Collection PL

New Zealand 1907–1926 - Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue Serial-Prefix Audit Specimen (Pick S194s)

The obverse presents a fully realized Edwardian composition: an engraved Māori portrait vignette rendered with anthropological precision, a coastal scene symbolizing New Zealand’s export-driven economy, and a central blue-grey guilloche medallion exclusive to the bank’s highest denomination. The reverse features an ornate frame enclosing the word POUNDS, surrounded by micro-engraved denomination clusters and anti-photographic detailing. Watermark impressions visible in transmitted light correspond to the special paper stock used only for BNZ’s top-tier issues.

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

Engraved and printed in London between 1895 and 1908 by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, the note reflects mature late-Victorian engraving practice. The obverse composition features paired Māori figures, a maritime vignette, and a structured brown duty-tint guilloche frame associated with upper-denomination issues. The brown coloration forms part of the Bank of New Zealand’s chromatic system, positioned alongside the one pound green and five pounds orange within the BNZ color lineage.

New Zealand 1913 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange Multi-Serial Approval Specimen (Pick S192ms)

The design retains the canonical BNZ Victorian layout: Māori portrait figures at left, a coastal vignette symbolizing New Zealand’s maritime economy, and dense guilloche frameworks engraved to Bradbury Wilkinson’s late-19th-century standard. By 1913, however, the orange duty tint had been deepened and the geometry subtly regularized, reflecting the broader transition from ornate Victorian engraving toward the more disciplined Edwardian and early WWI-era printing style.

Australia 1905–1910 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 Specimen Proof (Pick Unlisted)

The note’s design captures the late-Edwardian peak of Bradbury, Wilkinson craftsmanship: elaborate guilloché, multicolour underprint, and symbolic vignettes including a cherub with a ram’s head representing commerce and abundance. Its heavy perforations and broad margins identify it as a proof rather than a circulation specimen, created to demonstrate design and engraving quality before full production.