Collection PL

Macau 1937 - Foo Hang Bank 10 Patacas Archival Printer Proof Compound Sheet (Pick S105)

Foo Hang Bank operated in Macau during a period when the territory functioned as a distinct monetary and commercial enclave within southern China. As a Portuguese-administered port with deep ties to regional trade networks, Macau maintained a semi-autonomous banking environment in which local institutions issued currency tailored to cross-border commerce, silver settlement, and regional circulation needs. Banknotes produced for Macau in the interwar period reflect this hybrid monetary reality, combining Chinese commercial practice with colonial administrative oversight. Read more →

China 1945 - Soviet Red Army Headquarters 100 Yuan Issued Note, Revalidated 1946 (Pick M36)

In 1946, official revalidation measures were applied to extend the legal usability of existing notes during the transition from wartime military administration to post-war political realignment. Revalidated examples document an additional phase of circulation, reflecting the continued reliance on command-issued currency while new monetary structures were being consolidated. Read more →

New Caledonia 1871 - French Treasury Second of Exchange for 2,000 Francs (Service des Colonies)

No other examples of this 1871 New Caledonia second of exchange in the denomination of 2,000 francs are currently documented. On the basis of observable and verifiable evidence alone, this instrument is treated as a one-on-one survivor and classified as R9. Read more →

Poland 1994 - Narodowy Bank Polski Complete Five-Denomination Series WZÓR Number 010 Specimen Set

The matching WZÓR No. 010 is the defining feature of the set. It links all five denominations into a single matching-number group and records an exceptionally early stage in the National Bank of Poland's specimen-numbering system for the new series. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 10 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 173s)

The reverse continues the Mieszko I theme through motifs connected with the origins of the Polish state. The note preserves the complete design and security structure of the 10 Zlotych issue, including guilloche work, denomination panels, and the Mieszko I watermark. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 20 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 174s)

The AA0000000 serial identifies the specimen format of this issue. WZÓR No. 010 is the numbered specimen designation used within the National Bank of Poland system and is shared by all five denominations in the matching set preserved in this collection. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 175s)

WZÓR No. 010 identifies this specific reference example within the National Bank of Poland specimen-numbering system. The same number is preserved across all five denominations in the matching WZÓR 010 set held in this collection, while AA0000000 provides the corresponding specimen serial format. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 100 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 176s)

The banknote was designed by Andrzej Heidrich and printed by Thomas De La Rue in London for the National Bank of Poland. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 200 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 177s)

A WZÓR specimen banknote of the 200 Zlotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, prepared for the National Bank of Poland. The note bears serial number AA0000000 and the very low Polish specimen designation WZÓR No. 010. Read more →

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

As a surviving unissued example, this cheque serves as a documentary artifact of colonial banking mechanics rather than a monetary substitute. Pick P.5A is infrequently encountered, and examples in fully unused condition are especially scarce. The piece occupies a specialized niche within French colonial numismatics, valued for its institutional context, documentary clarity, and direct association with Martinique’s pre-1902 financial history. Read more →

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

This cheque therefore occupies a dual identity: it is both a nineteenth-century colonial banking instrument and a primary disaster relic from one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. Its significance lies not in monetary function but in documentary survival, direct event association, and contemporaneous human testimony preserved in ink. Within French colonial numismatics and disaster-related financial ephemera, this example stands as a museum-grade reference piece whose historical value is inseparable from its catastrophic provenance. Read more →

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

At the same time, the instrument was not structured like a modern discount Treasury bill. The face expressly promises payment of the stated principal together with "Com o Seu Competente juro" - with the corresponding interest. The holder therefore possessed an interest-bearing public debt obligation issued by the Real Erario. In its historical Portuguese context, the term apolice identified this kind of state debt instrument, which is why it is properly described as a treasury bond or public debt bond despite its unusually short one-year maturity. Read more →