Search Results for "rare" - Collection

United States 1914 50 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Philadelphia District Fr 1035 White Mellon PMG 30 EPQ

United States 1914 – 50 Dollars Federal Reserve Note – Philadelphia District White | Mellon (Fr.1035)

High-denomination Federal Reserve Notes of this first series circulated little in everyday commerce. Their large value meant that most were held in institutional or interbank use, and the majority were later redeemed and destroyed. Survivors with original paper quality are consequently rare. Certified PMG 30 EPQ Very Fine, this example retains full color, crisp ink detail, and genuine originality-an appealing representative of the moment when America’s new central bank introduced its first generation of notes to the public. Read more →

United StatesFederal Reserve Note191450 DollarsPMG 30 EPQ Very Fine 50 DollarsFederal Reserve NoteIssued NotePhiladelphiaFr 10351914 Series1914Large SizeGrantPanama ReverseUnited StatesPMG 30 EPQ

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Paraguay 1907 - Banco de la República 100 Pesos Issued Note (Pick 159)

Issued 1907 Banco de la República 100 Pesos note, cataloged as Pick 159 and printed by Waterlow & Sons, London. This is the original, non-overprinted base type from which the later 1912 emergency state issues were created. In its pure issued form, without the later “Emisión del Estado” overprint or the additional Treasury fiscal validation seen on rarer revalidated examples, the note preserves the full Waterlow design as it was intended before Paraguay’s monetary emergency transformed surviving stocks into provisional state currency. Read more →

ParaguayIssued Note1907100 PesosPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Issued Note100 PesosPick 159Banco de la RepúblicaBase TypeNon-Overprinted IssueOriginal IssueSeries ARed Serial NumberWaterlow & SonsWaterlow & Sons London100 WatermarkWmk 100Architectural VignetteBanco de la República BuildingGuilloché Security DesignIntaglio PrintingYellow-Green TintBlack EngravingLarge Denomination PanelsMoneda NacionalDiez Pesos Oro SelladoGold-Value ClauseTen Sealed Gold PesosBase for 1912 State OverprintBase for Pick 134Base for Dual-Side Treasury RevalidationParaguayan Monetary HistorySouth American Monetary HistoryEarly 20th Century FinancePre-1912 Emergency IssueReference TypeCurrency Reform ContextHistoryParaguayRepublic of Paraguay19071912PMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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Italy ND (1868) Banco di Napoli Fede di Credito specimen, ICG 60 AU/UNC

Italy 1868 - Banco di Napoli Fede di Credito 50–200 Lire Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

Certified ICG AU/UNC 60, this piece preserves original paper texture with light handling only. Surviving examples are rarely encountered, as most fede di credito were redeemed and destroyed. It stands as one of the earliest engraved forms linking Italian unification banking reforms with centuries-old Neapolitan credit practices, bridging medieval traditions and modern note engraving. Read more →

ItalySpecimen186850–200 LireICG 60 AU/UNC Pick-UnlistedBradbury WilkinsonBWCSpecimenItalian KingdomBanco di Napoli50 lire200 lireItaly1868

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Italy 1869 Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire specimen serial number 0001 printed by Bradbury Wilkinson and Company PMG 63 Top Pop

Italy 1869 - Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The design reflects the highest level of nineteenth century security engraving, with dense guilloche frameworks, a central portrait medallion, and a refined blue underprint panel integrated into the main composition. Bradbury Wilkinson’s involvement places this piece within the early expansion of British security printing influence into continental European financial systems, particularly in transitional economies seeking both credibility and technical sophistication. Read more →

ItalySpecimen186930 LirePMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Top Pop Serial Number 0001 SpecimenAgricultural Credit NoteCredito AgricoloCassa di Risparmio in BolognaPrivate Banking InstrumentControlled Credit IssueOdd Denomination30 LireBradbury Wilkinson and CompanySecurity PrintingGuilloche EngravingBlue UnderprintPortrait MedallionIssuance PanelItalian Banking HistoryPost Unification ItalyNineteenth Century FinanceAgricultural Credit SystemHistoryItaly1869Pick UnlistedPMG 63Top PopUniqueR9 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Italy 1869 Bradbury Wilkinson engraved portrait vignette used directly in the Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire banknote design

Italy 1869 - Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Portrait Vignette (Bradbury Wilkinson and Company)

Surviving engraved vignette proofs tied to specific issued designs are exceptionally rare, as they were internal production materials not intended for distribution or preservation. Their survival provides a rare and precise view into the construction process of banknote design at the highest level of nineteenth century security printing. Read more →

ItalyVignette1869Not ApplicablePMG Certified VignettePortrait VignetteEngraving ProofIntaglio EngravingBradbury Wilkinson and CompanySecurity PrintingDesign ElementBanknote ProductionCredito AgricoloCassa di Risparmio in Bologna30 Lire30 Lire IssueCompanion PieceLinked ArtifactItalian Banking HistoryPost Unification ItalyNineteenth Century FinanceHistoryItaly1869Pick UnlistedR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Italy 1866 Credito Fondiario di Bologna 50 Lire specimen, PMG 66 EPQ

Italy 1866 - Credito Fondiario di Bologna 50 Lire Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The note’s oversized layout is striking, with ornate guilloché and multiple coats of arms symbolizing the pre-unification states of Italy. This heraldic display was already becoming obsolete by the 1860s as national identity consolidated, making this design a rare vestige of Italy’s regional past engraved onto its financial instruments. Wide margins, full color, and archival cancellations confirm its specimen status. Read more →

ItalySpecimen186650 LirePMG 66 EPQ (Top Pop) OversizedSpecimen ProofProofSpecimenPrivate BankItalian StatesPick UnlistedTop PopPMG 66 EPQ50 lireBradbury WilkinsonBWCItaly1866

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Australia ca.1963 Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 Travellers Cheque photographic proof, PCGS 58

Australia 1963 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 Travellers Cheque Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

The piece captures the final monochrome layout used for the £5 denomination, showing alignment marks, margins, and design placement in photographic negative format. It represents a form of Australian banking ephemera rarely preserved outside institutional archives, bridging the worlds of banknote design, printing technology, and the evolution of financial instruments for international travel. Read more →

AustraliaPhotographic Proof19635 PoundsPCGS 58 Choice About New Pick UnlistedPhotographic Proof5 PoundsTravellers ChequeTravelers CheckSydneyCommercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITEDCommercial Bank of SydneyCommercial Bank of SydneyTop Pop1963Australia

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Brazil circa 1963 Tesouro Nacional undated Valor Legal test proof

Brazil 1963 - Tesouro Nacional, Undated ‘Valor Legal’ Test Proof

This example, graded PCGS 53 PPQ (About New), represents an extremely rare survival of the developmental phase of Brazil’s printing program-an ephemeral but vital record of how the country’s currency evolved typographically before the definitive Cruzeiro issues of the later 1960s. Read more →

BrazilTest Proof1963UndatedPCGS 53 PPQ (About New) Test ProofTypographyNDArchivalBrazil1963

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Brazil circa 1963 prefix test proof Estampa 3a Serie 000a

Brazil 1963 - Tesouro Nacional, Prefix Test Proof “Estampa 3ª Série 000a”

Graded PCGS 64 Very Choice New, this example provides a rare look into the behind-the-scenes workflow of Brazilian banknote production. While visually minimal, such sheets are indispensable documentation of the practical precision required in government printing offices of the era. Read more →

BrazilPrefix Test Proof1963-PCGS 64 (Very Choice New) Prefix TestSerial TrialNDArchivalBrazil1963

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Luxembourg 1982 1000 Francs proof with no overprint or serials, Pick 52bp, PMG 55 EPQ About Uncirculated, Top Pop 1 of 1

Luxembourg 1982 - 1000 Francs Proof Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52bp)

Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, the note displays the full intaglio structure exactly as prepared for final production. The portrait of Grand Duchess Charlotte is rendered in sharp, uninterrupted engraving, surrounded by precise guilloche architecture and balanced ornamental framing. At this stage, the design exists as a controlled reference standard, used to verify engraving accuracy, layout integrity, and readiness for subsequent production phases. Read more →

LuxembourgProof19821000 FrancsPMG 55 EPQ About Uncirculated Proof1000 FrancsTop Pop 1 of 1Top PopUnique Graded ExampleHighest DenominationGrand Duchess CharlotteLuxembourg banknote designIntaglio engravingGuilloche security patternBradbury WilkinsonBWCLuxembourg monetary systemBelgian Luxembourg Economic UnionUnissued contingency issueProduction reference stageHistoryLuxembourg1982Pick 52bpPick 52bPMG 55 EPQAbout UncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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Luxembourg 1982 500 Francs proof with no overprint or serials, Pick 52ap, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, Top Pop 1 of 1

Luxembourg 1982 - 500 Francs Proof Grand Duchess Charlotte (Pick 52ap)

Within the full structure of the series, this proof occupies the primary design stage for the working denomination. It precedes both the color trial phase, where palette variations were explored, and the specimen phase, where control markings and cancellations were applied. Together with the 1000 Francs proof, it establishes the complete engraved foundation of the unissued series. Read more →

LuxembourgProof1982500 FrancsPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Proof500 FrancsTop Pop 1 of 1Unique Graded ExampleCore DenominationGrand Duchess CharlotteLuxembourg banknote designIntaglio engravingGuilloche security patternBradbury WilkinsonBWCLuxembourg monetary systemBelgian Luxembourg Economic UnionUnissued contingency issueProduction reference stageHistoryLuxembourg1982Pick 52apPick 52aPMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1934 Reserve Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings photographic face proof Pick 154p showing kiwi vignette and portrait of Maori King Tawhiao

New Zealand 1934 - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Photographic Face Proof (Pick 154p)

Photographic proofs such as this were produced directly from the engraver’s master die or transfer plate. These images allowed printers and designers to study the engraved line structure without the visual distortion introduced by ink spread, paper texture, or press pressure. Because they capture the engraving at its purest stage, they serve as primary records of the artistic and technical decisions that shaped the final banknote. Read more →

New ZealandPhotographic Proof193410 ShillingsPCGS 64 Very Choice New Photographic ProofFace ProofEngraving ProofArchival ProofLefeaux SeriesReserve Bank First IssueReserve Bank Act 1933Leslie LefeauxKiwi VignetteMaori King TawhiaoNew Zealand Coat of ArmsNew Zealand193410 ShillingsPick 154pPick 154PCGS 64Very Choice NewMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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