Search Results for "private banknote era" - Collection

Australia 1880–1910 Commercial Bank of Australia £100 specimen, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Australia 1880–1910 - Commercial Bank of Australia £100 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

When the Commonwealth centralized currency authority in 1910 and later established the Australian Notes Branch (and eventually the Reserve Bank), nearly all private banknote issues were recalled and destroyed. As a result, only specimen or printer’s archival material survived for many denominations. For the £100 type, the absence of issued survivors underscores the near-total eradication of high-value private currency from the record. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen1880100 PoundsPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Specimen100 PoundsHigh DenominationCommercial Bank of AustraliaBradbury WilkinsonBWCSands & McDougallColonial SpecimenBilingualChinese-EnglishPick UnlistedColonial Banking HistoryAustralian Private BanknotesPre-Notes Act Era19th Century BankingMulticultural Trade NetworksSecurity Printing HistoryBritish Engraving InfluenceAustralian Monetary HistoryAustralia188019101880–1910PMG 64Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1907–1926 Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue audit-range serial-prefix specimen with dual control numbers, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., PMG 55 AU, Pop 1/1, R9 Extremely Rare

New Zealand 1907–1926 - Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue Serial-Prefix Audit Specimen (Pick S194s)

A unique high-denomination Bradbury Wilkinson audit-range specimen and the rarest surviving document from New Zealand’s private-banknote era, the £20 Blue (Pick S194s) represents the apex of BNZ’s color-coded denomination hierarchy. This specimen is not a generic zero-serial example: it carries dual live serials (No. 061001 and No. 066000), identifying it as an internal audit-range piece used by Bradbury Wilkinson for plate alignment, tint calibration, and numbering verification during the official approval process. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen190720 PoundsPMG 55 About Uncirculated (Pop 1/1) Specimen20 PoundsBlueBNZ Color LineageHigh Denomination Color TierHigh DenominationAudit-Range SpecimenSerial PrefixDual Serial NumbersPerforated SpecimenBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S194sBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankNew Zealand Banking HistoryBritish Engraved NotesMāori Portrait VignettesSecurity Printing HistoryHigh-Value NotesAudit Control SheetNew Zealand190719261907–1926PMG 58Pop 1Top PopMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Australia 1877 City of Melbourne Bank Limited £20 specimen engraved by Bradbury Wilkinson, PMG 62 Uncirculated, unique surviving example

Australia 1877 - City of Melbourne Bank Limited £20 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A unique surviving specimen of the £20 denomination issued by the City of Melbourne Bank Limited, representing one of the highest-value private banknotes produced in colonial Victoria. Printed from Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. master plates, this note belongs to the final generation of Australian private banknote engraving before national standardization and the destruction of nearly all high-denomination material. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen187720 PoundsPMG 62 Uncirculated Specimen20 PoundsCity of Melbourne Bank LimitedBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick UnlistedColonial SpecimenEngraved Security PrintingAustralian Private BanknotesVictoria Banking HistoryPre-Federation FinanceGold Rush Era BankingSecurity Printing History19th Century BankingAustralian Monetary HistoryAustraliaVictoria1877PMG 62Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Australia Federal Bank of Australia Limited one pound Sydney specimen printed by Bradbury Wilkinson, annotated 1882, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Australia 1879–1903 - Federal Bank of Australia, Limited £1 Sydney Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company played a decisive role in shaping the visual and technical identity of Australian private banknotes during this period. By sourcing engraving and printing from London, institutions such as the Federal Bank of Australia sought to project credibility and metropolitan authority in colonial markets where public confidence in new banks was often fragile. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen18791 PoundPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (Annotated, Top Population) Specimen Banknote1 PoundPrinter SpecimenAnnotated SpecimenExport Engraved NoteLarge Format BanknoteBradbury WilkinsonBWCBritish Security PrintingVictorian Era EngravingPrivate Banknote ProductionFederal Bank of Australia LimitedAustralian Private BanksPre Federation AustraliaSydney Banking HistoryVictorian Banking Crisis1893 Banking CollapseAustraliaSydney187919031879–1903Pick UnlistedTop PopMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1895–1908 Bank of New Zealand 10 Pounds Brown specimen with dual serial numbers 097476 and 102475, perforated SPECIMEN, Bradbury Wilkinson printing, PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated

New Zealand 1895-1908 - Bank of New Zealand £10 Brown with Serial Number Prefix Specimen (Pick S193bs)

Within New Zealand’s private banknote era, the ten pounds denomination represented a high-value instrument used for institutional and interbank purposes. Circulation examples were typically redeemed and destroyed, leaving specimen material as the primary surviving record of the type. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix189510 PoundsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Specimen10 PoundsBrownBNZ Color LineageSerial Prefix Specimen097476102475Perforated SPECIMENBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S193bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankNew Zealand Banking HistoryMāori Portrait SeriesVictorian Edwardian TransitionSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsHistoryNew Zealand189519081895-1908PMG 63Choice UncirculatedMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1916–1920 Bank of New Zealand £5 Red-Rose wartime specimen from the BNZ orange lineage, Pick S227s, serial prefix 7/180001–7/220000, PMG 65 EPQ Top Pop

New Zealand 1916-1920 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Red-Rose (Orange Lineage) with Serial Number Prefix Specimen (Pick S227s)

The 1916–1920 BNZ series belongs to the final decades of New Zealand’s private-bank note-issuing era before the establishment of the Reserve Bank in 1934. Internal audit and approval material from this production cycle was normally retained only for operational purposes and was seldom preserved once its function had ended. Surviving examples are exceptionally scarce. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix19165 PoundsPMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated (Top Pop) Specimen5 PoundsRed-RoseBNZ Color LineageOrange LineageWith Serial PrefixPrinter AnnotationCANCELLED PerforationHigh DenominationBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S227sBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankWartime IssueNew Zealand Banking HistoryMāori Portrait SeriesMaritime Economy NotesSecurity Printing HistoryNew Zealand191619201916–1920Top PopPMG 65 EPQMuseum GradeR8 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1913 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange Multi-Serial Approval Specimen (Pick S192ms)

By 1913, the Bank of New Zealand’s commercial note-issuing era was approaching its end. Two decades later, issuance would be centralized under the Reserve Bank, and most private-bank archival material was destroyed. Surviving multi-serial approval specimens such as this are therefore exceptionally rare. In light of known populations and the specialized function of the type, Pick S192ms properly belongs in the R8 rarity tier. It stands today as one of the most important reference artifacts for the study of New Zealand’s private-banknote system and Bradbury Wilkinson’s Oceania output. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen19135 PoundsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) SpecimenApproval Specimen5 PoundsOrangeBNZ Color LineageMulti-Serial ApprovalBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S192msBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankNew Zealand Banking HistoryWWI-Era ProductionVictorian-Edwardian TransitionMāori Portrait SeriesMaritime Economy NotesSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsNew Zealand1913PMG 63Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Mauritius 1839 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 20 Dollars / 4 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled Note (Pick S125)

One of the earliest surviving issued notes of the Mauritius Commercial Bank-the oldest banking institution in the Indian Ocean-this 1839 Twenty Dollar / Four Pounds Sterling note is a foundational artifact of Mauritian monetary history. Issued only one year after the bank’s founding in 1838, it belongs to the first generation of fully functional colonial paper money used on the island. These early issues circulated at a time when coin shortages were severe, and private banknotes became the primary medium of exchange for merchants, plantation owners, and shipping houses. Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note183920 Dollars / 4 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled20 Dollars4 PoundsColonial CurrencyDual-CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1839Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1895–1915 Bank of New Zealand 5 Pounds Orange Specimen Pick S192s with dual serial numbers A000001 and A020000, perforated CANCELLED marking, left audit margin, and dated top margin printer annotations, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, PMG 55 About Uncirculated.

New Zealand 1895–1915 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange Specimen (Pick S192s)

The high-denomination anchor of the Bank of New Zealand color series, this five pounds orange specimen (Pick S192s) represents one of the most structurally complex and production-informative notes of New Zealand’s private banking era. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, it embodies the transition from richly ornamental Victorian engraving toward the more controlled and symmetrical Edwardian framework that followed. The composition preserves the defining elements of the earlier series-paired Māori figures within oval medallions at left, a lower maritime vignette reflecting colonial trade identity, and a dense guilloche lattice enclosing the denomination-while introducing a more disciplined spatial hierarchy across the central obligation panel. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen18955 PoundsPMG 55 About Uncirculated Specimen5 PoundsBank of New ZealandBradbury WilkinsonBWCA Prefix SpecimenA000001A020000Dual Serial NumbersPrinter Control NumberingPerforated CANCELLEDAudit Margin LeftPrinter AnnotationsTop Margin AnnotationDated Annotation 1915Printer Ledger MarkingsColonial IssueHigh DenominationEdwardian DesignMāori Portrait SeriesEngraved Security PrintingNew Zealand Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankBNZ Color LineageVictorian to Edwardian TransitionMaritime Economy NotesBritish Colonial FinanceSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsHistoryNew Zealand189519151895-1915Pick S192sPMG 55Museum GradeR7 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1870–1890 Bank of New Zealand 1 Pound Green Specimen Pick S191s, dual serial numbers A197001 and B047000, perforated CANCELLED, Bradbury Wilkinson printing, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated

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

Surviving specimens of the S191s type are extremely scarce. Most were removed during archival reductions or lost during the transition from private-bank to centralized currency issuance. As the earliest and foundational specimen of New Zealand’s engraved banknote history, this one pound green stands as the origin point of the BNZ color lineage and a cornerstone reference within the broader narrative of colonial-era currency development. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen18701 PoundPMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated Specimen1 PoundBank of New ZealandBradbury WilkinsonBWCDual Serial NumbersA197001B047000Perforated CANCELLEDAudit MarginPrinter Control SystemColonial IssueVictorian DesignMāori Portrait SeriesEngraved Security PrintingNew Zealand Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankBNZ Color LineageColor Lineage Origin19th Century OceaniaMaritime Economy NotesEarly Indigenous ImageryBritish Colonial FinanceHistoryNew Zealand187018901870–1890Pick S191sPMG 58Choice About UncirculatedMuseum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1905–1916 Bank of New Zealand £1 Red Pick S212bs, serial prefix G000001–G100000, perforated CANCELLED, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., PMG 55 AU

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

The red duty tint completes the established chromatic hierarchy of BNZ private issues produced by Bradbury Wilkinson: Green (£1), Orange (£5), Brown (£10), Red (£1 redesign), and the terminal high denomination of the series - the Blue £20. Within this structure, the £1 Red represents the final low-denomination iteration, while the £20 Blue stands as the archival apex of the entire BNZ private-issue hierarchy. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix19051 PoundPMG 55 About Uncirculated Specimen1 PoundRedBNZ Color LineageSerial-Prefix VarietyCancelledBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S212bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankWartime ProductionPrefix Block SequenceMāori Portrait SeriesSecurity Printing HistoryNew Zealand190519161905–1916PMG 55Museum GradeR8 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1905–1916 Bank of New Zealand £1 Red Pick S212bs, serial prefix G100001–G300000, perforated CANCELLED, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

New Zealand 1905-1916 - Bank of New Zealand £1 Red with Serial Number Prefix G100001-G300000 Cancelled Perforation Specimen (Pick S212bs)

The red duty tint marks the final chromatic stage of the BNZ private-issue lineage. With extremely limited survival and no institutional duplicates known, this mid-block specimen is properly classified as R8 Extremely Rare. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix19051 PoundRaw (Serial-numbered Specimen, cancelled) Specimen1 PoundRedBNZ Color LineageSerial-Prefix VarietyCancelledBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S212bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankWartime ProductionPrefix Block SequenceMāori Portrait SeriesSecurity Printing HistoryNew Zealand190519161905–1916Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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