Collection PL

Great Britain 1923 - Thomas Cook & Son Travellers Cheque 100 Rupees Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

The lower panel separates payment terms by location. Within the Indian Empire, the cheque was payable at its stated value of one hundred rupees. In other countries, payment was made at the applicable exchange rate used for sight drafts on London. This wording places the instrument directly within Thomas Cook's international settlement network, linking rupee payments in India with London-based financial exchange. 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 →

Italy 1869 - Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company Portrait of Man for Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Design Intaglio Vignette

The imprint of Bradbury Wilkinson and Company, Engravers, London, confirms its origin within one of the most important security printing firms of the period. Their involvement underscores the reliance of continental European financial institutions on British engraving expertise during the early development of modern banking systems. Read more →

Australia 1939 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 Travellers Cheque Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Produced during the late interwar period when secure portable payment instruments were vital for travel within the British Empire, this proof reflects the evolution of Australian financial printing in collaboration with Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London. The fine typographic composition, deep guilloche background, and continuous ‘BRADBURY WILKINSON AND COMPANY LIMITED’ underprint confirm its master plate origin. Read more →

East Caribbean States 2019 - Central Bank 10 Dollars (Pick Unlisted)

Issued 10 Dollars note from the East Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), dated 2019 and printed on polymer substrate by De La Rue. Read more →

Brazil 1963 - 1000 Cruzeiros Specimen, (Pick 181s)

Specimen of the 1000 Cruzeiros printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, bearing red SPECIMEN overprint, punch cancellations, and De La Rue’s oval control marks. The note is labeled Estampa 2A / Série 791A with zero serials, confirming its archival or approval status rather than an issued piece. Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 - 100 Francs Archival Gridlines Calibration Specimen Serial D170001 (Pick 56s)

Archival calibration specimen of the 1970 one hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced during the Belgian Luxembourg Economic Union period and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London. Unlike standard specimen notes bearing placeholder serials, this example carries a live production-format serial number D170001, linking it directly to an active print batch within the manufacturing process. Read more →

Mauritius 1940 - Government of Mauritius 1 Rupee Uncut Pair Remainder (Pick 26r1)

Remainders document the production stage between plate approval and issued stock. They were never signed or released and typically survive with cancellations that prevent later misuse. On this pair the inks remain strong, margins are even, and alignment between the two impressions shows tight register consistent with London-era colonial contract work. The four punch cancellations additionally preserve evidence of the control procedure applied to material that remained outside normal currency circulation. Read more →

New Zealand 1934 - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Photographic Face Proof (Pick 154p)

The note belongs to the inaugural Reserve Bank series commonly known as the "Lefeaux series", named for Leslie Lefeaux, the institution’s first Governor. Prior to 1934 New Zealand’s paper money had been issued by private trading banks. The establishment of the Reserve Bank introduced a unified national currency system, and the new banknotes were commissioned from Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited in London, one of the world’s leading security printers. Read more →

New Zealand 1934 - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Issued Note (Pick 154)

This inaugural series is widely known as the "Lefeaux series", named after Leslie Lefeaux, the first Governor of the Reserve Bank whose printed signature appears on the notes. The series was designed and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited of London, whose engravers produced some of the most refined banknote artwork of the interwar period. Read more →

Poland 1919 - Bank Polski 100 Zlotych Serial S.B. 5482263 Issued Note (Pick 57)

The notes were printed in London by Waterlow & Sons Limited and held in reserve while the Polish marka remained the circulating currency. This 1919-dated issue entered circulation on 28 April 1924, when the new zloty was introduced and Bank Polski began operations as the central issuing institution. The delayed release connects the note directly with both the restoration of Polish independence and the stabilization of the national currency after the marka hyperinflation. Read more →

Poland 1919 - 1000 Zlotych Unissued Note (Pick 59a)

The 1000 zlotych of the 1919 reform series, printed by Waterlow & Sons in London, is one of the largest and most ornate denominations prepared for the new złoty. Intended as part of the first złoty issue of the Second Republic, it was never officially released into circulation in 1924 due to its very high value. Some researchers suggest that a portion of the stock may have been used informally during the September Campaign of 1939 to pay Polish military officers, though no formal documentation confirms this. Read more →