Collection PL

United States 1993 - 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Printed Tear Error (Friedberg 2080-G)

Printed tear errors like this one reveal the physical realities of the BEP’s high-speed production process. During the early 1990s, sheets were stacked and advanced through mechanical feeders at roughly 10,000 impressions per hour. A misfeed, suction failure, or improperly aligned sheet edge could cause a corner to fold under or tear. Because each sheet underwent multiple print passes-back, face, and overprint-a single fold could be inked multiple times on different planes of paper, creating the layered and shadowed voids now visible. Read more →

United States 1974 - 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note, Chicago District Paper Jam Error (Friedberg 1908-G, GD Block)

This 1974 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note from the Chicago District (Friedberg 1908-G, GD Block) presents a distinct Paper Jam Error-an uncommon and revealing production mishap that occurs when the currency paper fails to feed smoothly through the intaglio press or overprint unit. The result is a wrinkled or crumpled section of paper that becomes permanently flattened into the design, often distorting part of the printed image or leaving telltale creases and folds embedded beneath the ink. Read more →

United States 1928G - 2 Dollars Legal Tender Note Red Seal Star Replacement (Friedberg 1508*)

Certified PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, this note exhibits pristine margins, rich red overprints, and fully original paper brightness. The EPQ designation affirms exceptional paper originality and unaltered embossing - critical in confirming its untouched condition. The depth of engraving in Jefferson’s portrait and the even color saturation across the overprint layers showcase the technical precision of early small-size intaglio work. Read more →

United States 1929 - 5 Dollars Type 2 National Bank Note - The First National Bank of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Charter 1 (Fr. 1800-2)

This example is a Series of 1929 Type 2 five-dollar issue, distinguished from the earlier Type 1 by the addition of the bank’s charter number printed twice in brown ink within the Treasury seal and serial number fields. The central portrait of Abraham Lincoln and the black Treasury overprint tie the note’s aesthetic to the concurrent Federal Reserve designs while retaining the local bank title and signatures that define National Bank Notes. Friedberg designates this issue as 1800-2. Read more →

Egypt 1918 - Banque Belge pour l’Étranger, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

A large oval violet cachet of the Banque Foncière et Industrielle d'Égypte overlaps the left portion of the cheque, confirming the payee’s receipt of funds. Additional purple overprints reference the London correspondent office at 2 Bishopsgate, revealing how the cheque moved within the broader Anglo-Belgian clearing network. The lower section carries the Banque Belge Cairo branch signatures executed in heavy sweeping strokes, intersecting the printed title and validating the instrument with formal dual authorization. Read more →

Egypt 1923 - Banco di Roma, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

The cheque is completed in multiple period inks. The handwritten date '17 Novembre 1923' appears at top, with payee information and the manuscript amount entered across the lower guilloche band designed to prevent alteration or erasure. A prominent red BANCO DI ROMA overprint identifies the Cairo branch and displays the bank’s fully paid capital in both lira and sterling. This bilingual capital declaration was typical of Banco di Roma's overseas branches, which catered to clients who settled payments in multiple currencies across the Mediterranean. At lower right, a violet PASSÉ clearing stamp dated 17 NOV. 1923 confirms same-day internal settlement. Pencil notations and endorsement initials along the left margin reflect the routine processing steps performed by bank clerks and receiving institutions. Read more →

Egypt 1921 - National Bank of Egypt, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

The cheque is completed in dark fountain-pen ink for the amount of eighty-five Egyptian pounds, written in both numeric form and longhand across the center. The handwriting reflects period commercial script-slanted cursive with looped capitals and steady line pressure-typical of trained bank clerks in the British-influenced financial offices of Cairo. The date '23rd March 1921' is entered in matching ink at upper right. Across the center, a firm red NOT NEGOTIABLE overprint spans the entire instrument, applied heavily enough to leave a slight embossing into the paper fibers, ensuring the cheque could only be cleared internally and not endorsed to a third party. Read more →

Poland 1940 - 10 Zlotych Bank Emisyjny w Polsce Prefix C Kraków Issue Approval Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The reverse design is anchored by the engraved portrait of Fryderyk Chopin, one of the most recognizable figures in Polish cultural history. His presence on the 10 Złotych was not incidental. In the context of occupation, retaining Chopin on a widely used denomination reinforced a familiar intellectual and emotional reference point in daily economic life. Read more →

Poland 1940 - 20 Zlotych Bank Emisyjny w Polsce Prefix A Kraków Issue Approval Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The artistic program is deliberate and historically anchored. Allegorical figures flank the central denomination panel in a restrained classical idiom that continues the visual language of late interwar Polish banknotes. Rather than introducing a new aesthetic, the issuing authority preserved familiar compositional structures associated with order, continuity, and institutional legitimacy. In the context of occupation, this was a calculated design choice: authority was asserted through familiarity rather than disruption. Read more →

Barbados 1959 - Government of Barbados Treasury Bill, Photographic Proof (Early Design Stage)

The reverse is blank but bears a faint handwritten pencil notation reading “13-7-59.” This marking documents internal handling or archival reference and anchors the proof chronologically to 1959. No overprints, serial numbers, perforations, or cancellation marks are present, confirming that this piece was created as a photographic design record rather than a fiscal instrument intended for use. Read more →

Barbados 1968 - Government of Barbados 500 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Perforated Cancelled, Prefix A

Invalidation is effected solely by perforated lettering spelling the word “CANCELLED,” applied twice in the lower right corner of the note, with one perforated cancellation placed above the other. This perforation-based cancellation permanently invalidates the document while preserving it for reference. No ink stamps, overprints, or additional cancellation methods are present. Read more →

Barbados 1980 - Government of Barbados 500 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Red Overprint, No Prefix

A bold diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint is applied across the face, clearly identifying the document as a specimen retained outside any circulation or settlement context. Read more →