Search Results for "private banknote" - 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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Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company 1877 Portrait of Woman intaglio vignette proof, printer's library design element associated with the City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds colonial Australian banknote design

Australia 1877 - Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company Portrait of Woman Intaglio Vignette Proof for City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds Design (Pick Unlisted)

This engraved Portrait of Woman intaglio vignette was produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, and is directly connected to the City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds specimen of 1877, where the same portrait appears as the principal vignette within the large ornamental panel at left. The proof preserves that portrait as a stand-alone engraved component before its integration into the complete banknote design. Read more →

AustraliaVignette Proof1877Reference VignetteArchival Intaglio Proof Vignette ProofIntaglio Vignette ProofPortrait VignettePortrait of WomanEngraved PortraitPrinter's Library ElementPrinter's Design ArchiveProduction Stage ArtifactStandalone VignetteReference VignetteCity of Melbourne Bank Limited Design Source20 Pounds Design SourceBradbury, Wilkinson and CompanyBradbury, Wilkinson and Company LondonLondon Security PrinterIntaglio PrintingIntaglio EngravingSecurity EngravingBanknote PrintingSecurity PrintingPrivate Banknote ProductionProofing and Plate ApprovalDesign Verification ArtifactPick UnlistedAustralian Banking HistoryAustralian Colonial BankingPre Federation AustraliaVictoria Banking HistoryCity of Melbourne BankCity of Melbourne Bank LimitedColonial VictoriaPrivate Banknote TraditionNineteenth Century Paper MoneyVictorian Era EngravingHistoryAustraliaVictoria1877R9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade

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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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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 →

ItalySpecimen1871250 LirePMG 64 (Top Pop) Private BankOversizedSpecimenDouble Punch HolePunch Cancelled250 LireEngraved Security PaperProof and Archive PieceBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S976sItalian StatesPost Unification ItalyItalian Banking HistoryFailed Banknote IssuesGerman Capital in Italy19th Century FinanceNational AllegorySecurity Printing HistoryRome Banking ExperimentsUnissued Banknote ProjectItaly1871PMG 64Top PopR9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade

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Specimen full sheet Serie A No. 23327 Banco de Zaragoza 100 reales vellón with header and talón, Pick S451s, 1 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 100 Reales Vellón Serie A Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 23327 (Pick S451s)

A true Pick S451s specimen: the complete, original full-sheet specimen of the Banco de Zaragoza 100 reales vellón, dated 1 May 1857, Serie A, serial number 23327. This survival preserves all components of the printer's plate layout exactly as produced: the upper header panel used for alignment and plate control, the left talón for internal audit numbering, and the finished banknote plate. Specimens of type S451s are extremely rare in any form; full sheets retaining both header and talón are almost never encountered. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857100 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S451sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie ASerial 23327100 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingMonetary HistorySecurity PrintingSpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Specimen full sheet Banco de Zaragoza 200 reales vellón, Serie B No. 07887, with header and talón, Pick S452s, 14 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 200 Reales Vellón Serie B Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 07887 (Pick S452s)

A full-sheet specimen of the Banco de Zaragoza 200 reales vellón dated 14 May 1857, Serie B, serial number 07887, classified as Pick S452s. This complete production sheet preserves the entire printing layout: the upper header panel used for alignment and plate control, the left talón for internal audit numbering, and the full banknote plate. Full-sheet specimens from Spanish provincial banks in the 1850s are exceptionally rare, and survivals with both header and talón intact are almost unknown. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857200 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S452sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie BSerial 07887200 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingSecurity PrintingMonetary HistorySpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Specimen full sheet Banco de Zaragoza 500 reales vellón, Serie C No. 08703, with header and talón, Pick S453s, 14 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 500 Reales Vellón Serie C Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 08703 (Pick S453s)

A full-sheet specimen of the Banco de Zaragoza 500 reales vellón dated 14 May 1857, Serie C, serial number 08703. Classified as Pick S453s, this complete production sheet preserves the entire original plate configuration: the upper header panel used for alignment and plate control, the left talón containing the audit serial, and the full banknote plate. Specimens surviving in full-sheet format are exceptionally rare for Spanish provincial banks of the 1850s. Their survival in untrimmed, archival form is nearly unprecedented. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857500 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S453sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie CSerial 08703500 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingSecurity PrintingMonetary HistorySpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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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) Specimen with Serial Number Prefix (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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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 Specimen with Serial Number Prefix (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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