Collection PL

Martinique 1870 - Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Unissued Cheque (Pick P.5A)

An unissued cheque for one franc prepared for the Banque de la Martinique and intended for use at Saint-Pierre, dating from the early period of organized colonial banking on the island. Classified as Pick P.5A, this form represents a non-circulating banking instrument rather than a circulating banknote, designed for internal settlement, account debiting, and controlled monetary transfers within the colonial financial system. Read more →

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

The physical condition of the cheque further supports its recovery narrative. The paper exhibits uniform toning, softened fibers, and surface wear consistent with exposure to heat, ash, moisture, and handling in a post-disaster environment. Folding patterns and overall texture differ markedly from pristine unissued examples, aligning instead with an object that survived a catastrophic event rather than archival storage. Read more →

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

Issued in Lisboa in 1799 under the authority of the Real Erario, this 20,000-reis apolice is a Portuguese royal-era public debt instrument payable to bearer. It represents state-backed debt from a period of administrative continuity in late eighteenth-century Portugal, before the political and fiscal disruptions of the nineteenth century. Read more →

United States 1933 - Any City, U.S.A. 5 Dollars City and County Scrip Specimen (Generic Municipal Master Form)

This specimen represents a generic City and County municipal scrip master form, dated Series of 1933 and denominated Five Dollars, produced during the most acute phase of the Great Depression. Explicitly designated for use by ANY CITY, U.S.A., the instrument was not issued by a specific municipality but instead functioned as a standardized template intended for rapid adoption by multiple cities and counties facing severe liquidity collapse. Read more →

United States 1934 - New Jersey 10 Dollars County of Atlantic School Scrip Specimen (November 1 Issue)

This specimen represents an official county-level school tax scrip issued by the County of Atlantic, New Jersey, dated November 1, 1934, and denominated Ten Dollars. It belongs to a category of legally authorized educational finance instruments created during the Great Depression, when counties were confronted with the collapse of normal revenue flows and were forced to adopt extraordinary measures to sustain public schooling. Read more →

United States 1933 - New Jersey 5 Dollars Borough of Palmyra Municipal Scrip Specimen (General Obligation)

This specimen represents an official municipal scrip issued by the Borough of Palmyra, Burlington County, New Jersey, Series of 1933, and denominated Five Dollars. It originates from the most acute phase of the Great Depression, when local governments faced severe liquidity shortages and were compelled to issue interest-bearing scrip to meet ordinary municipal obligations in the absence of sufficient circulating cash. Read more →

United States 1935 - New Jersey 1 Dollar Borough of Palmyra Municipal Scrip Specimen (General Obligation)

This specimen represents an official municipal scrip issued by the Borough of Palmyra, Burlington County, New Jersey, Series of 1935, and denominated One Dollar. It belongs to the later phase of Depression-era local finance, when smaller municipalities continued to rely on interest-bearing scrip to manage routine obligations amid prolonged economic strain and uneven recovery. Read more →

United States 1934 - New Jersey 1 Dollar City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

This specimen represents an official municipal tax anticipation note issued by the City of Asbury Park, New Jersey, dated March 31, 1934, and denominated One Dollar. Explicitly titled TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE OF 1934 and further identified on the design as a RECOVERY BOND, the instrument forms part of a structured municipal financing program implemented during the depth of the Great Depression, when local governments faced severe cash shortages and unstable revenue collection. Read more →

United States 1934 - New Jersey 5 Dollars City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

This specimen represents an official municipal tax anticipation note issued by the City of Asbury Park, New Jersey, dated March 31, 1934, and denominated Five Dollars. Explicitly titled TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE OF 1934 and prominently labeled RECOVERY BOND, the instrument forms part of a coordinated municipal financing program implemented during the most severe phase of the Great Depression, when local governments faced acute revenue shortfalls and escalating insolvency risk. Read more →

United States 1934 - New Jersey 10 Dollars City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

This specimen represents an official municipal tax anticipation note issued by the City of Asbury Park, New Jersey, dated March 31, 1934, and denominated Ten Dollars. Explicitly titled TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE OF 1934 and further identified on the design as a RECOVERY BOND, the instrument belongs to a class of short-term municipal obligations created during the most acute phase of the Great Depression, when local governments faced severe cash shortages and collapsing revenue streams. Read more →

United States 1933 - State of Delaware 50 Cents Tax Paid on Half Barrel of Beer Uncut Specimen Strip of Five

This specimen strip represents an official State of Delaware excise tax stamp issued in 1933 for beer, explicitly designated TAX PAID ON HALF BARREL OF BEER and denominated Fifty Cents. It originates from the earliest phase of state-level alcohol regulation following the repeal of national Prohibition, when individual states were forced to reconstruct taxation, licensing, and enforcement systems that had been dormant or dismantled for more than a decade. Read more →

United States 1844 - Bank of Florida - Tallahassee 4 Dollars, State Bank Note, Final Revival Issue, FL-65-G26

This four dollar state bank note was issued by the Bank of Florida in Tallahassee on February 1, 1844, during the institution’s second and final operational phase. This emission belongs exclusively to the bank’s failed revival following its earlier suspension after the Panic of 1837 and must be distinguished from notes of its original operating period. The revived charter represented a last attempt to restore banking activity in Florida Territory under severely constrained financial conditions, including weak capitalization, limited specie reserves, and diminished public confidence. Read more →