Collection PL

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

The 50 Dollars design is the most imposing of the three known denomination specimens. Its rose and pink tonal structure gives the sheet a strong high-value identity, while the darker engraved border, corner denomination tablets, and layered security background create the visual weight expected of a top denomination. The central Australia map motif, circular "C.B.C." medallion, and large scripted amount line connect it directly to the broader series, but the 50 Dollars proof carries a richer and more formal presence than the lower values. The result is a highly finished presentation-stage security design, combining corporate cheque clarity with Bradbury Wilkinson and Company's late intaglio craftsmanship. Read more →

Australia 1961 - Bank of New South Wales Sterling Travellers Cheques, Complete Printer’s Proof Set £2-£50 (Pick Unlisted)

Each sheet displays the finished engraved face design adopted by the Bank of New South Wales for its early-1960s traveller’s cheque issue. The layouts feature multitone intaglio guilloche backgrounds, denomination tablets at the corners, a central payable text panel, and the London address of the issuing bank at 29 Threadneedle Street. All five sheets are printed on high rag-content proof paper, showing clear plate bite and fibre structure under angled light. Read more →

Argentina 1876 - Banco de San Juan 1 Peso Fuerte Condor Vignette (Bradbury Wilkinson and Company)

Vignette dies formed an important part of nineteenth-century security-printing production. Individual pictorial elements were engraved and proofed separately, allowing the printer to examine line quality, tonal depth, detail and overall appearance before combining them with borders, lettering, denomination devices and other elements of the finished banknote. This proof therefore documents an intermediate stage between the original engraving work and the completed Banco de San Juan note. Read more →

Argentina 1876 - Banco de San Juan 5 Pesos Fuertes Specimen (S1881s)

The engraving reflects Bradbury Wilkinson’s mature export style for Latin American provincial banks. At center, a classical female allegory embodies republican ideals and stability; flanking vignettes incorporate native fauna and the provincial coat of arms, asserting regional identity within a federal framework. Dense lathe-work borders, layered guilloché fields, and crisp intaglio linework demonstrate security printing standards far beyond the capacity of local printers, reinforcing confidence in paper money issued far from the capital. Read more →

Argentina 1876 - Banco de San Juan 5 Pesos Fuertes Central Portrait Vignette (Bradbury Wilkinson and Company)

Vignette die proofs were produced so that individual engraved elements could be examined independently before being combined with borders, lettering, denomination devices, emblems and other features of the finished note. This example shows the portrait in its standalone production form, without the surrounding framework later used on the completed 5 Pesos Fuertes design. Read more →

Portugal 1799 - Real Erario 20000 Reis Apólice, Original Issue, No Overprint, Lisboa No. 37723

The apolices were printed by intaglio, with most production carried out at the Mint using paper supplied by the Alenquer paper factory. Notes were cut from sheets with a counterfoil retained in the register. The serial number linked each issued piece to its corresponding record, providing a means of comparison and control. The 1797-1799 issue generally used laid paper, whose visible lines came from the handmade papermaking process. Watermarks could identify the paper mill that made a sheet. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Perforated Cancel, Series A–B (Pick 41as)

The obverse design presents an engraved portrait of José Gervasio Artigas, Uruguay’s foundational national figure, rendered within an ornate architectural framework characteristic of Thomas De La Rue and Company’s late-interwar intaglio production. The denomination MIL PESOS dominates the central cartouche, emphasizing the note’s position at the apex of the denomination hierarchy. This example belongs to the Series A–B grouping and bears a controlled all-zero serial format, consistent with non-circulating specimen preparation. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie D, Specimen No. 23 (Pick 41cs)

Red specimen markings are repeated across the reverse, including the diagonal SPECIMEN inscription and oval control stamps positioned at the left and lower right. Their placement creates a complete two-sided cancellation system, confirming that the entire finished note was retained and distributed as a specimen reference rather than merely represented by a single printed face. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie C, Specimen No. 2 (Pick 41bs)

The Serie C designation appears on both sides of the obverse, separating this variety from the related Serie D specimen form. Architectural side panels, the national arms, repeated denomination numerals, fine geometric backgrounds, and ornamental borders create a tightly organized composition around the portrait and central value. The large unprinted oval at left accommodates the Artigas watermark and balances the engraved portrait on the opposite side. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, De La Rue Cancel Stamp, Serie A, Specimen No. 50 (Pick 41as)

The obverse design features the engraved portrait of José Gervasio Artigas, Uruguay’s foundational national figure, executed within an ornate architectural framework characteristic of Thomas De La Rue and Company’s late-interwar intaglio production. The denomination MIL PESOS dominates the central cartouche, underscoring the note’s position at the apex of the denomination hierarchy. This example belongs to the Series A–B grouping and bears a controlled all-zero serial format, accompanied by the printed designation SPECIMEN No. 50 at the lower left margin, confirming its place within a numbered specimen sequence. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie A, Specimen No. 29 (Pick 40as)

The portrait vignette at right is modeled through dense intaglio linework and placed against imagery associated with industry and economic activity. It forms the human center of the design, while the watermark area at left provides an open counterweight within the otherwise heavily engraved surface. This balance between portraiture, unprinted paper, monumental typography, and ornamental security work is characteristic of Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited's high-denomination designs of the period. Read more →

Italy 1781 - Regie Finanze di Torino 5 Scudi Front Proof Sheet (Pick Unlisted)

This sheet contains two impressions of the five scudi front design produced from plates one and two and printed under full intaglio pressure on official paper stock. Plate identifiers are present within the design, confirming systematic plate-based production rather than decorative or commemorative printing. The impressions exhibit deep plate bite visible from the verso, consistent with working proof material. Read more →