Collection PL

Lower Canada 1837 - Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad - 15 Sous, Quarter Dollar, Half Dollar (Full Uncut Dual Series Sheet)

Issued on August 1, 1837, by the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad in Lower Canada, this uncut sheet represents one of the earliest surviving forms of transportation-issued currency in British North America. The Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad, the first railway constructed in the region, served as a critical commercial link between Montreal and the Richelieu River corridor, facilitating trade toward the United States and accelerating early industrial development. Read more →

South Africa 1828 - Cape of Good Hope Bank 5 Shillings Pre-Issue Sample (Pick S171p)

The Cape of Good Hope Bank occupies a unique position in South African monetary history. While earlier banking activity existed under Dutch East India Company administration, including the state-controlled Lombard Bank established in 1793, the Cape of Good Hope Bank was the first true private commercial bank in southern Africa. Its eventual opening in 1837 marked a decisive transition from state-issued colonial notes toward privately organized banking and credit formation within the Cape economy. 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. Read more →

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

This specimen note represents a distinct institutional handling variant of the one thousand pesos denomination of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939, during the mature phase of state-directed banking and currency policy in Uruguay. As the highest denomination issued within the national paper money system at the time, the 1000 pesos was reserved exclusively for interbank settlement, treasury accounting, and large-scale financial operations, and was never intended for routine public circulation. Read more →

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

Issued under the authority of the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay, this 1939 one thousand pesos specimen is an official reference example from Serie D, numbered Specimen No. 23. It records the completed appearance of one of the most imposing denominations in Uruguay's prewar paper currency system, preserved in specimen form for controlled administrative, banking, and archival use. 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)

This specimen note represents a further distinct institutional handling variant of the one thousand pesos denomination of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939. As the highest denomination issued within Uruguay’s paper currency system at the time, the 1000 pesos was reserved exclusively for interbank settlement, treasury accounting, and high-level financial administration, and was never intended for routine public circulation. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 500 Pesos Specimen, Perforated Cancel, Serie A (Pick 40as)

The obverse is organized around the commanding QUINIENTOS PESOS inscription, framed by elaborate architectural and ornamental elements. The title of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay occupies the upper field, giving the state name visual priority over the monetary promise below. Serie A appears with an all-zero serial arrangement, a conventional control format that preserves the appearance and spacing of the circulation numbering system while clearly separating the piece from issued currency. Read more →

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

The obverse design gives monumental treatment to the five hundred pesos denomination. QUINIENTOS PESOS occupies the center of an ornate composition formed from engraved frames, vertical architectural elements, fine geometric backgrounds, and repeated value devices. Above, the name of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay establishes the issuing authority, while Serie A and the paired zero serials reproduce the formal structure of an issued note in a securely neutralized form. Read more →

United States 1854 - Empire City Bank 100 Dollars Proof (Pick NY1585G16P)

This note represents a proof of the one hundred dollars denomination prepared for the Empire City Bank of New York during the final year of the institution’s operation. It was produced as part of the internal design approval and engraving review process and was never intended for public circulation. As such, it belongs to the documentary layer of American private banknote production rather than to issued or remainder currency. Read more →

United States 1838 - Olney, Alabama 25 Cents, 50 Cents, 1 Dollar Uncut Sheet Remainder

This uncut sheet represents a remainder issue of fractional and small denomination notes associated with Olney, Alabama, dated 1838. Comprising three vertically arranged designs of twenty five cents, fifty cents, and one dollar, the sheet was never placed into circulation and survives as a production remnant rather than an issued monetary instrument. With only remainders and a small number of falsely completed examples known, the original issuing authority of the Olney notes remains uncertain, and may not have existed as a formal banking institution. Read more →

Italy 1746 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Fixed-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

The sheet format preserves full margins and original plate context, confirming that the impression was never prepared for circulation or cutting. No serial numbers, handwritten entries, signatures, or issuance markings are present. This fixed-date back proof sheet therefore records a finalized control stage within the production process of the one hundred lire issue while remaining a non-issued proof artifact. Read more →

Italy 1765 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Front Proof, Final Face State (Pick Unlisted)

The engraving exhibits consistent line depth, finely articulated lettering, and fully populated ornamental borders throughout. The lower margin carries the engraved plate identifier P.2, confirming systematic plate-based production. No serial numbers, handwritten entries, or signatures are present, confirming proof status rather than issued currency. Read more →