Search Results for "colonial period" - Collection

Australia 1877 Mercantile Bank of Sydney £1 specimen with red ONE overprint, Pick Unlisted, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., graded PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Pop 1, only known example

Australia 1877 - Mercantile Bank of Sydney £1 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A superb Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. specimen from the early colonial banking era, this £1 note for the Mercantile Bank of Sydney survives today as the only documented example of its type. Certified PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated and recorded as Pop 1, it represents a unique surviving specimen of a private Australian bank whose issues rarely appear in any form. The same piece is known to have appeared once in a past Christie’s sale prior to encapsulation, making this the sole confirmed survivor based on all available auction, census, and institutional research. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen18771 PoundPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated (Pop 1) Specimen1 PoundPick UnlistedRed OverprintColonial Private BankBradbury WilkinsonBWCMercantile Bank of SydneyNew South Wales Banking History19th Century FinanceAustralian Private IssuesSecurity Printing HistoryColonial PeriodAustralia1877Only Known ExampleR9 Extremely RareUniquePop 1Top PopPMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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New Zealand 1895–1908 Bank of New Zealand 10 Pounds Brown specimen with dual serial numbers 097476 and 102475, perforated SPECIMEN, Bradbury Wilkinson printing, PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated

New Zealand 1895–1908 - Bank of New Zealand £10 Brown Specimen with Serial Number Prefix (Pick S193bs)

As a specimen combining dual control serial numbers, perforated specimen designation, retained audit margin, and full original engraved structure, this example documents Bradbury Wilkinson’s production and verification workflow during the late colonial period. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix189510 PoundsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Specimen10 PoundsBrownBNZ Color LineageSerial Prefix Specimen097476102475Perforated SPECIMENBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S193bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankNew Zealand Banking HistoryMāori Portrait SeriesVictorian Edwardian TransitionSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsHistoryNew Zealand189519081895-1908PMG 63Choice UncirculatedMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Australia 1889 Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited £5 specimen with serial number prefix, perforated SPECIMEN, printer annotation dated 1 March 1890

Australia 1880–1889 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited £5 SPECIMEN with Serial Prefix (Pick Unlisted, MVR4a)

The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, founded in 1834, was among Australia’s most influential private banks during the colonial period. High-denomination notes such as this £5 played a central role in interbank settlement and wholesale finance, making specimen material a critical part of the bank’s operational infrastructure. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix18895 PoundsUncirculated SpecimenSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix5 PoundsCommercial Banking Company of Sydney LimitedBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick UnlistedColonial SpecimenEngraved Security PrintingAustralian Private BanknotesNew South Wales Banking HistoryPre-Federation Finance19th Century BankingSecurity Printing HistoryAustralian Monetary HistoryAustraliaSydney1889Museum GradeR8 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten 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)

As a specimen combining dual control serials, perforated cancellation, retained audit margin, and original printer annotations, this example provides a comprehensive record of Bradbury Wilkinson’s production and verification methodology during the late colonial period. It stands not only as a high-denomination note but as a working document of the printing process itself, preserving layers of operational history rarely visible in surviving material. 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 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)

Beyond its technical and artistic importance, the 1924–25 10 Shillings proof captures a pivotal shift in New Zealand’s visual and monetary identity. The decision to place Tamati Waka Nene on the obverse marked a rare and forward-looking acknowledgment of Māori leadership at a time when indigenous representation on currency across the British Empire was almost nonexistent. His role as a stabilizing force during the early colonial period mirrored the note’s function: a unit of everyday exchange meant to circulate broadly among both Māori and Pākehā communities. 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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