Collection PL

Italy 1871–1872 — Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire Specimen (Pick S976s)

An exceptional and academically important survival from the experimental phase of Italy’s early post-unification banking era, this 250 Lire specimen from the short-lived Banca Italo-Germanica, cataloged as Pick S976s, represents one of the rarest and most ambitious private note-issuing projects attempted in Rome during the 1870s. No issued examples of this type are known to exist, and all scholarship indicates that the bank’s banknote program collapsed before any notes entered circulation, leaving only a microscopic number of presentation pulls, proofs, or internal printer’s archive sheets. This PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated example is the sole graded specimen in the PMG census, making it both Top Pop and Only Pop. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1872 — 100 Pesos = 10 Doblones Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A printer’s archival specimen of the 1872 issue of the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata, denominated 100 Pesos Nacionales with an explicit equivalence to 10 Doblones in gold. This dual-denomination construction represents one of the most ambitious monetary experiments undertaken in nineteenth-century Uruguay, attempting to anchor paper currency directly to a fixed gold value at a time of persistent instability and public distrust in fiduciary issues. The note was produced in London by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. ... Read more →

New Zealand ND (1924-1933) - Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings Oversized Proof, Perforated SPECIMEN (Pick S161s)

Printers archival oversized proof for the Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings, classified in the Standard Catalog and grading records as New Zealand Pick S161s (ND 1924-1933) and produced in London by Charles Skipper and East. This example survives on an oversized, untrimmed sheet and represents the most internal and earliest preserved production state of the design. Although cataloged under New Zealand, the design belongs to the broader Australasian operating structure of the Bank of New South Wales, a trans Tasman institution active in both Australia and New Zealand. ... Read more →

Italy 1871 — Standing Italia Vignette Die Proof (PS976)

Engraved vignette die proof of 'Standing Italia,' later integrated into the 250 Lire specimen of the Banca Italo-Germanica (1871–72, PS976). The allegory, modeled on classical prototypes, depicts Italia standing with shield and spear, emblematic of the country’s newly achieved unification and Rome’s designation as capital in 1871. Pulled directly from the master plate by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., this die proof captures the engraving in its purest state—sharp, uninked margins, and untouched by printing wear. ... Read more →

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

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 1989 — Komori Currency Technology Intaglio Test Note Mr. Komori

Large-format intaglio test piece produced by Komori Currency Technology on genuine banknote paper. The face presents a finely engraved portrait of Mr. Komori alongside dense Asiatic floral scrolls and security guilloché intended to demonstrate line fidelity, tonal build, and plate pressure control. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1935 — Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1,000 Pesos Large-Format Presentation Photo Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

This exceptionally large-format photographic proof pair for the 1,000 Pesos issue dated 1935 represents one of the most imposing archival presentation formats produced for the Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Unlike standard-sized photographic proofs intended primarily for internal plate approval, this example was mounted on an oversized presentation card measuring approximately thirty-three by thirty-three centimeters, dwarfing both the standard note format and later proof mountings. The face and back photographic proofs themselves measure approximately twenty-three by twelve centimeters, reflecting a distinct enlargement relative to the issued banknote format. ... Read more →

Luxembourg August 1965 — 20 Francs Face Photographic Proof Transitional Design Stage (Pick Unlisted)

Face-side photographic proof of the twenty francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced in August 1965 during the transitional phase between the initial design concept and the finalized layout later adopted for the issued series. Printed in monochrome and mounted on archival cardstock, this example documents the stage at which the new design direction had been established but not yet fully resolved. The note carries serial number A000000 in dual placement, consistent with internal photographic proof formatting. ... Read more →

China 1949 — People's Bank of China 100 Yuan Red Ship Unnumbered Alignment Trial with Inverted 1948 100 Yuan Gateway Impression (Pick Unlisted)

This 1949 100 Yuan Red Ship unnumbered alignment trial from the People's Bank of China belongs to the turbulent production history of the First Series Renminbi, the founding paper-money issue of the early People's Republic of China. The issued Red Ship design is cataloged as Pick number 831b, while this production-stage survivor is cataloged as Pick Unlisted because it was preserved outside the finished note format: unnumbered, untrimmed, marked by printer guide lines, and carrying an inverted displaced impression from the 1948 100 Yuan gateway design beneath the later Red Ship face. The Red Ship type was printed by the Shanghai Banknote Printing Plant at a moment when China's new national currency was still being built under pressure. ... Read more →