Search Results for "private issue" - 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)

A monumental survivor from Australia’s private banking era, this £100 specimen ranks among the most important colonial-era notes known. Printed circa 1880–1910 for the Commercial Bank of Australia Limited, it represents the uppermost denomination produced under the private-issue system that existed before the Commonwealth took full control of note issuance in 1910. No issued examples of this £100 are believed to have survived, making specimens the only remaining documentation of the type. 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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Australia 1877 Mercantile Bank of Sydney £1 specimen with red ONE overprint, Pick Unlisted, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., graded PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Pop 1, only known example

Australia 1877 - Mercantile Bank of Sydney £1 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A superb Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. specimen from the early colonial banking era, this £1 note for the Mercantile Bank of Sydney survives today as the only documented example of its type. Certified PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated and recorded as Pop 1, it represents a unique surviving specimen of a private Australian bank whose issues rarely appear in any form. The same piece is known to have appeared once in a past Christie’s sale prior to encapsulation, making this the sole confirmed survivor based on all available auction, census, and institutional research. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen18771 PoundPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated (Pop 1) Specimen1 PoundPick UnlistedRed OverprintColonial Private BankBradbury WilkinsonBWCMercantile Bank of SydneyNew South Wales Banking History19th Century FinanceAustralian Private IssuesSecurity Printing HistoryColonial PeriodAustralia1877Only Known ExampleR9 Extremely RareUniquePop 1Top PopPMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum 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)

This specimen is a reference-grade artifact of New Zealand monetary history, combining wartime production context, live serial numbering, internal control markings, and documented survival from the Bank of New Zealand’s private-issue period. Certified PMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, it is the sole PMG-certified example at this grade and Top Pop. R8 rarity. 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 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 Cancelled Specimen with Serial Number Prefix G000001–G100000 (Pick S212bs)

An archival £1 Red specimen from the Bank of New Zealand private-issue series, catalogued as Pick S212bs and drawn from the opening serial block G000001–G100000. This example was pulled directly from the working plates of Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London, as an approval and control specimen for internal printer and bank-director reference during the closing phase of BNZ private note production. 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 Cancelled Specimen with Serial Number Prefix G100001–G300000 (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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Mexico 1884 Fabrica de Tunal 1 Peso ABNC PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated serial A07769

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

One of the most sophisticated corporate issues produced in northern Mexico during the Porfiriato modernization period, this fully issued and serialed 1 Peso note from La Fábrica de Tunal represents a hybrid monetary instrument that straddled formal banknote design and private scrip functionality. Unlike the majority of locally lithographed corporate payroll chits of the 1880s, this piece was engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Company in New York-an extremely rare choice for a non-bank issuer and clear evidence of the company's scale and financial ambition. Read more →

MexicoIssued Note18841 PesoPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Private Issue1 PesoABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyCorporate CurrencyIndustrial ScripEngraved Security PrintingPorfiriatoIndustrial FinanceMining Region CurrencyMexican Private BanknotesSilver StandardDurango Monetary HistoryRegional CirculationPayroll InstrumentsLatin American EngravingABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyPick UnlistedMexicoDurango1884PMG 64Museum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

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Mauritius 1842 - Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled (Pick S122a)

As a complete, fully signed, dual-currency $10 / £2 note dated 1842, this specimen stands as one of the most historically significant pieces of the Mauritius Commercial Bank’s first decade. It is a primary reference for researchers tracing the origin of Mauritius’s dual-currency monetary structure and one of the island’s earliest surviving pieces of private-issued colonial paper money. Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note184210 Dollars / 2 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled10 Dollars2 PoundsDual-CurrencyColonial CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1842Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1924–1925 Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Front Proof Pick S231p1 with SPECIMEN perforation, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

New Zealand 1924–1925 - Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Front Proof with SPECIMEN Perforation (Pick S231p1)

Front proofs such as this were retained in the printer’s reference archives and used to verify color registration, alignment, and micro-engraving before full production. The intact margins and deep relief impression make this piece an ideal teaching reference for plate-making and tint-stone layering techniques used by BWC during the interwar modernization of New Zealand’s private-issue currency. It stands as an educational artifact bridging colonial design tradition and the technical precision that would define later Reserve Bank series. Read more →

New ZealandFront Proof192410 ShillingsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop, Front Proof with SPECIMEN Perforation) Front Proof10 ShillingsSpecimen PerforationIntaglioBradbury WilkinsonBWCTamati Waka NeneBank of New ZealandNew Zealand Banking HistoryPre-Reserve BankPrivate Banknote EraInterwar Currency DesignEngraved Security PrintingLate Edwardian PlateworkTint-Stone UnderprintMāori Portrait SeriesNew Zealand192419251924–1925PMG 63Top PopMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Great Britain ca. 1904 Thomas Cook and Son 50 Dollars Circular Note photographic proof mounted on card stock with signature field and engraved security background

Great Britain 1904 - Thomas Cook & Son $50 Circular Note Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

A photographic proof of the 50 Dollars Circular Note produced for Thomas Cook and Son circa 1904, representing a pre-issue production artifact created during the final design and approval phase of one of the earliest globally recognized private payment instruments. This proof predates finished circulation notes and preserves the engraved face as prepared for reproduction rather than for direct financial use. These instruments are directly related to what later became known as Travellers Cheque and Travelers Check systems and are often collected within the same category of early international payment instruments. Read more →

Great BritainPhotographic Proof190450 DollarsPCGS 58 Choice About New Photographic Proof50 DollarsCircular NoteTravellers ChequeTravelers CheckSignature Verification InstrumentPrivate IssuePre Issue Production ProofMounted on Card StockThomas Cook and SonEarly Travellers Cheque SystemEarly Travelers Check SystemInternational Finance HistoryGlobal Payment SystemsEdwardian Security PrintingProofing and Plate ApprovalDesign Verification ArtifactGreat Britain1904Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Great Britain ca. 1922 Thomas Cook & Son £5 Travellers Cheque photographic proof mounted on card stock, PCGS 63 Choice New

Great Britain 1922 - Thomas Cook and Son 5 Pounds Travellers Cheque Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

By the early 1920s, Thomas Cook and Son had established one of the most extensive private financial networks in the world. Travellers Cheques had evolved into a standardized, globally accepted instrument that allowed holders to obtain funds securely across the British Isles, Europe, and overseas destinations through Cook's offices and affiliated banks. The 5 Pounds denomination functioned as a core unit within this system, balancing portability with sufficient purchasing power for extended travel. Read more →

Great BritainPhotographic Proof19225 PoundsPCGS 63 Choice New Photographic Proof5 PoundsTravellers ChequeTravelers CheckPrivate IssuePre Issue Production ProofMounted on Card StockThomas Cook and SonInternational Travel FinancePrivate Payment InstrumentsPost World War One FinanceSecurity PrintingDesign Verification ArtifactProofing ProcessGreat Britain1922Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Great Britain ca. 1923 Thomas Cook & Son 100 Rupees Travellers Cheque photographic proof mounted on card stock, PCGS 62 New

Great Britain 1923 - Thomas Cook & Son Travellers Cheque 100 Rupees Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

By the early 1920s, Thomas Cook & Son had fully transitioned from a travel agency into a global financial intermediary, operating one of the most extensive private payment networks in the world. Rupee-denominated travellers cheques were a key component of this system, allowing British and colonial travelers to draw local currency securely without transporting coin or bullion. The 100 Rupees denomination functioned as a high-value instrument within the Indian Empire, suited to extended travel and commercial expenditure. Read more →

Great BritainPhotographic Proof1923100 RupeesPCGS 62 New Photographic ProofTravellers ChequeTravelers CheckPrivate IssuePre Issue Production ProofMounted on Card StockThomas Cook and SonImperial Travel FinanceBritish India Monetary SystemPrivate Payment InstrumentsSecurity PrintingDesign Verification ArtifactProofing ProcessGreat BritainBritish India1923Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Uruguay 1872 P. Valdez & Co. Tacuarembo 10 Centesimos unissued note with harvest scene, lith. Bauer, Rincon 72 Montevideo

Uruguay 1872 - P. Valdez & Co., Tacuarembo 10 Centesimos Unissued (Pick Unlisted)

These merchant notes are among the earliest recorded private issues in Uruguay’s interior. They demonstrate how individual entrepreneurs like Valdez sustained local trade when official currency failed to reach the frontier economy. Read more →

UruguayPrivate Scrip187210 CentesimosRaw (VF est.) UruguayPick UnlistedUnissued NotePrivate ScripEmergency MoneyTacuaremboP. Valdez & Co.F. Bauer LithographyUruguay 19th Century10 Centesimos1872Local Issue

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