Collection PL

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 40 Dollars Specimen with Black Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 9s)

The serial format follows the all-zero specimen convention with prefix A/1 and serial number 000000. This format is reserved for specimen handling and does not correspond to circulation output. The obverse bears the engraved signature of V. G. Johnson as Chairman of the Cayman Islands Currency Board, situating the note within the principal administrative phase of the 1974 series. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 50 Dollars Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 10s)

The reverse of the fifty dollars denomination features a structured maritime composition centered on a Cayman domestic coastal residence framed by palm trees and shoreline elements. The architectural rendering is executed in layered linework that creates depth through tonal gradation rather than shading blocks, a characteristic De La Rue engraving approach. Surrounding cartouches, wave-pattern borders, and denomination panels are arranged symmetrically to stabilize the visual field and reinforce security through controlled repetition of line density. The broad open field at right, reserved for watermark visibility, contrasts deliberately with the denser engraved vignette at center, producing both aesthetic balance and functional authentication space. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 100 Dollars Specimen with Black Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 11s)

As a specimen, this note functions as archival and institutional reference material rather than circulating currency. It records the finalized one hundred dollars design together with the exact invalidation tools and internal control methods applied by Thomas De La Rue to segregate specimen impressions from live monetary production. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 100 Dollars Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' (Pick 11s, 801/A1)

The reverse presents a detailed engraved view of George Town, Capital, organized within a formal ornamental framework. Architectural structures, harbor vessels, shoreline activity, and layered urban depth are rendered in disciplined linework, combining geographic specificity with security-driven engraving density. The denomination panels and ornamental borders frame the vignette with controlled negative space, preserving both clarity and structural balance. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1991 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 100 Dollars Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 15s)

The serial format carries prefix B/1 with the all-zero serial number 000000, a configuration reserved exclusively for specimen handling and never used for circulation output. The engraved signature beneath the central denomination panel is that of A. Jefferson, serving as Chairman of the Cayman Islands Currency Board during the 1991 series, anchoring the note within its correct administrative phase. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1996 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 100 Dollars Issued Note (Pick 20, B/1 251767)

The obverse is dominated by the engraved portrait of Queen Elizabeth the Second at right, rendered in fine intaglio linework that concentrates both authority and technical complexity in a single visual anchor. At center, the Cayman Islands coat of arms is integrated into the denomination panel reading One Hundred Dollars, framed by layered ornamental scrollwork and marine motifs. The engraved signature of G. A. McCarthy appears beneath the central panel in his capacity as Chairman of the Cayman Islands Currency Board, placing this note firmly within the administrative phase of the 1996 series. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 Pesos Specimen Oval De La Rue Cancel Serie B Specimen No. 45 (Pick 40as)

This Serie B five hundred pesos specimen is distinguished by the deliberate restraint of its cancellation system. Identified as Specimen No. 45, it carries the completed design of the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay issue together with a single localized red oval SPECIMEN DE LA RUE CANCELLED stamp on the face. The absence of a large diagonal overprint allows the engraved composition to remain unusually open and visually intact. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 100 Pesos Specimen Perforated CANCELLED Serie A (Pick 39as)

Mechanical perforation provided a durable method of controlling reference currency while preserving the printed surface. Each opening forming the word CANCELLED passes through the sheet itself, leaving the surrounding engraving, typography, and color structure available for technical study. The method is integrated into the physical substance of the note and becomes part of its production history rather than an additional layer of printed ink. Read more →

Argentina 1869 - Banco Domingo Garbino, 1 Peso Fuerte Issued Note with Red Overprint (Pick S1802)

The large vertical red BANCO DOMINGO GARBINO overprint adds a second institutional layer to the already printed 1869 Oxandaburu y Garbino note. The underlying partnership identity remains visible beneath the overprint, allowing both stages of the note's history to be read directly from the same object. PMG likewise identifies Pick S1802 as an overprint on Argentina Pick S1791. Read more →

United States 1928C - Five Dollars Legal Tender Note Red Seal, Friedberg 1528, GA Block, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated

Within the broader context of United States Legal Tender Notes, the 1928C Five Dollars occupies a pivotal position. It reflects both continuity and reform: continuity in its Treasury obligation status and engraved artistry, and reform in its adoption of standardized small-size dimensions that would define American currency for generations. In high grade with original paper quality, it stands as a refined and historically grounded example of early twentieth-century United States monetary design. Read more →

Argentina 1869 - Banco Domingo Garbino, 5 Pesos Fuertes Issued Note with Red Overprint (Pick S1803)

The underlying note itself reads EL BANCO OXANDABURU Y GARBINO, preserving the corrected GARBINO spelling directly in the 1869 printed design. This connects the note with the earlier 1867 Oxandaburu y Garvino issues from Gualeguaychu, where Domingo Luis Garbino's surname appeared on the printed notes as GARVINO. The surviving notes therefore document a clear printed progression from GARVINO in the 1867 partnership issue to GARBINO in the 1869 series. Read more →

United States 1934 - 5 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, Cleveland District, DGS Mule (DA Block), Friedberg 1956-Dm, PMG 35 EPQ Choice Very Fine

The designation 'DGS Mule' refers to the combination of a 1934 face plate paired with a back design originally intended for a different signature configuration. Mule notes were not intentionally created as collectible varieties; rather, they resulted from the practical realities of plate usage and inventory management at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. As plate revisions and signature changes occurred, remaining stocks of engraved backs were sometimes matched with updated faces, producing distinctive crossover varieties now carefully cataloged by Friedberg. Read more →