Collection PL

New Zealand 1934 — Reserve Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Photographic Face Proof (Pick 154p)

This photographic face proof preserves the engraved design prepared for the first 10 Shillings banknote issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand following the creation of the central bank under the Reserve Bank Act of 1933. The proof represents the pre-press stage of the denomination, recording the completed engraving before the design was transferred to printing plates for circulation production. The note belongs to the inaugural Reserve Bank series commonly known as the "Lefeaux series", named for Leslie Lefeaux, the institution’s first Governor. ... Read more →

North Macedonia 1996 — 5000 Denari Photographic Transparency Essay (Maenad Vignette)

This photographic transparency records the engraved Maenad vignette prepared during the design development of the Republic of Macedonia’s inaugural 5000 Denari banknote. Created within the pre-press workflow of Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited in London, the transparency preserves the original engraved image before the design progressed into plate production and full banknote printing. In modern security printing, photographic transparencies were produced after the engraver completed the steel die but before the design was transferred to printing plates. ... Read more →

North Macedonia 1996 — 500 Denari Vignette Die Proof (Golden Death Mask)

This engraved vignette die proof preserves the Golden Mask motif prepared for the 500 Denari denomination of the Republic of Macedonia’s first post-independence banknote series issued in 1996. Produced by Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited in London, the proof represents one of the earliest physical stages in the creation of the banknote’s final design. A vignette die proof is printed directly from the engraved steel die before the image is transferred to the working plates used for banknote production. ... Read more →

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

Blank-format experimental note printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing during the 1970s as part of internal testing for the C.O.P.E. (Currency Overprinting and Processing Equipment) program. This machinery represented a major modernization step in U.S. ... Read more →

Confederate States of America 1864 – 10 Dollars First Series in Roman Letters Richmond (T-68 PF-3 CR-541)

The ten-dollar note of the February 17, 1864 issue, cataloged as T-68 (Criswell 541), was among the final wartime emissions of the Confederate Treasury. Printed in Richmond, Virginia, by Keatinge & Ball of Columbia, South Carolina, it forms part of the most widely recognized Confederate paper-money design family—distinguished by pink underprint, detailed engraving, and complex typography produced under severe wartime constraints. The central vignette depicts Confederate artillery and cavalry maneuvering on the battlefield, adapted from an original steel engraving used before the war. ... 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)

Organized in May 1927, The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas, was one of the last institutions chartered under the National Banking Act, entering the system just as small-town banks faced increasing consolidation pressures. Chartered as number 13076, it was led by cashier N. Reimers and president W. ... Read more →

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

A dramatic production flaw on this 1995 5 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the San Francisco District (Friedberg 1985-L, L Block) reveals an Intaglio Insufficient Inking Error — a condition in which portions of the face plate failed to receive adequate ink during printing. The result is a visibly faded or incomplete impression across the left side of the note, most noticeable in the top and bottom '5' corner medallions and border scrollwork. The green Treasury seal and serial numbers remain fully struck, confirming that the error occurred during the black intaglio face pass, prior to the overprint stage. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 — Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso Photographic Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

A photographic proof pair for the 1 Peso issue dated 1939, prepared for the Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Produced as part of the unified 1939 series, this proof pair documents the finalized design of the lowest denomination in photographic form prior to circulation printing. The obverse features a formal engraved portrait of José Gervasio Artigas at right, balanced by the national arms and denomination within a structured ornamental framework. ... Read more →

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

A sepia-toned photographic proof pair for the 1 Peso issue dated 1896, produced by the American Bank Note Company for the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Printed on photographic paper and mounted on cardstock, this pair preserves the approved face and back engravings in a tonal photographic variant distinct from black proofs of the same design. The obverse features a formal portrait of José Gervasio Artigas within an elaborate late-nineteenth-century ornamental frame of scrollwork and guilloche, with the denomination prominently displayed in a central cartouche. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1935 — Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1 Peso Photographic Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

A photographic proof pair for the 1935 1 Peso issue produced for the Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Printed on photographic paper and mounted on cardstock, this pair records the approved face and back designs for the lowest denomination of Uruguay’s 1935 series. The obverse presents a dual-portrait composition combining a helmeted allegorical female figure and a formal profile portrait of José Gervasio Artigas, arranged within a dense ornamental framework of guilloche and engraved line work. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 5 Pesos Photographic Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

A photographic proof pair for the 5 Pesos issue dated 1896, produced by the American Bank Note Company for the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Printed in black on photographic paper and mounted on cardstock, this pair records the approved face and back engravings prior to preparation of circulation plates. The obverse features a formal portrait of José Gervasio Artigas set within an ornate late-nineteenth-century framework of scrollwork, floral ornament, and dense guilloche patterns. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 10 Pesos Sepia Photographic Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

A sepia-toned photographic proof pair for the 10 Pesos issue dated 1896, produced by the American Bank Note Company for the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Printed on photographic paper and mounted on cardstock, this pair records the approved face and back engravings in a tonal variant distinct from the black photographic proofs of the same design. The obverse features a formal engraved portrait medallion within an ornate late-nineteenth-century framework of scrollwork, floral ornament, and dense guilloche patterns. ... Read more →