Collection PL

Australia 1877 - Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company Portrait of Woman for City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds Design Intaglio Vignette (Pick Unlisted)

This engraved Portrait of Woman intaglio vignette was produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, and is directly connected to the City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds specimen of 1877, where the same portrait appears as the principal vignette within the large ornamental panel at left. The proof preserves that portrait as a stand-alone engraved component before its integration into the complete banknote design. Read more →

New Zealand 1924-1925 - Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings with SPECIMEN Perforation Front Proof (Pick S231p1)

The note features a finely engraved portrait of the Māori rangatira Tamati Waka Nene (1780–1871), leader of Ngāpuhi and an early ally of British settlement-one of the first indigenous statesmen ever depicted on a Commonwealth banknote. Surrounding the portrait are complex guilloché patterns and a two-tone lilac-and-ochre tint underprint demonstrating the peak of Bradbury Wilkinson’s late-Edwardian plate craftsmanship. Read more →

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

The design combines national symbolism with British security engraving. The portrait of General Jose de San Martin anchors the note in Argentine identity, while the surrounding border architecture, denomination counters, and symmetrical layout reflect Bradbury Wilkinson early export style for Latin America, engineered for rapid recognition and trust in active commercial environments such as ports, warehouses, and trading houses. Read more →

Libya 1971 - Central Bank of Libya Omar al-Mukhtar Intaglio Vignette Proof (Portrait Master for 10 Dinars Issue)

This intaglio vignette proof represents the master engraved portrait of Omar al-Mukhtar prepared for the Central Bank of Libya’s post-monarchy currency redesign introduced in 1971. The vignette constitutes a standalone production artifact, engraved independently of any completed banknote and intended for transfer into the face plate of the new 10 Dinars issue following final approval. Read more →

United States 1914 – 50 Dollars Federal Reserve Note – Philadelphia District White | Mellon (Fr.1035)

This fifty-dollar denomination carries the engraved portrait of President Ulysses S. Grant at center, flanked by allegorical vignettes symbolizing commerce and productivity. The reverse, titled 'Panama,' depicts a sweeping allegory of maritime trade celebrating America’s engineering triumph-the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. It is one of the few note designs in U.S. history to feature an explicitly contemporary event, pairing the theme of economic expansion with the assertion of global reach. Read more →

Italy 1869 - Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company Portrait of Man for Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Design Intaglio Vignette

This engraved portrait vignette was produced by Bradbury Wilkinson and Company as a direct design component for the 1869 Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire issue. It is not a generic engraving but the exact portrait element incorporated into the final banknote, forming part of the original production chain of the note itself. Read more →

Japan 1989 - Komori Currency Technology Intaglio Test Note Mr. Komori

Large-format intaglio test piece produced by Komori Currency Technology on genuine banknote paper. The face presents a finely engraved portrait of Mr. Komori alongside dense Asiatic floral scrolls and security guilloché intended to demonstrate line fidelity, tonal build, and plate pressure control. Test notes of this class were never meant for circulation; they functioned as printer’s showpieces and training standards for press crews, plate checkers, and clients evaluating capability. Read more →

Poland 1919 - Bank Polski 100 Zlotych Serial S.B. 5482263 Issued Note (Pick 57)

The obverse features an engraved portrait of Tadeusz Kosciuszko at left, depicted with flowing hair within an ornamental oval frame. The central composition carries the Bank Polski title, the denomination STO ZLOTYCH, the issuing city Warszawa, and the printed date 28 February 1919. Below appear the signatures of Bank Polski directors Stanislaw Karpinski and Zygmunt Chamiec and Chief Treasurer Marian Karpus. Read more →

Poland 1919 - Bank Polski 1 Zloty Serial S.26C 070070 Issued Note (Pick 51)

The face presents a portrait of Tadeusz Kosciuszko within a circular engraved medallion at left. The Bank Polski title appears prominently above the denomination, while the date and printed signatures occupy the lower central field. Dense geometric ornament, fine guilloche work, and repeated corner denominations create a compact design suited to the lowest value in the inaugural series. Read more →

Poland 1940 - 500 Zlotych Series B Unfinished Print Fragment (Pick 98)

Comparison with a completed 500 złotych note makes the unfinished state particularly revealing. On the finished obverse, the Highlander is a repeated visual motif: the principal engraved portrait occupies the right side of the design, while a second Highlander head appears as the watermark in the paper at left. On B 2048322, the watermark is already present in the paper, but the corresponding printed portrait and the remainder of the principal obverse design were never applied. Read more →

Brazil 1963 - Tesouro Nacional 10 Cruzeiros Issuede Note (Pick 167b)

The obverse presents a formal engraved portrait of Getúlio Vargas, President of Brazil through two defining eras: his populist leadership of the 1930s and 1940s and his later return to power in the early 1950s. The image projects stability and authority, reflecting the government’s effort to reaffirm confidence in a currency already strained by inflation. The reverse displays an allegorical female figure representing the Republic surrounded by detailed guilloche and geometric security patterns. Read more →

United States 1830s - Pennsylvania, Philadelphia - Penn Township Savings Institution 10 Cents Proof (Unlisted)

The design prominently features paired engraved portraits of William Penn, founder of the Pennsylvania colony, reinforcing the civic identity and trustworthiness of the institution. Large denomination counters reading '10' appear at the margins, while the central obligation text certifies the deposit with the Penn Township Savings Institution located at the Banking House on Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia. Read more →