Collection PL

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

This Portrait of Woman intaglio vignette proof is a Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company printer’s library master associated with the portrait used on the City of Melbourne Bank Limited 20 Pounds specimen of 1877. It preserves the female portrait as a stand-alone engraved design element, before its integration into the complete colonial Australian banknote composition. The vignette is executed in oval format, with the sitter shown in a composed three-quarter portrait. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 - 50 Złotych Remainder (Pick 175ar Miłczak 198a–b)

Remainder of the 50 złotych note issued by Narodowy Bank Polski within the first fully modern banknote series of the Third Republic, dated 25 March 1994. This example represents production-stage material retained outside the finalized circulation workflow and is cataloged as Pick 175ar, corresponding to Miłczak 198a–b. The note preserves the complete printed design prepared by Thomas De La Rue, London, including the portrait of King Kazimierz III Wielki (Casimir the Great), the integrated guilloche structures, and the finalized denomination and emblematic layout of the modernized Polish currency system. ... Read more →

Libya 1971 - Central Bank of Libya Omar al-Mukhtar Intaglio Vignette Proof (Portrait Master for 10 Dinars Issue)

This intaglio vignette proof represents the master engraved portrait of Omar al-Mukhtar prepared for the Central Bank of Libya’s post-monarchy currency redesign introduced in 1971. The vignette constitutes a standalone production artifact, engraved independently of any completed banknote and intended for transfer into the face plate of the new 10 Dinars issue following final approval. In modern banknote production, vignette proofs occupy a foundational position within the engraving workflow. ... Read more →

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

Photographic proof of the 5 Pounds Travellers Cheque prepared for Thomas Cook and Son in the early 1920s, produced during the post First World War consolidation phase of the firm's international payment system. Mounted on cardstock and preserved as a production-stage reference image, this proof records the engraved face before the finalized specimen form was printed for presentation and control use. By the early 1920s, Thomas Cook and Son had established one of the most extensive private financial networks in the world. ... Read more →

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

A photographic proof of the 100 Rupees Travellers Cheque produced by Thomas Cook & Son circa 1923, created as part of the design verification and internal approval process for the firm’s rupee-denominated instruments intended for use across British India and associated territories. This proof represents a distinct production-stage artifact documenting the engraved face prior to finalized cheque issuance. 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. ... Read more →

Australia 1929 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited - Circular Letter of Introduction Photographic Proof (Mounted on Cardstock, PCGS 50 About New)

This photographic proof represents a Circular Letter of Introduction prepared for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited during the late interwar period. Such documents functioned as formal financial identification instruments, issued to bank clients traveling abroad to establish identity, credibility, and recognized standing within an international banking network. In practical use, the holder would present the letter to correspondent banks, which would acknowledge the issuing institution and extend services based on that established relationship. ... Read more →