Collection PL

Australia 1877 — Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company Portrait of Woman Intaglio Vignette Proof (Printer’s Library Master)

This intaglio vignette proof represents an original portrait engraving produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company in London in 1877, prepared as a master design element within the firm’s internal plate library. It depicts a classical female figure engraved as a stand-alone vignette, intended for later integration into complete banknote layouts commissioned by private banks across the British Empire, including Australian colonial institutions. In the Bradbury Wilkinson production workflow of the late nineteenth century, portrait vignettes were engraved independently of any specific banknote. ... 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 →

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

The first Bank of New Zealand specimen and the foundation of the country’s pre-Reserve Bank note lineage. Engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, this one pound green specimen (Pick S191s) established the visual architecture reused throughout all later BNZ issues: paired Māori figures at left, an engraved coastal vignette below, and an ornate duty-tint panel framing the ONE POUND denomination. This design became the structural and visual origin of the Bank of New Zealand color lineage that defined New Zealand’s early commercial-bank currency. ... Read more →

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Color Trial Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37cts)

This color trial specimen represents a pre-issue production stage of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, prepared during the immediate post-monarchy redesign of the national currency. Following the establishment of the Libyan Arab Republic, royal imagery was formally removed and replaced with revolutionary-era symbolism, most prominently the portrait of Omar al-Mukhtar, positioned as a unifying national figure and ideological anchor of the new regime. Color trial specimens occupy a critical position within the banknote production sequence. ... 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 →

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37s)

This specimen represents the official pre-issue specimen of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, the first high-denomination issue of the Libyan Arab Republic following the abolition of the monarchy. Bearing the red SPECIMEN overprint and zero control serials, the note documents the final approved design state immediately before full circulation printing commenced. Specimen banknotes occupy a distinct position within the currency production and distribution process. ... Read more →

Portugal 1917 — Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis Front Progressive Proof (Pick 110pp1)

Front progressive proof for the Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis, printed in a single intaglio color to test composition and line fidelity before the final multi-color stones were prepared. Without underprint or overprint, it exposes the engraver’s hand—the bare guilloche network and portrait cartouche that later defined the completed note. PMG 25 EPQ Very Fine. ... Read more →

Great Britain 1922 — Thomas Cook & Son Travellers Cheque £5 Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

A photographic proof of the £5 Travellers Cheque issued by Thomas Cook & Son in the early 1920s, produced during the post–First World War consolidation phase of the firm’s international payment system. This proof represents a pre-issue production artifact created for design verification and internal reference prior to finalized cheque issuance. By the early 1920s, Thomas Cook & 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 →

Luxembourg 1982 — 1000 Francs Color Trial Specimen Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52bcts)

Color trial specimen of the 1982 one thousand francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the experimental color phase of the highest denomination prepared within this contingency series. As the top denomination, the 1000 Francs carries the full complexity of the design system, and in color trial form, it exposes the decision layer behind the final adopted palette. This example carries serial number A000000 13 in standard specimen format, with duplicated placement at left and right. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1982 — 500 Francs Specimen Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52as)

Specimen of the 1982 five hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, forming the structural backbone denomination within the unissued contingency series. While the 1000 Francs defines the apex, the 500 Francs represents the operational core of the intended circulation system, designed for real transactional use had the issue been released. This example carries serial number A000000 096, presented in standard specimen format with duplicated placement at left and right. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 — 100 Francs Issued Note (Pick 56a)

Issued 1970 one hundred francs note of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the finalized and circulating form of the Grand Duke Jean series within the Belgian Luxembourg Economic Union framework. This example, serial A143655, reflects the completed execution of a design system that balanced national identity with the technical demands of a shared currency environment. The note embodies the mature stage of late twentieth-century European banknote production. ... Read more →