Collection PL

Italy 1781 - Regie Finanze di Torino 5 Scudi Front Proof Sheet (Pick Unlisted)

This 1781 five scudi front proof sheet must therefore be regarded as a museum-grade monetary artifact of the highest order. It documents the mechanics of early Italian state paper money production at the sheet level and preserves primary evidence of Savoyard fiscal practice in the pre-central-bank era. Read more →

Italy 1745 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Pre-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

The lower border carries the engraved plate identifier P.2, confirming production from plate number two and documenting systematic plate-based preparation. The sheet format preserves full margins and original plate context, confirming that the impression was never prepared for circulation or cutting. No serial numbers, handwritten entries, signatures, or issuance markings are present. Read more →

Italy 1746 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Back Proof, Fixed-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

Below the central emblem, a ribbon bearing the inscription Regie Finanze integrates the heraldic and textual elements into a unified fiscal authority statement. The lower margin of the design carries the engraved plate identifier P.2, confirming production from plate number two and documenting systematic plate-based preparation rather than decorative or commemorative printing. Read more →

Italy 1765 - Regie Finanze di Torino - 100 Lire Front Proof, Final Face State (Pick Unlisted)

The sheet format preserves full margins and original plate context, confirming that the impression was never prepared for circulation or cutting. This front proof sheet records the finalized face design of the one hundred lire issue as prepared for state use while remaining a non-issued proof artifact. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1970 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Unissued Back Photographic Proof

The Cayman Islands Currency Board operated within a conservative monetary framework characteristic of British Caribbean administration, where visual restraint, symmetry, and institutional clarity were prioritized in currency design. Within this system, back designs were not decorative afterthoughts but formal security surfaces, intended to reinforce legitimacy through structured ornamentation, controlled repetition, and disciplined use of negative space. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Issued Note (Pick 5e)

Certified PMG 67 Exceptional Paper Quality, this example represents a production-fresh survivor of a note intended for heavy transactional use. The grade is not simply cosmetic in this context. It preserves the original surface character of De La Rue’s printing, including crisp line definition in the portrait field, strong clarity in the coat of arms engraving, and clean contrast in the reverse vignette areas where coral and fish textures can soften quickly under circulation handling. In short, this piece functions both as a circulating monetary instrument and as a reference-quality example of Cayman Islands Currency Board design under the chairmanship of A. Jefferson during the later printing phase of the 1974 series. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Issued Note (Pick 5d)

Certified PMG 68 Exceptional Paper Quality, this example represents the highest graded level recorded for this type, with no examples graded higher. The Top Pop designation is not incidental: it preserves the original sharpness of the engraved lines, exceptional paper surface integrity, and full design contrast on both faces. As such, this note stands as a reference-quality survivor of a common circulation issue, distinguished not by rarity but by technical preservation and its association with the Jefferson-signed printing phase of the Cayman Islands one dollar series. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Specimen with Red Overprint (Pick 5as)

The obverse preserves the complete finalized production design of the issued one dollar note. An engraved portrait of Queen Elizabeth the Second occupies the right side within a dense field of fine-line security engraving, while the central denomination panel incorporates the Cayman Islands coat of arms and the inscription One Dollar. Beneath this panel appears the engraved signature of V. G. Johnson, serving as Chairman of the Cayman Islands Currency Board at the time this specimen was prepared. The serial format consists of an all-zero number sequence with prefix A/3, a configuration reserved exclusively for specimen handling and never used on circulating notes. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' (Pick 5as)

Certified PMG 65 Exceptional Paper Quality, this specimen retains strong paper integrity and clear print surfaces. Its significance lies not in grade or market classification, but in its documentation of the final control stage applied to Cayman Islands Currency Board specimen material under the Johnson-signed phase of the one dollar series, preserving direct evidence of late twentieth-century security printing and archival practices. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 5bs)

The reverse continues the series’ marine-themed design language, featuring a reef vignette composed of coral formations and a prominent fish. Dense organic linework provides both aesthetic depth and anti-counterfeiting complexity, mirroring the issued series while remaining clearly segregated as specimen material through overprint, stamps, serial control, and punch cancellation. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' (Pick 5bs)

This specimen note represents the one dollar denomination prepared for the Cayman Islands Currency Board under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974 and was printed by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited, with the PMG label attributing the production to a not dated 1985 printing. The note was never intended for circulation and instead represents a terminal archival control state retained for record and security reference purposes. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 1 Dollar Specimen with Red Overprint (Pick 5s)

Certified PMG 65 Exceptional Paper Quality, this specimen preserves strong paper integrity and crisp printing. Its significance lies in documenting the baseline De La Rue presentation specimen format used for Cayman Islands Currency Board notes during the Jefferson-signed phase of the one dollar series, prior to the application of additional control stamps or terminal perforated invalidation methods. Read more →