Collection PL

Spain 1857 — Banco de Zaragoza 2000 Reales Vellón Serie E Issued Consecutive Pair No. 00031–00032 (Pick S455)

An exceptional issued consecutive pair of 2000 reales vellón banknotes from the Banco de Zaragoza, dated Zaragoza, 14 May 1857, Serie E, serial numbers 00031 and 00032. Catalogued as Pick S455, this pair represents one of the earliest surviving serial groupings of the highest denomination issued by the bank and illustrates the original form in which such notes were placed into circulation. The Banco de Zaragoza operated during Spain’s brief liberal banking period following the 1856 reforms, when select provincial banks were authorised to issue their own circulating paper currency. ... Read more →

Macau 1937 — Foo Hang Bank 10 Patacas Archival Printer Proof Compound Sheet (Pick S105)

An archival printer proof compound sheet prepared for the Foo Hang Bank of Macau in 1937 for the 10 patacas denomination associated with Pick S105. This pre-issue proof material survives as a single intact sheet and represents internal security-printing output created for reference, approval, and archival control rather than public circulation. Foo Hang Bank operated in Macau during a period when the territory functioned as a distinct monetary and commercial enclave within southern China. ... Read more →

New Caledonia 1871 — French Treasury Second of Exchange for 2,000 Francs (Service des Colonies)

A colonial treasury bill of exchange issued in 1871 under the authority of the French public treasury for the colony of New Caledonia. This document represents the second of exchange (*seconde*), forming part of a standard multi-part financial instrument employed by the French administration to execute high-value intercontinental payments within the colonial fiscal system. The bill was drawn by the *Caissier Payeur central du Trésor public (Service des Colonies)* and made payable to order in New Caledonia for the sum of two thousand francs. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — Narodowy Bank Polski Specimen Set, WZÓR Number 010, Complete Five-Denomination Series,

A complete five-denomination WZÓR specimen set from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. The set comprises all denominations of the series — 10 złotych, 20 złotych, 50 złotych, 100 złotych, and 200 złotych — preserved together with the same official WZÓR specimen number 010. The WZÓR designation identifies non-circulating specimen banknotes prepared for approval, demonstration, and institutional reference during the rollout of the new złoty. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 10 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 173s)

A WZÓR specimen banknote of the 10 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski as part of the post-denomination monetary reform. This specimen represents the lowest denomination of the new złoty series introduced to re-establish numerical continuity and monetary clarity following the redenomination of Polish currency. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the implementation of the new series. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 20 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 174s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 20 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. This specimen represents the second denomination of the new złoty series, positioned between the introductory 10 złotych note and the higher-value denominations that complete the system. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the new series. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 50 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 175s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 50 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. Positioned at the core of the denomination structure, the 50 złotych note represents the central transactional unit of the new złoty system. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the series. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 100 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 176s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 100 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. As the principal high-value circulation note of the new złoty system, the 100 złotych denomination occupied a central role in everyday monetary use following the reform. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the series. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 200 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 177s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 200 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. As the highest denomination of the initial 1994 series, the 200 złotych note functioned as the flagship issue representing the full design, security, and symbolic ambition of the reform. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the series. ... Read more →

Martinique 1870 — Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Cheque Recovered After the 1902 Mount Pelée Eruption (Pick P.5A)

A Banque de la Martinique one franc cheque form, Pick P.5A, originally printed for use at Saint-Pierre during the late nineteenth century and later recovered from the ruins of the city following the catastrophic eruption of Mount Pelée on 8 May 1902. Although printed decades earlier as part of the bank’s standardized cheque issue, this surviving example was never negotiated as a financial instrument and instead entered history as a disaster-recovery relic, explicitly identified as such by contemporary handwritten annotations. The printed face follows the established Banque de la Martinique cheque format, bearing the heading “Chèque sur la Banque de la Martinique,” internal control marking “B.P.F. ... Read more →

Portugal 1799 — Real Erario 20000 Reis Apólice, Original Issue, No Overprint, Lisboa No. 37723

A Portuguese royal-era public debt instrument issued in Lisboa in 1799 under the authority of the Real Erario, denominated 20000 reis and payable to bearer. This document is an apólice, a formal treasury obligation representing state-backed debt issued during a period of administrative continuity in late eighteenth-century Portugal, prior to the political and fiscal disruptions of the nineteenth century. This example belongs to the original issue phase of Portuguese treasury apólices and predates the period commonly associated with the War of the Brothers. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1871 — Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos Face Proof (Pick S239p)

This face proof represents the obverse-only proof state of the 10 Pesos issue prepared for the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata in 1871. It was pulled directly from the finished face plate during the engraving and plate-approval process, prior to the preparation of reverse plates, serial numbering, or the assembly of complete circulating banknotes. As such, it documents the earliest finalized stage of design approval rather than a variant of an issued note. ... Read more →