Collection

Italy 1871–72 — Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire (Specimen)

Oversized specimen of the short-lived Banca Italo-Germanica, engraved in the immediate aftermath of Italian unification. Founded in Rome with German capital, the bank intended to position itself as a bridge between northern European finance and the new Kingdom of Italy. In practice, its note-issuing project never advanced beyond archival and presentation pulls—no issued examples are known. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1872 — 100 Pesos = 10 Doblones (Specimen)

Archival specimen of the 1872 issue of the Banco de Londres y Río de la Plata, denominated 100 Pesos Nacionales with an explicit equivalence to 10 Doblones in gold. This dual denomination was highly unusual in Latin American numismatics, serving as both a circulating promise and a political declaration of Uruguay’s attempt to stabilize paper currency by anchoring it to a fixed gold standard. The experiment was short-lived: by the late 1870s the peso–doblón equivalence had collapsed, making surviving notes a tangible record of one of Uruguay’s boldest but least sustainable monetary policies. ... Read more →

Italy 1866 — Credito Fondiario di Bologna 50 Lire (Specimen)

Specimen proof of the 50 Lire issue from the Credito Fondiario di Bologna, engraved by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. and dated 1866. Credito Fondiario institutions specialized in long-term, mortgage-backed lending—a key innovation in Italy’s financial system, providing stability and funding for agricultural and urban development at a time when the new Kingdom was still economically fragmented. ... Read more →

Japan — Komori Currency Technology Intaglio Test Note 'Mr. Komori'

Rare intaglio test note produced by Komori Currency Technology on genuine banknote paper. The front side features a portrait of Mr. Komori, the founder, alongside intricate Asiatic floral designs. ... Read more →