Collection PL

New Zealand 1981 - 100 Dollars H.R. Hardie Signature Replacement Star Serial YA000000* Printer Annotation Specimen (Pick 175as)

As a printer annotation specimen with replacement star serial, this note occupies a highly specialized category within New Zealand numismatics, representing a documented moment within the production and approval chain. Such pieces were typically retained internally and rarely survive outside institutional archives. Read more →

New Zealand 1981 - 100 Dollars H.R. Hardie Signature Serial YAA000000 Printer Annotation Specimen with Single Punch Hole (Pick 175as)

As a printer annotation specimen without any formal specimen marking system, this note represents a rare internal reference format. Such pieces were used for evaluation, correction, and approval, and were typically not intended for preservation outside institutional or printer archives. Read more →

New Zealand 1985 - 100 Dollars S.T. Russell Signature Black Overprint Specimen No. 004 with Dual Oval Stamps and YAC000000 Serial (Pick 175bs)

Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, this specimen combines multiple control and validation features rarely seen together on a single note. The central design carries a bold black 'SPECIMEN' overprint applied horizontally, distinguishing it from earlier red-overprint formats. In addition, a second black 'SPECIMEN' marking appears at right, alongside a third printed specimen designation integrated near the lower left serial area, creating a multi-point overprint system across the design. Read more →

New Zealand 1985 - 100 Dollars S.T. Russell Signature Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE Serial YAC000000 (Pick 175bs)

Graded PMG 67 EPQ Superb Gem Uncirculated, this example stands alone at the highest certified level for this issue, with a population of one and no examples recorded in higher grades. This top population status places it at the absolute pinnacle of known survivals, combining elite preservation with a rare and technically distinct specimen format. Read more →

New Zealand 1992 - 100 Dollars Rutherford Design Vertical Red SPECIMEN Overprint Printer-Annotated TDLR Specimen (Pick 181s)

This example represents a complex internal printer specimen, combining multiple control and approval features rarely encountered together on a single note. The most visually striking element is the red 'SPECIMEN' overprint applied vertically from top to bottom across the portrait and central design. This orientation differs fundamentally from the standard diagonal format used on earlier De La Rue specimens, indicating a distinct production or presentation method within the 1992 issue. Read more →

United States 1929 Type 1 - 10 Dollars National Bank Note - The Farmers National Bank of Sussex, New Jersey Charter 1221 (Fr. 1801-1)

Certified PMG 30 EPQ Very Fine, this survivor retains full color and originality-a rare trait for notes that circulated heavily in rural trade. With fewer than fifty small-size notes known for this charter, it is a tangible link to Sussex County’s 19th-century banking heritage and a surviving witness to the closing generation of the National Banking system. Read more →

United States 1995 – 10 Dollars Federal Reserve Note – Minneapolis District Printed Tear Error (Fr.2032-I)

The error noted by PMG as 'Printed Tear Error' occurred when the sheet suffered a slight tear or snag during the intaglio impression stage. Instead of discarding the damaged substrate, the BEP press cycle continued, causing a distortion or ink void along the affected margin before the paper was repaired or trimmed. Such anomalies provide a glimpse into the precision-and occasional fallibility-of modern currency production, where speed and volume can produce rare, visually distinctive results. Read more →

United States ca. 1970s – C.O.P.E. Experimental Test Note Serial A82432955A

Few examples survived outside official archives, as almost all were destroyed after use. This specimen, preserved in pristine form, provides a direct glimpse into the mechanical evolution of U.S. paper currency manufacturing. Certified PCGS Currency Gem New 65 PPQ, it exhibits bright paper, razor-sharp serial impressions, and full margins-an exceptionally rare survivor from the development phase of America’s first automated currency-processing era. Read more →

United States 1902 – 20 Dollars Large Size Plain Back National Bank Note – The First National Bank of Taylorville, Illinois Charter 3579 (Fr.650-652)

Serial 21634 documents a late Plain Back print. Paper shows honest circulation folds, edge wear, and scattered foxing, but retains strong ink in the blue overprints and clear device detail on both sides. As a raw Very Good survivor from a bank with almost no public sales history, this piece anchors the scarce large-size side of the Taylorville story and pairs historically with the ultra-rare 1929 Type 1 ghost note from the same charter. Read more →

United States 1929 - Uncut Pair of $5 Type 2 National Bank Notes with 1944 Bank Letter – The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas Charter 13076 W.D. Ferguson Provenance (Friedberg 1800-1)

Uncut consecutive pair of Series of 1929 Type 2 five-dollar National Bank Notes from The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas (Charter 13076), accompanied by the original 1944 letter of transmittal from the bank’s president, W. D. Ferguson. Together, they form a uniquely documented provenance set-one of the most personal and historically complete National Bank artifacts known from rural Kansas. Read more →

United States 1996 - 100 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Insufficient Inking Error (Friedberg 2175-G)

Insufficient inking errors of this magnitude are extremely uncommon on 100 Dollar notes. High-denomination sheets were printed under the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s most rigorous quality-control protocols, and nearly all examples showing such severe defects were intercepted and destroyed. This survivor is therefore not only visually dramatic but also a rare testament to the limits of quality assurance at a time when the BEP was modernizing production with computer-assisted presses and updated ink formulations. Read more →

United States 1996 - 50 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Insufficient Inking Error (Friedberg 2126-G)

Errors of this severity are highly uncommon on mid- to high-denomination issues. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s late 1990s modernization program introduced automated inspection and improved quality monitoring, but rare lapses still occurred, particularly when print runs were transitioning between older and newer press systems. Inconsistent ink application or uneven plate pressure could yield localized under-inking, creating the ghosted design seen here. Read more →