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 →

Argentina 1867 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 4 Reales Plata Boliviana Proof (Pick S1734p)

Produced in classic 19th-century proof format, the note displays wide margins, crisp engraving lines, and lacks signatures or serial numbers, confirming its archival status rather than an issued example. Such proofs were retained by the printer or provided to the client bank for approval before mass production. The craftsmanship demonstrates the influence of the American Bank Note Company’s New York studio, which was instrumental in introducing advanced intaglio printing and anti-counterfeiting design to South America. Read more →

Bolivia 1903 - Banco Agricola 5 Bolivianos Front Progressive Proof and Back Proof Pair (Pick S102pp1, S102p2)

Matched printer's proof pair for the Banco Agricola 5 Bolivianos issue of 1903, produced by the American Bank Note Company. The pair preserves both sides of the design at the production stage: a front progressive proof and a separate back proof, together documenting the complete visual program prepared for the denomination. Read more →

Poland 1936 - 50 Zlotych Reverse Progressive Proof (Pick 78pp2)

At this stage of production, only the reverse imagery was printed, using the offset process in pale orange and light-green tones - the same colors later used for the final issue. The PWPW’s documentation and surviving trial sheets show that each printing form measured roughly 557 × 515 mm and contained twelve notes arranged in three rows of four. Serial numbers were impressed before intaglio printing, a practice unique to PWPW at the time, ensuring registration precision. Proofs like this one were pulled to inspect ink density, alignment, and tonal layering prior to the application of engraving and security features. Read more →

Paraguay 1907 - Banco de la República 100 Pesos Issued Note (Pick 159)

Issued 1907 Banco de la República 100 Pesos note, cataloged as Pick 159 and printed by Waterlow & Sons, London. This is the original, non-overprinted base type from which the later 1912 emergency state issues were created. In its pure issued form, without the later “Emisión del Estado” overprint or the additional Treasury fiscal validation seen on rarer revalidated examples, the note preserves the full Waterlow design as it was intended before Paraguay’s monetary emergency transformed surviving stocks into provisional state currency. Read more →

Brazil 2010 - Banco Central 5 Reais (Pick 253d)

The Segunda Família do Real combined traditional intaglio printing with offset background tints, embedded threads, and microprinting-technologies representing Brazil’s domestic mastery of high-security production after decades of reliance on foreign printers. The updated layout also reaffirmed national symbolism through consistent use of the Republica allegory, balancing continuity with innovation. 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 →

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

Each note bears the inscription ESTAMPA 1A and serials specific to the 796A series, here numbered 074019. ABNC’s intaglio printing delivers crisp linework, micro-lathe engraving, and a subtle two-tone palette that became a hallmark of mid-century Brazilian design. The denomination’s typography and border symmetry demonstrate the fusion of European neoclassical balance with Latin American flourish. Read more →

Ireland - Northern 2005 - Northern Bank £50 Issued Note NR131 (Pick 208)

Issued on 11 January 2005, the note restored public confidence and re-established Northern Bank’s reputation. Its features include raised intaglio printing, microtext, color-shifting ink on the denomination, and latent imagery derived from the bank’s industrial heritage-Davidson’s portrait at right and his Sirocco Works turbine machinery at left. The purple and copper palette intentionally departed from the 2004 issue to ensure visual distinction. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 50 Pesos Serie C Specimen, Specimen No. 9 (Pick 38bs)

Issued by the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay, this 1939 fifty pesos specimen preserves the completed Serie C form of one of the most visually distinctive denominations in Uruguay's interwar monetary program. Printed by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited, the note carries all-zero serial numbers, the separately assigned designation Specimen No. 9, a diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint, and oval printer control stamps that establish its official reference status. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 (1967 Authorization) - Banco Central del Uruguay 50 Pesos Serie D Specimen, Specimen No. 2 (Pick 42As)

Issued under the authority of the Banco Central del Uruguay, this fifty pesos specimen preserves the established 1939 design in the form authorized for use following the creation of Uruguay's new central banking institution in 1967. Printed by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited, the note carries the Serie D designation, all-zero serial numbers, the separately printed designation Specimen No. 2, a diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint, and oval printer control stamps applied across the completed design. Read more →

Italy 1871 - Germania with Shield and Spear Vignette Die Proof Used on 500 Lire (Pick PS977)

Vignette proofs such as this were printed directly from the engraved steel die during the approval phase of banknote production. At this stage the printer and issuing bank evaluated the engraving quality, tonal balance, and compositional stability of the central image before transferring the design to working printing plates. Because the proof is taken directly from the die, it preserves the engraving in its pure form, without color layers, guilloche backgrounds, or additional plate elements that would appear in the completed banknote. Read more →