An Quatrième de la Liberté' appear in the header cartouches. Printed for the Domaines Nationaux program, these 15‑sol notes bridged everyday commerce and the land‑backed credit scheme that financed the Revolution. The frame is packed with didactic devices: laurel panels, civic emblems, the legal threats against forgers, and the reward to informers. ... Read more →

Ireland 1939–40 — Belfast Banking Company Limited £1 (Pick 126b)

£1 note of the Belfast Banking Company Limited, dated 9 November 1939, with the arms of Belfast and the bank’s name in a sweeping banner. The face carries the finely engraved counters "ONE" in the corners and a blue value panel through the promise text—an eye‑catching security feature on this inter‑war design. Pick 126b identifies the late 1930s series with blue serials; this example is prefixed E/M, a style used by the bank to manage branches and print batches. ... Read more →

Scotland 1959 — National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited £1 (Pick 265)

One Pound of the National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited dated 16 September 1959. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company, the note carries the Head of Caledonia watermark and presents a panoramic view of the Forth Bridge—Scotland's engineering icon—beneath the central promise text. The National Commercial Bank was a pillar of Scottish banking until its merger with the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1969. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 1968–72 — Provincial Bank of Ireland Limited £1 Specimen PR99 (Pick 245s)

De La Rue specimen of the Provincial Bank of Ireland £1, dated 1 January 1968. Classical head within a guilloche medallion at center, with the denomination framed by large sterling symbols. SPECIMEN diagonal overprint and De La Rue control ovals confirm its archival status, accompanied by a cancellation punch and specimen serial panel. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1981 — 100 Dollars H.R. Hardie Signature Vertical Perforated SPECIMEN Black Overprint Serial YAA000000 Specimen No. 016 (Pick 175as)

The 1981 one hundred dollars specimen represents a later-stage development in New Zealand’s decimal currency specimen formats, issued during the ND (1981–1985) period under the signature of H.R. Hardie as Chief Cashier. This note belongs to the revised Hardie design phase, distinguished by the updated portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting the mature visual identity of the series. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1985 — 100 Dollars S.T. Russell Signature Black Overprint SPECIMEN Dual Oval Stamps Specimen No. 004 Serial YAC000000 (Pick 175bs)

The 1985 one hundred dollars specimen represents one of the most complex and information-rich specimen formats produced during the final paper-currency era of New Zealand, issued within the ND (1985–1989) period under the signature of S.T. Russell as Chief Cashier. This series marks the closing stage of the traditional engraved paper hundreds before the transition to polymer. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1992 — 100 Dollars Rutherford Design Vertical Red SPECIMEN Overprint Printer-Annotated TDLR Specimen (Pick 181s)

The 1992 one hundred dollars specimen marks the introduction of the Rutherford design and the beginning of New Zealand’s final paper currency series before the transition to polymer. Issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, this note replaces the long-standing Queen Elizabeth II portrait with Lord Ernest Rutherford of Nelson, symbolizing a decisive shift toward national scientific identity within the country’s banknote iconography. This example represents a complex internal printer specimen, combining multiple control and approval features rarely encountered together on a single note. ... Read more →

United States 1935D — 1 Dollar Silver Certificate Butterfly Fold Error (Friedberg 1613W, IF Block)

This 1935D 1 Dollar Silver Certificate (Friedberg 1613W, IF Block) presents an exceptional Butterfly Fold Error, a visually dramatic mechanical mishap that occurred during the printing process at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. A portion of the note’s corner was inadvertently folded over before printing, causing part of the design to print on the folded flap while leaving a blank triangular void once the paper was unfolded. The result is a note that physically displays the three-dimensional evidence of its own creation error. ... Read more →

Argentina 1869 — Banco Domingo Garbino, 5 Pesos Fuertes Issued Note with Red Overprint (Pick S1803)

Issued 5 Pesos Fuertes note of Banco Domingo Garbino, printed by the American Bank Note Company (Compañía Americana de Billetes de Banco Nueva York) and formally activated for circulation through the large diagonal red overprint “DOMINGO GARBINO.” This overprint was not decorative nor optional: it was the legal validation required to transform the bank’s remainder stock (Pick S1792r) into fully issued, signed, numbered, and payable currency. For this reason, Pick S1803 represents the only surviving issued form of the Garbino 5 Pesos Fuertes denomination. The base printing displays ABNC’s early post-Civil-War engraving style: a vigilant dog guarding a strongbox at top center, allegorical female portraits representing rural labor and domestic virtue, and deep green lathe-work executed with the precision that made ABNC the dominant security printer in the Americas. ... Read more →