Collection PL

About 1994.pl
Results for “documentary financial instruments”
Martinique 1870 Banque de la Martinique 1 franc unissued cheque, Saint-Pierre issue, unused condition

Martinique 1870 - Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Unissued Cheque (Pick P.5A)

The place of issue, Saint-Pierre, anchors the document historically. Before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, Saint-Pierre was the economic and administrative center of Martinique, often referred to as the "Paris of the Caribbean." Banking instruments originating from Saint-Pierre are therefore directly connected to the island’s lost commercial capital and its pre-disaster financial infrastructure. Read more →

MartiniqueUnissued Cheque18701 FrancUncirculated Unissued Cheque1 FrancBanque de la MartiniqueColonial Banking InstrumentFrench Colonial FinancePick P.5AColonial Banking HistoryFrench Overseas TerritoriesCaribbean Monetary History19th Century BankingDocumentary Financial InstrumentsSecurity Printing HistoryFrench Engraving TraditionMartinique1870Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare
Held
Ask PMG Census
Martinique 1870 Banque de la Martinique 1 franc cheque recovered from the ruins of Saint-Pierre after the 1902 Mount Pelée eruption, with contemporary handwritten provenance notes

Martinique 1870 - Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Cheque Recovered After the 1902 Mount Pelée Eruption (Pick P.5A)

The printed face follows the established Banque de la Martinique cheque format, bearing the heading “Chèque sur la Banque de la Martinique,” internal control marking “B.P.F. 1,” and a printed acknowledgment of receipt for the sum of one franc, to be debited from the account of a named holder. The place of issue is Saint-Pierre, with a printed year line left incomplete, consistent with cheque forms intended to be dated at the time of use. Ornamental engraved borders composed of tropical flora frame the document, reflecting French metropolitan engraving conventions adapted for colonial financial instruments. Printer imprints at the lower margins attribute production to Claverie et Fils, with engraved elements credited to Reschérer. Read more →

MartiniqueDisaster Recovery Cheque18701 FrancVery Fine Disaster Recovery Cheque1 FrancBanque de la MartiniqueMount Pelee EruptionSaint Pierre DestructionColonial Bank RuinsPick P.5AColonial Banking HistoryFrench Overseas TerritoriesCaribbean Monetary HistoryNineteenth Century BankingDisaster Recovered ArtifactDocumentary Financial InstrumentsSecurity Printing HistoryFrench Engraving TraditionMartinique18701902Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations
Held
Ask PMG Census

Explore the 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)

The City of Melbourne Bank operated during a period when Victoria stood at the center of Australian financial power, fueled by gold-rush wealth and aggressive commercial expansion. Private banks competed directly for dominance, and their high-denomination notes functioned as instruments of confidence and institutional credibility rather than retail money.

1918 Banque Belge pour l’Étranger Cairo branch issued cheque with Art Nouveau border and full branch list

Egypt 1918 - Banque Belge pour l’Étranger, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

The guilloche work-consisting of wave-patterned borders, fine line engraving, and micro-text-matches the high-security printing standards used by Belgian and French engravers during the 1910s. Such designs were produced not only to prevent forgery but also to visually convey the bank’s reputation and financial solidity during a period of global instability. Even in wartime, foreign banks in Egypt adhered to European-style aesthetic and technical requirements for their negotiable instruments.

Financial Document WWI Financial System
↑ Top