Collection PL

New Zealand 1895–1915 — Bank of New Zealand 5 Pounds Orange Specimen (Pick S192s)

The high-denomination anchor of the Bank of New Zealand color series, this five pounds orange specimen (Pick S192s) represents one of the most structurally complex and production-informative notes of New Zealand’s private banking era. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, it embodies the transition from richly ornamental Victorian engraving toward the more controlled and symmetrical Edwardian framework that followed. The composition preserves the defining elements of the earlier series—paired Māori figures within oval medallions at left, a lower maritime vignette reflecting colonial trade identity, and a dense guilloche lattice enclosing the denomination—while introducing a more disciplined spatial hierarchy across the central obligation panel. ... 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 →

Barbados 1968 — Government of Barbados 500 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Perforated Cancelled, Prefix A

Specimen Treasury Bill issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922, produced for internal reference and administrative control rather than circulation or fiscal settlement. The document carries a printed denomination of five hundred dollars and defines an obligation payable out of the Consolidated Fund at any commercial bank in Barbados or at the Treasury. The place of issue is identified as Bridgetown, confirming its role within the central administrative framework of the Barbadian state. ... Read more →

Barbados 1960 — Government of Barbados 1,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix B

Specimen Treasury Bill issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922, prepared as a non-circulating reference instrument for internal administrative and archival use. The bill is denominated at one thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados, reflecting the earlier legal wording also observed on the photographic proof and preceding later standardized Treasury Bill formulations. The place of issue, Bridgetown, is included within the printed layout, confirming its issuance within the central administrative framework of Barbados. ... Read more →

Barbados 1960 — Government of Barbados 5,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix C

This specimen Treasury Bill was issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922 and prepared as a non-circulating reference instrument for internal administrative, accounting, and archival use. The bill is denominated at five thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados. This bearer formulation reflects the earlier legal wording employed on Treasury Bills of this period and differs from the later “payable to order” language introduced on subsequent issues. ... Read more →

Barbados 1960 — Government of Barbados 10,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix D

This specimen Treasury Bill was issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922 and prepared as a non-circulating reference instrument for internal administrative, accounting, and archival use. The bill is denominated at ten thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados. This bearer formulation reflects the earlier legal wording employed on Treasury Bills of this period and predates the later standardized “payable to order” language adopted on subsequent issues. ... Read more →

Barbados 1960 — Government of Barbados 50,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix E

This specimen Treasury Bill was issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922 and prepared as a non-circulating reference instrument for internal administrative, accounting, and archival use. The bill is denominated at fifty thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados. This bearer formulation reflects the earlier legal wording employed on Treasury Bills of this period and predates the later standardized “payable to order” language adopted on subsequent issues. ... Read more →

Barbados 1968 — Government of Barbados 100,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Perforated Cancelled, Prefix F

Specimen Treasury Bill issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922, produced for internal reference and administrative control rather than circulation or fiscal settlement. The document carries a printed denomination of one hundred thousand dollars and defines an obligation payable out of the Consolidated Fund at any commercial bank in Barbados or at the Treasury. The place of issue is identified as Bridgetown, confirming its role within the central administrative framework of the Barbadian state. ... Read more →

Barbados 1971 — Government of Barbados 100,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Prefix F

Specimen Treasury Bill issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922, prepared for internal reference, accounting control, and archival retention rather than circulation or fiscal settlement. The document carries a printed denomination of one hundred thousand dollars and defines an obligation payable out of the Consolidated Fund at any commercial bank in Barbados or at the Treasury. The place of issue is identified as Bridgetown, confirming its role within the central administrative framework of the Barbadian state. ... Read more →

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

A Banque de la Martinique one franc cheque form, Pick P.5A, originally printed for use at Saint-Pierre during the late nineteenth century and later recovered from the ruins of the city following the catastrophic eruption of Mount Pelée on 8 May 1902. Although printed decades earlier as part of the bank’s standardized cheque issue, this surviving example was never negotiated as a financial instrument and instead entered history as a disaster-recovery relic, explicitly identified as such by contemporary handwritten annotations. 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. ... Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 — Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' (Pick 6s, 467/1–A1)

This five dollar Cayman Islands Currency Board specimen represents a terminal archival control state within the 1974 series prepared under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974. It preserves the full engraved design of the denomination while permanently removing any possibility of monetary use through a large dot-matrix perforation reading “SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE” across the face. This perforated format belongs to a different control philosophy than red-overprint presentation specimens. ... Read more →