Collection PL

New Zealand 1981 — 100 Dollars (Pick 175a, H.R. Hardie Signature, Serial YAA173980, PMG 45 Choice Extremely Fine)

The 1981 one hundred dollars note represents the reintroduction and continuation of New Zealand’s highest denomination within the revised decimal currency series, issued during the ND (1981–1985) period under the signature of H.R. Hardie as Chief Cashier. This issue belongs to the later Hardie design phase, distinguished by the updated portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, presenting a more mature likeness compared to the earlier ND (1977–1981) series bearing the same signatory. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1985 — 100 Dollars (Pick 175b, S.T. Russell Signature, Issued Note, Serial YAB369567, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated)

The 1985 one hundred dollars note represents the final chapter of New Zealand’s traditional paper currency for its highest denomination, issued within the ND (1985–1989) period under the authority of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and bearing the signature of S.T. Russell as Chief Cashier. This series marks the last fully developed paper format before the transition to polymer, preserving the culmination of decades of engraving, layout refinement, and security evolution. ... Read more →

Confederate States of America 1864 – 100 Dollars (T-65 CR-121, Pink Underprint, Richmond)

The one-hundred-dollar note of the February 17, 1864 Confederate issue, cataloged as T-65 (Criswell 121), was the highest denomination of the Confederacy’s final paper-money series. Printed by Keatinge & Ball in Columbia, South Carolina, this design became one of the most recognizable icons of Confederate finance during the final year of the Civil War. The central vignette features an allegorical female portrait often associated with Lucy Pickens of South Carolina. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 — Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1,000 Pesos Large-Format Presentation Photo Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

This exceptionally large-format photographic presentation proof pair for the 1,000 Pesos issue dated 1939 represents the apex of archival proof material prepared for the Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Produced by the American Bank Note Company, this pair documents the finalized design of Uruguay’s highest denomination in its fully resolved form, preserved outside the currency production workflow. Printed on heavyweight photographic paper and mounted on archival cardstock, this presentation format was intended for institutional reference rather than technical testing. ... Read more →

Australia 1965 — Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited $50 Travellers Cheque Rejected Design Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Rejected design proof for the 50 Dollars traveller’s cheque prepared by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London, for The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited. Submitted in 1965 as the top denomination in the same three-value series, this pink-rose specimen bears the annotation “Not Approved” and the same submission date as the $20 proof. The engraving is rich and multi-layered, displaying Bradbury Wilkinson’s refined late-intaglio craftsmanship with deep guilloche patterns and broad, formal typography. ... Read more →

Spain 1857 — Banco de Zaragoza 2000 Reales Vellón Serie E Issued Note No. 00589 (Pick S455)

An extraordinarily rare issued 2000 reales vellón banknote from the Banco de Zaragoza dated 14 May 1857, Serie E, serial number 00589. Classified as Pick S455, this note represents the highest denomination placed into active circulation by the bank. Very few issued examples of any Banco de Zaragoza notes survive, and among these, the 2000 reales denomination is one of the most elusive. ... Read more →

Spain 1857 — Banco de Zaragoza 2000 Reales Vellón Serie E Issued Note No. 00500 (Pick S455)

A fully issued 2000 reales vellón banknote from the Banco de Zaragoza dated 14 May 1857, Serie E, serial number 00500. Classified under Pick S455, this note represents the highest denomination from Zaragoza known to have entered active circulation. Its survival is an exceptional anomaly: most high-value private-bank issues from this period were redeemed rapidly and destroyed, leaving only a microscopic population of true circulation-authorized notes. ... Read more →

Barbados 1981 — Government of Barbados 100,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Red Overprint, Prefix F

Specimen Treasury Bill 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 treasury, accounting, and archival use. The bill is denominated at one hundred thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to order out of the Consolidated Fund at any commercial bank in Barbados or at the Treasury. The place of issue, Bridgetown, is incorporated into the printed layout, confirming its role within the central administrative framework of Barbados. ... Read more →

Barbados 1981 — Government of Barbados 500,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Red Overprint, Prefix G

Specimen Treasury Bill 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 treasury, accounting, and archival use. The bill is denominated at five hundred thousand dollars, representing the highest denomination within the Barbados Treasury Bill series. Instruments of this value were intended exclusively for exceptional treasury reference and internal control purposes rather than routine fiscal operations. ... Read more →

Spain 1857 — Banco de Zaragoza 2000 Reales Vellón Serie E Issued Consecutive Pair No. 00031–00032 (Pick S455)

An exceptional issued consecutive pair of 2000 reales vellón banknotes from the Banco de Zaragoza, dated Zaragoza, 14 May 1857, Serie E, serial numbers 00031 and 00032. Catalogued as Pick S455, this pair represents one of the earliest surviving serial groupings of the highest denomination issued by the bank and illustrates the original form in which such notes were placed into circulation. The Banco de Zaragoza operated during Spain’s brief liberal banking period following the 1856 reforms, when select provincial banks were authorised to issue their own circulating paper currency. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 200 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 177s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 200 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. As the highest denomination of the initial 1994 series, the 200 złotych note functioned as the flagship issue representing the full design, security, and symbolic ambition of the reform. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the series. ... Read more →

South Africa 1861 — Montagu Bank 5 Pounds Remainder (Pick S231r)

This note is an unissued remainder of the Montagu Bank five pounds denomination, produced in the early 1860s during the brief operational life of one of the Cape Colony’s most distinctive private commercial banks. As the highest denomination authorized by the Montagu Bank, the five pounds issue occupied the uppermost tier of the institution’s monetary structure and was intended for large commercial settlements, capital transactions, and internal accounting rather than routine daily exchange. The Montagu Bank was established in 1861 at a time when local banking was widely regarded as essential to trade and economic development within the Cape Colony. ... Read more →