Collection PL

Mauritius 1842 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled (Pick S122a)

Unlike the earlier 1839 $20 design, which only mentioned its sterling equivalent on the front, this issue introduced a red reverse overprint reading 'TWO POUNDS STERLING'. That innovation formally established Mauritius’s dual-currency layout, pairing silver-based dollars with their pound-sterling counterparts - a visual and accounting refinement adopted from 1841 onward. Read more →

Mauritius 1843 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Remainder (Pick S122r)

By 1843, the design had fully adopted the red reverse overprint 'TWO POUNDS STERLING', creating a clear dual-currency layout that paired locally reckoned dollars with their pound-sterling equivalent for imperial accounting. Earlier designs - such as the 1839 Twenty Dollars note - had printed the sterling value only on the front in black. The adoption of the red reverse panel marked the formal consolidation of Mauritius’s dual-currency monetary system as used throughout the 1840s. Read more →

New Zealand 1924-1925 - Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings with SPECIMEN Perforation Front Proof (Pick S231p1)

Front proof of the Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings (Pick S231p1), printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, for the post-war re-engraved issue dated 1924–25. Perforated SPECIMEN through the lower margin and certified by PMG as Choice Uncirculated 63 Top Pop, this example shows the completed obverse design prior to overprinting and serial application. Read more →

Bolivia 1903 - Banco Agricola 5 Bolivianos Front Progressive Proof and Back Proof Pair (Pick S102pp1, S102p2)

The front is especially important because it documents an intermediate stage of the printing process. The main engraved framework, denomination panels, institutional lettering, border work, and principal vignettes are already present, while the design still shows the layered character of progressive proofing. Three large red CANCELLED overprints are applied across the face, marking the piece as controlled non-issue production material and forming one of the most visually distinctive features of the proof. Read more →

Libya 1971 - Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Color Trial Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37cts)

The note bears the overprint SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE and carries a low control serial within the A/75 prefix range, confirming its function as a non-circulating production reference. It was never monetized, issued, or released into banking channels, and its survival reflects preservation outside normal destruction protocols applied once production approval was completed. Read more →

Libya 1971 - Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37s)

This specimen represents the official pre-issue specimen of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, the first high-denomination issue of the Libyan Arab Republic following the abolition of the monarchy. Bearing the red SPECIMEN overprint and zero control serials, the note documents the final approved design state immediately before full circulation printing commenced. Read more →

Paraguay 1907 - 100 Pesos with 1912 State Overprint (Pick 134, Base Pick 159)

Exceptional 1907 Banco de la República 100 Pesos, printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, and later revalidated by the Paraguayan state through the bold oval overprint “Emisión del Estado – Ley de 11 de Enero de 1912.” This is the recognized catalogued 1912 state-overprint issue, Pick 134, created on the original 1907 Banco de la República 100 Pesos base type, Pick 159. Unlike the rarer dual-side treasury revalidation variety, this example carries the official state emission overprint on the face only, making it the standard and historically definitive form of the 1912 emergency reissue. Read more →

Portugal 1917 - Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis Front Progressive Proof (Pick 110pp1)

Front progressive proof for the Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis, printed in a single intaglio color to test composition and line fidelity before the final multi-color stones were prepared. Without underprint or overprint, it exposes the engraver’s hand-the bare guilloche network and portrait cartouche that later defined the completed note. PMG 25 EPQ Very Fine. Read more →

Paraguay 1907 - Banco de la República 100 Pesos Issued Note (Pick 159)

Issued 1907 Banco de la República 100 Pesos note, cataloged as Pick 159 and printed by Waterlow & Sons, London. This is the original, non-overprinted base type from which the later 1912 emergency state issues were created. In its pure issued form, without the later “Emisión del Estado” overprint or the additional Treasury fiscal validation seen on rarer revalidated examples, the note preserves the full Waterlow design as it was intended before Paraguay’s monetary emergency transformed surviving stocks into provisional state currency. Read more →

Brazil 1963 - 1000 Cruzeiros Specimen, (Pick 181s)

Specimen of the 1000 Cruzeiros printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, bearing red SPECIMEN overprint, punch cancellations, and De La Rue’s oval control marks. The note is labeled Estampa 2A / Série 791A with zero serials, confirming its archival or approval status rather than an issued piece. Read more →

Brazil 1963 - 5 Cruzeiros Specimen (Pick 176bs)

Thomas De La Rue specimen of the 5 Cruzeiros denomination, showing red SPECIMEN overprint, circular punch cancels, and zero serials. Certified PMG 67 EPQ Superb Gem Uncirculated and noted Top Pop, this piece demonstrates the exceptional condition of De La Rue’s retained production samples. Read more →

Brazil 1963 - 100 Cruzeiros Specimen (Pick 180s)

Specimen of the 100 Cruzeiros printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. Ltd., marked by a red SPECIMEN overprint, punch cancels, and De La Rue control ovals at the margin. Identified as Estampa 2A / Série 216A, this note typifies the elegant late-period Cruzeiro designs that bridged classic British engraving with emerging modernist trends in Brazilian note art. Read more →