Collection PL

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Without Overprints Approval Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The face preserves the complete 50 Zlotych design prepared for the National Bank of Poland, with the portrait of King Casimir III the Great, the Polish eagle, the denomination PIĘĆDZIESIĄT ZŁOTYCH, the large 50 value device at left, the National Bank of Poland title, and the Warsaw date of 25 March 1994. The printed signatures are those of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, President of the National Bank of Poland, and Wieslaw Biernatowicz, Chief Treasurer. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix with Red Overprint and Oval Stamp Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The lower tracking panel carries De La Rue specimen-control number 005, linking the note to the printer's internal specimen-control system. Together with the AR prefix and zero serial, it provides a clear production identity for this specific specimen form. Read more →

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The face preserves the complete 50 Zlotych design prepared for the National Bank of Poland, with the portrait of King Casimir III the Great, the Polish eagle, the denomination PIĘĆDZIESIĄT ZŁOTYCH, the large 50 value device at left, the National Bank of Poland title, the Warsaw date of 25 March 1994, and the printed signatures of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Wieslaw Biernatowicz. Read more →

Egypt 1943 - Cyril IX Moghabghab, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch (Signed Patriarchal Letter, Alexandria)

The central body of the letter records concrete political action already taken by the Patriarch. Cyril IX states that on the previous day, he dispatched a detailed directive to Metropolitan Maximos Sayegh of Beirut-later the famous Patriarch Maximos IV-ordering him to intervene with Lebanese authorities and foreign diplomatic channels to support Hajjar’s nomination. Three additional ecclesiastical deputies were also instructed to advocate on Hajjar’s behalf. Cyril IX further promises that once the new Lebanese President has been elected, he will write directly and insistently to the President with renewed support, employing every available ecclesiastical and diplomatic means to secure a favorable outcome. Read more →

Italy 1871–1872 - Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire Specimen (Pick S976s)

Rarity research places this specimen in the highest tier of European banknote scarcity. PMG lists exactly one graded example-this note-and no additional pieces have surfaced in major auctions, museum digitizations, or literature beyond isolated mentions in nineteenth-century trade records. In the absence of any documented issued notes and with no other certified specimens known, Pick S976s firmly qualifies within the R9 tier of extreme rarity. Read more →

Uruguay 1872 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 100 Pesos = 10 Doblones Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The face design is dominated by a central allegorical female figure bearing a flag and shield, symbolizing sovereignty and national resolve. Surrounding vignettes incorporate emblems of commerce, agriculture, and native fauna, reinforcing the intended message of economic stability and national identity. The denomination is stated both as paper currency and as a gold equivalent, an unusually explicit declaration that reflects Uruguay’s short-lived attempt to restore confidence through a formal gold linkage. Read more →

Paraguay 1907 - 100 Pesos with 1912 Dual-Side State and Treasury Revalidation Overprint Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Among recorded Paraguayan emergency issues, the dual-side state and treasury revalidation format is virtually in a class of its own. It is not simply another overprint variety. It is a surviving document of how Paraguay attempted to defend official monetary credibility at a moment when ordinary paper value, legal value, and gold-referenced value were no longer the same thing in practice. The second overprint is therefore the key historical feature: it confirms that this note was not only reissued, but reviewed, fiscalized, and tied back to the higher official “Diez Pesos Oro Sellado” standard. As a Pick-unlisted specimen, base Pick 159, and R9 Extremely Rare survivor, it stands as a museum-grade crown piece of Paraguayan emergency paper money. Read more →

China 1880 - Sinkiang Textile Emergency Currency Cloth Note (Pick Unlisted)

The use of textile as a monetary substrate is not symbolic but functional. In western China during the late nineteenth century, cloth was durable, locally available, and resistant to the environmental conditions that rapidly degraded paper. Its fibrous structure absorbed pigment deeply, making hand-applied ink and overprints difficult to erase or alter. These characteristics made cloth suitable for emergency currency in regions far removed from centralized minting and printing facilities. Read more →

China 1915 - South Sinkiang Border Defence Headquarters 1 Tael Textile Emergency Issue (Pick Unlisted)

At present, only one example of this specific 1 tael textile issue is documented. There are no confirmed specimens recorded in the holdings of the British Museum, the American Numismatic Society, the Smithsonian Institution, or major Chinese public collections. No repeat auction appearances or archival groupings are known. On the basis of observable, verifiable evidence alone, the issue qualifies as R9 - unique. Read more →

China 1918 - Xinjiang Textile Emergency Currency Printed on Red Cloth, Local Authority Issue (Pick Unlisted)

No catalog listing, institutional reference, or documented parallel example corresponding to this specific textile type is known. Based on observable evidence, this note is treated as a single known example at present and classified as R9 under the collection’s evidence-based system. Read more →

China 1920 - Xinjiang Textile Emergency Currency Printed on Red Cloth, Local Authority Issue (Pick Unlisted)

The note was issued as functional money, not as symbolic or ceremonial material. Textile currency of this type was intended for everyday transactions, provisioning, and local settlement in environments where paper currency was unavailable or impractical. Once monetary conditions stabilized, such notes were typically withdrawn and destroyed, resulting in extremely low survival rates. Read more →

China 1921 - Xinjiang Textile Emergency Currency Printed on Red Cloth with Sun Emblem (Pick Unlisted)

While the lower wave-pattern band remains consistent with regional decorative practice, the presence of the sun motif distinguishes this issue from the 1918 local textile type. Calligraphy appears more compact and evenly structured, with darker and more uniform ink saturation, indicating a later phase of block cutting and workshop execution within the same non-centralized production environment. Read more →