Collection PL

Argentina 1881 - Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro Proof (Pick S536fp)

Superb proof engraving prepared by the American Bank Note Company for the Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, dated 19 de Enero de 1883. The design features an equestrian vignette at center symbolizing progress and vitality, flanked by portraits of Florencio Varela and Valentín Alsina, two influential figures in Argentina’s political and intellectual life. Printed directly from ABNC master plates in black ink on thin India paper and mounted on card stock, this piece confirms its pre-issue proof status. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1904 - Thomas Cook & Son $50 Circular Note Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

A photographic proof of the 50 Dollars Circular Note produced for Thomas Cook and Son circa 1904, representing a pre-issue production artifact created during the final design and approval phase of one of the earliest globally recognized private payment instruments. This proof predates finished circulation notes and preserves the engraved face as prepared for reproduction rather than for direct financial use. These instruments are directly related to what later became known as Travellers Cheque and Travelers Check systems and are often collected within the same category of early international payment instruments. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1922 - Thomas Cook and Son 5 Pounds Travellers Cheque Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of the 5 Pounds Travellers Cheque prepared for Thomas Cook and Son in the early 1920s, produced during the post First World War consolidation phase of the firm's international payment system. Mounted on cardstock and preserved as a production-stage reference image, this proof records the engraved face before the finalized specimen form was printed for presentation and control use. By the early 1920s, Thomas Cook and Son had established one of the most extensive private financial networks in the world. ... Read more →

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

A photographic proof of the 100 Rupees Travellers Cheque produced by Thomas Cook & Son circa 1923, created as part of the design verification and internal approval process for the firm’s rupee-denominated instruments intended for use across British India and associated territories. This proof represents a distinct production-stage artifact documenting the engraved face prior to finalized cheque issuance. By the early 1920s, Thomas Cook & Son had fully transitioned from a travel agency into a global financial intermediary, operating one of the most extensive private payment networks in the world. ... Read more →

Scotland 1962 - National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited 5 Pounds Photographic Back Proof, Edinburgh Castle Design (Pick Unlisted)

This 1962 National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited 5 Pounds photographic back proof preserves the Edinburgh Castle reverse design that belongs to the visual development of the bank's early 1960s 5 Pounds issue. The proof is cataloged here as Pick Unlisted and stands as a separate production artifact for the reverse side of the design, centered on Scotland's capital rather than on the legal and textual structure of the face. The composition is built around Edinburgh Castle and the surrounding city architecture, with the fortress rising above the neoclassical buildings and urban landscape below. ... Read more →

Scotland 1962 - National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited 5 Pounds Photographic Back Proof, Landscape Design (Pick Unlisted)

This 1962 National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited 5 Pounds photographic back proof preserves a separate landscape reverse concept from the same design period. Cataloged here as Pick Unlisted, it records a proposed scenic direction for the bank's 5 Pounds reverse, with the design organized around countryside, water, trees, distant hills, and open Scottish terrain. The image has a very different character from the Edinburgh Castle reverse. ... Read more →