Collection PL

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

R9 Extremely Rare. Archival watermark sheets for the unissued 1928 Bank Polski 20 Zlotych are known in only a handful of examples, all connected to the Thomas De La Rue archival group. This piece is museum-grade production evidence for the paper, watermark, portrait preparation, and security-printing ambition behind one of the rarest twentieth-century Polish banknote projects. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Specimen No. 017 with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 6s)

The specimen state is defined by a layered De La Rue control protocol. A bold red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint spans the face, and two red oval control stamps reading “SPECIMEN / DE LA RUE / NO VALUE” are applied in the classic De La Rue format used to mark specimen material that had to remain visually legible while being permanently non-monetary. A further physical voiding measure is present as a single punch cancellation in the signature area, an additional safeguard that disables monetary function without obscuring the engraved design. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' (Pick 6s, 467/1–A2)

This example must be catalogued separately from its parallel A1 counterpart because its archival control notation differs. In the upper right margin the printer job notation reads “467/1–A2.” Along the lower margin the inscription reads “C.T. Wood 12.10.89 see notes on order form.” Within printer-archive material, such suffix differences are not minor: they represent distinct internal states, filing or review designations, and handling history. In a field where the engraved design is intentionally stable, these notations become the primary fingerprints of the object. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' (Pick 6s, 467/1–A1)

The reverse retains the marine engraving of a sailing vessel within a structured coastal composition. Even in a non-monetary specimen state, the design reflects De La Rue’s security-printing logic: layered line textures, controlled negative space, and structured ornamental framing that balance recognizability with engraving complexity. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Specimen No. 010 with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 6s)

Certified PMG 67 Exceptional Paper Quality under certification number 2203025-059, this specimen is currently Top Population at this grade level with none graded higher. Beyond grading hierarchy, its importance lies in preserving a complete reference impression of the five dollar design while documenting the precise invalidation and control measures used by Thomas De La Rue to segregate specimen material from live currency. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1970 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Unissued Back Photographic Proof

As a design-stage survival, this photographic proof records an otherwise undocumented moment in the development of Cayman Islands higher-denomination currency. No issued five dollars note corresponds directly to this specific back proof format, and no institutional archival duplicates are recorded. The object therefore stands as a discrete documentary artifact of Cayman Islands currency design evolution rather than as a component of an issued banknote. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Issued Note (Pick 6a)

This issued five dollars note of the Cayman Islands Currency Board forms part of the 1974 design series authorized under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974. The series represents the mature phase of the Currency Board system, where disciplined monetary backing was combined with high-grade security engraving executed by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1996 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 17s)

The note carries the all-zero specimen serial format with prefix B/1 and internal control number 001, with the printed tracking panel “SPECIMEN No. 001” at the lower margin. This serial structure is administrative rather than circulatory, identifying the piece as managed specimen material within De La Rue’s controlled accounting sequence. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 10 Dollars Specimen with Black Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 7s, Top Pop)

This ten dollars specimen of the Cayman Islands Currency Board belongs to the 1974 design series prepared under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974 and produced by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited as controlled reference material. It preserves the complete engraved design of the denomination while being permanently invalidated for non-monetary use. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 25 Dollars Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 8s)

The specimen format follows the established De La Rue layered control protocol typical of the 1974 Cayman series. A bold diagonal SPECIMEN overprint in red spans the face, accompanied by two red oval control stamps reading “SPECIMEN / DE LA RUE & CO LTD / NO VALUE.” A single punch cancellation is present in the signature area, physically voiding the note while leaving all engraved elements fully legible. No printer annotations are present on this example. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1996 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 25 Dollars Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 19s)

At the lower margin, the printed tracking panel reads “SPECIMEN No. 001,” identifying this note as the first numbered specimen for the 1996 twenty five dollars denomination. The serial format follows the specimen convention with prefix B/1 and serial number 000000, which is separate from the printed specimen number and reserved exclusively for non-circulating reference material. Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 - Cayman Islands Currency Board 40 Dollars Specimen with Black Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 9s)

The serial format follows the all-zero specimen convention with prefix A/1 and serial number 000000. This format is reserved for specimen handling and does not correspond to circulation output. The obverse bears the engraved signature of V. G. Johnson as Chairman of the Cayman Islands Currency Board, situating the note within the principal administrative phase of the 1974 series. Read more →