Collection PL

Poland 1928 - Bank Polski 20 Zlotych Archival Watermarked Paper (Miłczak 67)

The planned 20 Zlotych design was significant for Polish banknote history because steel engraving, or staloryt, was used for the first time in Polish banknote production. The portrait of Marynia Połaniecka, after the graphic work of Piotr Stachiewicz, was executed as the central artistic feature of the note. On this sheet, that portrait survives in watermark form, translated into the paper itself as a multitone security image positioned in the unprinted field of the planned banknote.

Australia 1880–1910 - Commercial Bank of Australia £100 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Engraved by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London and printed locally by Sands & McDougall in Melbourne, the note embodies the cooperative evolution of Australian banknote production. Bradbury, Wilkinson supplied the master plates, security devices, and engraving framework, while Sands & McDougall executed local printing to supply the bank's circulation demands across Victoria and the wider Australian colonies. The imprint 'Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., Engravers, London' confirms its master-plate origin, while the local printer’s marks establish the dual-track production typical of the late colonial banking era.

New Zealand 1907–1926 - Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue Serial-Prefix Audit Specimen (Pick S194s)

The £20 denomination occupied the highest settlement tier within the BNZ system and was deliberately executed in a blue–slate color family reserved for upper-level clearing and interbank instruments. This chromatic choice followed Bradbury Wilkinson’s established BNZ color logic, progressing from £1 Green through £5 Red and £10 Brown to the subdued blue tones of the £20, visually signaling professional handling and high-value usage.

Australia 1877 - City of Melbourne Bank Limited £20 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The engraving is a characteristic example of Bradbury Wilkinson’s late Victorian security printing: a bold central title cartouche, finely balanced allegorical figures symbolizing commerce and navigation, and dense lathe-work designed to defeat contemporary counterfeiting. These elements were not decorative excess, but functional security features exported from London to colonial issuers seeking credibility and trust in rapidly expanding financial markets.