Collection PL

United States ca. 1970s – C.O.P.E. Experimental Test Note Serial A82432955A

Few examples survived outside official archives, as almost all were destroyed after use. This specimen, preserved in pristine form, provides a direct glimpse into the mechanical evolution of U.S. paper currency manufacturing. Certified PCGS Currency Gem New 65 PPQ, it exhibits bright paper, razor-sharp serial impressions, and full margins-an exceptionally rare survivor from the development phase of America’s first automated currency-processing era. Read more →

United States 1872 – State of South Carolina $20 Revenue Bond Scrip Act of March 2 1872 Columbia Issue

The $20 Revenue Bond Scrip of the State of South Carolina, dated March 2, 1872, represents one of the most ornate and historically revealing fiscal issues of the Reconstruction era. Authorized by the Act of March 2, 1872, these notes were used by the state government to pay outstanding obligations and to serve as tax receipts during a period of severe post–Civil War financial strain. Printed by the American Bank Note Company in New York, the scrip combined fine engraving, symbolic imagery, and the technical artistry characteristic of the firm’s early 1870s production. Read more →

United States 1872 – State of South Carolina $50 Revenue Bond Scrip Act of March 2 1872 Columbia Issue

The fifty-dollar Revenue Bond Scrip authorized by the Act of March 2, 1872, stands among the most elaborate and symbolically charged notes of Reconstruction-era South Carolina. Produced by the American Bank Note Company of New York, these notes were issued to pay state obligations and to function as tax receipts, serving as both a medium of exchange and an assertion of solvency during a turbulent postwar decade. Read more →

United States 1929 – American Bank Note Company Test Note, 10 Units, Green Series of 1929 With Watermark and Segmented Foil Security Thread

This engraved test note by the American Bank Note Company (ABNCo) represents one of the firm’s most enduring demonstration designs, known as the 'Series of 1929' specimen. Although dated 1929, these were printed decades later-primarily in the 1960s and 1970s-as house proofs and sales samples showcasing engraving precision, watermark technology, and later innovations such as foil-thread anti-counterfeiting devices. Read more →

United States 1929 – 10 Dollars Type 1 National Bank Note – The First National Bank of Taylorville, Illinois Charter 3579 (Fr.1801-1)

Organized in 1886, The First National Bank of Taylorville had issued large-size notes since the 19th century. By 1929, it was headed by president Roy A. Johnston and cashier C.S. Stokes. When the Treasury’s conversion to the smaller 1929 format began, each active national bank received serial ranges for new issues. Taylorville’s allocated blocks-E000212A to F000212A for $10s and C000064A to F000064A for $20s-were officially listed as 'not issued.' Yet this note’s lower serial number confirms that at least part of the earliest batch was printed and released locally before the bank closed. Read more →

United States 1902 – 5 Dollars Large Size Plain Back National Bank Note – The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas Charter 13076 Error Note (Fr.609)

Certified PCGS Currency 64 Very Choice New, the note retains strong embossing, ideal inks, and bright white paper. It stands as both a testament to the final years of National Bank issuance and a physical record of small-town American finance during the transitional period between the National system and the modern Federal Reserve era. Read more →

United States 1996 - 50 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Insufficient Inking Error (Friedberg 2126-G)

Errors of this severity are highly uncommon on mid- to high-denomination issues. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s late 1990s modernization program introduced automated inspection and improved quality monitoring, but rare lapses still occurred, particularly when print runs were transitioning between older and newer press systems. Inconsistent ink application or uneven plate pressure could yield localized under-inking, creating the ghosted design seen here. Read more →

United States 1993 - 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note New York District Insufficient Inking Error (Friedberg 2079-B)

This 1993 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the New York District (Friedberg 2079-B, BD Block) is a superbly preserved example of an Insufficient Inking Error that drastically weakens the reverse printing. The normally dark green depiction of the White House appears faint and washed out, with many architectural and background details missing. Only fragments of the design-such as the central columns, the inscription 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA', and the denomination numerals-remain clearly visible. The obverse, however, printed normally, confirming that the error occurred during the second intaglio pass dedicated to the reverse. Read more →

United States 1995 - 5 Dollars Federal Reserve Note San Francisco District Insufficient Ink on Face Error (Friedberg 1985-L)

Certified PCGS 58 PPQ Choice About New, this note retains original embossing, crisp paper, and full color fidelity in unaffected areas. The subtle fold that prevents a higher grade does not detract from the visual impact of the printing flaw, which cleanly exposes the mechanics of Bureau of Engraving and Printing intaglio production. Errors of this nature are seldom preserved in near-uncirculated condition - most were caught during press inspection or quickly worn out in circulation. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Departamento de Emision del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso Serie A Photographic Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

Each photographic proof is mounted on its own original cardstock support and certified separately by Professional Coin Grading Service Currency as 64 Very Choice New. The face proof is identified on the grading label as the 1939 one peso Serie A design with all-zero serial numbers, while the reverse proof is recorded as the corresponding undated back design. Preserved together, the pair provides a complete archival record of both sides of the denomination. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Departamento de Emision del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso Serie A Specimen, Specimen No. 41 (Pick 35as)

At the center appears a finely engraved portrait of Jose Gervasio Artigas in military dress. Artigas is presented with a direct, composed expression, his uniform and cloak modeled through dense intaglio linework. As Uruguay's principal national figure, his portrait connects the everyday monetary instrument with the country's foundational political history and the republican ideals associated with national independence. Read more →

Uruguay 1896 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso Sepia Photographic Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

Certified by Professional Coin Grading Service Currency as New 62 for the face and Choice New 63 for the back, this proof pair survives in exceptional condition and represents a rare institutional artifact of American Bank Note Company production for Uruguay at the close of the nineteenth century. Read more →