Collection PL

New Zealand 1870–1890 - Bank of New Zealand £1 Green Specimen (Pick S191s)

The note was produced as an internal printer’s specimen for archival retention and audit purposes. A perforation reading 'SPECIMEN B.W & Co LONDON' is applied across the lower central area, executed through pin-perforation rather than ink overprint, serving as the primary method of specimen invalidation and identification. At far left, a wide vertical audit margin remains intact, a characteristic feature of printer’s file copies retained for inspection, documentation, and internal reference within Bradbury Wilkinson’s production system. Read more →

New Zealand 1905-1916 - Bank of New Zealand £1 Red with Serial Number Prefix G000001-G100000 Cancelled Perforation Specimen (Pick S212bs)

With only two serial-prefix specimens of Pick S212bs recorded by PMG, this £1 Red specimen is correctly classified as R8 Extremely Rare. Read more →

New Zealand ND (1924-1933) - Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings with Perforated SPECIMEN Printers Archival Proof (Pick S161s)

As an object, this proof documents a stage of banknote production that sits outside normal issue chronology. The ND 1924-1933 date range used by PMG and the Standard Catalog does not indicate a single year of printing. Instead, it reflects the period during which the Bank of New South Wales operated under this design lineage in New Zealand. Skipper and East routinely reused and adapted master steel plates over extended periods, modifying lettering, borders, and institutional references as banking charters evolved. Proofs such as this capture the printers finalized working model rather than a dated circulation release. Read more →

Mexico 1884 – Fábrica de Tunal 1 Peso (Pick Unlisted, ABNC)

As an issued and numbered piece (serial 07769, control letter 'A') this example comes from the active circulation series-not an archival pull or proof. Issued ABNC corporate notes are dramatically scarcer than the proofs occasionally seen from late ABNC dispersals. Notes like this circulated aggressively, were redeemed on payday, and were routinely destroyed during accounting consolidation. Their life expectancy was short, and surviving high-grade examples are exceptionally rare, especially in the PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated range. Read more →

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

As an unissued remainder, this note was never completed with manuscript signatures, serials, or cashier validations. Instead, it shows wide margins, crisp plate detail, and period ink burn caused by iron-gall annotations during internal inventorying at the bank or printer. The 'ink burn' noted by PMG is a natural oxidation effect from 19th-century ink formulas and is frequently found on surviving remainders from Mauritius and other tropical colonies where humidity accelerated the chemical reaction. Read more →

Argentina 1881 - Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro Proof (Pick S536fp)

Only one example is certified in the PMG census, graded 64 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) - the sole recorded proof of this denomination and date. Beyond its rarity, this engraving illustrates the precision and artistry characteristic of the American Bank Note Company during the late 19th century, when U.S. firms dominated Latin American banknote production. This proof stands as a tangible artifact of that era’s intersection between artistry, financial expansion, and technological excellence. 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 →

Argentina 1884 - El Banco del Chaco 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro Serial 05056 (Pick S1566)

Rarity: the entire PMG census lists only two graded examples of Pick S1566 (VF 10 and VF 15). With both serial 05056 (fragmented) and 15849 (complete) now documented in this collection, they represent the only illustrated and confirmed survivors. This fragment therefore stands as a research cornerstone for the type, bridging catalog theory and tangible evidence of one of Argentina’s rarest 19th-century provincial notes. Read more →

Argentina 1884 - El Banco del Chaco 1 Peso Moneda Nacional Oro Serial 15849 (Pick S1566)

Cataloged Pick S1566 / Bauman CHA-01a, this is the highest recorded serial among known examples and the only fully preserved specimen traced to the market. It complements the earlier 05056 fragment, confirming press continuity and range across the print run-likely no more than 22,000 sheets, based on the RPN Subasta 22315 reference (Serial 22315). PMG census shows only two graded survivors worldwide, neither matching these serials. Together this pair constitute the definitive record set for Pick S1566, providing the first complete visual documentation of El Banco del Chaco’s 1 Peso Oro issue in private hands. Read more →

Uruguay 1867 - Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado Handwritten Right-Side Signature Serial 55818 Issued Note (Pick S385a)

This note is certified by Paper Money Guaranty as PMG 15 Choice Fine and is designated on the grading label as plate position pp B. While PMG does not formally define plate position categories within the Pick catalog, such annotations document internal production or numbering distinctions recognized during third-party examination and provide additional technical context for comparative study. Read more →

Uruguay 1867 - Banco Oriental 10 Pesos = 1 Doblón de Oro Sellado Dual Handwritten Signatures at Left and Right Serial 23286 Issued Note (Pick S385a)

This note is designated by Paper Money Guaranty as plate position pp B, matching the plate position recorded on other known examples of the 1867 issue. While PMG does not formally define plate position distinctions within the Pick catalog, such annotations provide additional production context and allow precise comparison among surviving notes. Read more →

Uruguay 1862 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 100 Pesos Specimen (Pick S245s)

Graded PMG 64 EPQ, this example ranks among the finest recorded for the type. It represents the approved master proof of Uruguay’s first internationally engraved banknote-where London’s precision met Montevideo’s new financial identity. Read more →