Search Results for "rare" - Collection

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 50 Pesos Serie C Specimen, Specimen No. 9 (Pick 38bs)

The obverse is organized beneath the commanding title REPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY, with CINCUENTA PESOS integrated into the lower central portion of the design. The composition is constructed from elaborate geometric security engraving, ornamental borders, repeated denomination devices, and carefully balanced fields of blue and brown printing. The large oval at left accommodates the watermark of Jose Gervasio Artigas, incorporating Uruguay's principal national figure into the physical structure of the paper. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen with Red Overprint and Oval Printer Control Stamps193950 PesosPMG 65 EPQ Specimen50 PesosSerie CSpecimen No 9All Zero Serial NumbersRed SPECIMEN OverprintRed Oval Printer Control StampsTwo Sided Specimen CancellationIndigenous Warrior PortraitFeathered HeaddressJose Gervasio Artigas WatermarkCeremonial Historical ReverseBanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedIntaglio PrintingSecurity EngravingGuilloche DesignWatermarked PaperMulti Color Security PrintingPrinted Specimen ControlNumbered Institutional SpecimenLondon Security PrintingUruguay Monetary HistoryLaw of 2 January 1939Interwar Monetary SystemState Issued CurrencyInstitutional Reference NoteHigh Value Commercial CurrencySpecimen DistributionBanknote Production HistoryHistoryUruguay193950 PesosPick 38bsPick 38bPMG 65Gem UncirculatedExceptional Paper QualityR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Uruguay 1939 design authorized for Banco Central del Uruguay in 1967, 50 Pesos Serie D specimen, Specimen No. 2, Pick 42As, with all-zero serial numbers, diagonal red SPECIMEN overprint, red oval Thomas De La Rue printer control stamps, Indigenous warrior portrait, Jose Gervasio Artigas watermark, and historical assembly reverse, certified Paper Money Guaranty 66 Gem Uncirculated Exceptional Paper Quality

Uruguay 1939 (1967 Authorization) - Banco Central del Uruguay 50 Pesos Serie D Specimen, Specimen No. 2 (Pick 42As)

At right appears the denomination's monumental Indigenous warrior portrait, engraved with the sculptural precision associated with Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited. The figure wears an elaborate headdress and ornamental beadwork, while a ceremonial staff or weapon rises behind the shoulder. Closely controlled intaglio lines define the face, hair, headdress, clothing, and surrounding details, creating one of the most visually forceful portraits in Uruguay's twentieth-century banknote series. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen with Red Overprint and Oval Printer Control Stamps193950 PesosPaper Money Guaranty 66 Gem Uncirculated Exceptional Paper Quality Specimen50 PesosSerie DSpecimen No 2All Zero Serial NumbersRed SPECIMEN OverprintRed Oval Printer Control StampsTwo Sided Specimen CancellationIndigenous Warrior PortraitFeathered HeaddressJose Gervasio Artigas WatermarkHistorical Assembly ReverseBanco Central del UruguayBanco de la Republica Oriental del UruguayDepartamento de EmisionThomas De La Rue and Company LimitedIntaglio PrintingSecurity EngravingGuilloche DesignWatermarked PaperMulticolor Security PrintingPrinted Specimen ControlNumbered Institutional SpecimenLondon Security PrintingReused Banknote Plate DesignUruguay Monetary HistoryLaw of 2 January 19391967 Central Bank AuthorizationBanco Central del Uruguay ReissueCentral Bank TransitionInstitutional ContinuityInterwar Banknote DesignPostwar Monetary AdministrationState Issued CurrencyInstitutional Reference NoteBanknote Production HistoryHistoryUruguay1939196750 PesosPick 42AsPick 42APaper Money Guaranty 66Gem UncirculatedExceptional Paper QualityR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Photographic transparency essay showing the Maenad engraving prepared for the 1996 North Macedonia 5000 Denari banknote

North Macedonia 1996 - 5000 Denari Photographic Transparency Essay (Maenad Vignette)

Because the transparency records the engraving without ink spread, paper absorption, or offset color layers, it preserves the Maenad figure in its most technically precise state. Every engraved line appears exactly as cut into the die, providing a rare view of the design before it was integrated into the complex layered printing structure of the finished banknote. Read more →

North MacedoniaPhotographic Proof19965000 DenariPCGS 63 Choice New Photographic ProofEssayPhotographic TransparencyPre-Press ProofEngraving Stage ProofMaenadMaenad VignetteBanknote EngravingSecurity Printing ProcessDe La RueBanknote Production WorkflowPre-Press MaterialsBanknote Design DevelopmentNorth Macedonia19965000 DenariPCGS 63Choice NewMuseum Grade

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New South Wales 1865 - Embossed 'ONE HALF PERCENT' Stamp Duty Fiscal Proof Specimen

Because these proofs were working approval materials rather than issued fiscal documents, most examples were destroyed after printing commenced. Surviving sheets that retain the printer’s blue framing guides and 'Specimen' designation provide rare documentation of the early stages of colonial security printing. As such, this piece represents a direct witness to the administrative and technical foundations of fiscal printing in nineteenth-century Australia. Read more →

AustraliaFiscal Die Proof1865One Half PercentUnissued archival proof (colourless embossing with printed SPECIMEN) Fiscal ProofDie ProofEmbossed Revenue PaperStamp Duty PaperAd Valorem DutyOne Half PercentNew South Wales TreasuryColonial Revenue SystemGovernment Fiscal PaperLegal Document AuthenticationThomas De La RueTDLRCowan & Sons PaperSecurity Paper ProductionEmbossed Die EngravingEarly Security PrintingAustraliaNew South Wales1865Colonial Fiscal PrintingRevenue Paper HistoryMuseum Grade

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1830s Penn Township Savings Institution 10 Cents proof deposit certificate engraved by Underwood Bald Spencer & Hufty of Philadelphia

United States 1830s - Pennsylvania, Philadelphia - Penn Township Savings Institution 10 Cents Proof (Unlisted)

Proof impressions such as this were produced for internal approval and archival reference prior to printing the circulating certificates. Most were discarded after the design was finalized, making surviving proofs from small Philadelphia savings institutions extremely rare. Read more →

United StatesObsolete Proof Note183010 CentsProof (Unissued) Obsolete ProofPick UnlistedUnlistedSavings Deposit CertificateFractional Savings NoteEarly Micro-SavingsMortgage Backed DepositWilliam Penn PortraitPenn Township Savings InstitutionPhiladelphia Banking HistoryMutual Savings BankUnderwood Bald Spencer & HuftyAmerican Security PrintingPre-American Bank Note Company Engraving19th Century EngravingUnited StatesPennsylvaniaPhiladelphia1830s10 CentsObsolete CurrencyEarly American BankingMuseum Grade

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Mexico 1915 Ayuntamiento de Zitácuaro 10 Centavos uncut sheet of four notes numbered 1124 to 1127, revolutionary municipal currency from Michoacán

Mexico 1915 - Ayuntamiento de Zitácuaro 10 Centavos Uncut Sheet of Four M2952c (Pick Unlisted)

As an artifact, the sheet illustrates how local authorities temporarily replaced national currency systems with municipal credit instruments backed by civic authority and local trust. It stands as a rare surviving witness to the decentralized monetary practices that emerged across Mexico during the upheaval of the revolution. Read more →

MexicoRevolutionary Issue191510 CentavosUncut Sheet Revolutionary IssuePick UnlistedMunicipal CurrencyEmergency MoneyBilimbiquesUncut Sheet10 CentavosAyuntamientoHonorable AyuntamientoMunicipal Government IssueLocal PrintingMexican Revolution CurrencyRevolutionary Monetary CrisisFractional Municipal MoneyEconomic HistoryMexicoMichoacánZitácuaro1915M2952cMuseum Grade

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Poland 1988 50 Złotych banknote prefix HK6400358 missing date and signatures of Prezes and Główny Skarbnik due to typographic printing omission

Poland 1988 - 50 Zlotych Prefix HK Missing Signatures Date Print Error Issued Note (Pick 142c)

This example retains the original red serial numbering HK6400358 and shows typical circulation handling, confirming that the error escaped quality control and entered everyday use. As a result, it represents a rare surviving example of a dramatic missing-print error from the 1988 50 Złotych issue. Read more →

PolandIssued Note Error (Missing Print)198850 ZłotychRaw (Circulated) Issued Error NoteMissing Print ErrorMissing SignaturesMissing Date PanelTypographic OmissionKarol Swierczewski PortraitNarodowy Bank PolskiPolska Wytwornia Papierow WartosciowychPWPW Security PrintingLate Communist Era BanknotesPrefix HKSerial HK64003581988 Series50 ZlotychPick 142cCM165CM166CM167CM168CM169CM170Poland1988Error NoteMuseum Grade

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Canada 1896 Bank of Nova Scotia 20 Dollars front and back proof pair engraved by the American Bank Note Company

Canada 1896 - Bank of Nova Scotia 20 Dollars Front and Back Proofs (Pick Unlisted)

Proof pairs from Canadian chartered banks are rarely encountered today. Many were destroyed once the plates were approved, and others were retained only within printer archives. Surviving examples, such as this matched pair certified PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated for both front and back, provide direct insight into the craftsmanship of American Bank Note Company engraving and the visual identity of Canada’s private banking era at the close of the nineteenth century. Read more →

CanadaProof Pair (Front & Back)189620 DollarsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Front and Back Proof Pair) Proof PairPick UnlistedFront ProofBack ProofEngraved ProofIntaglio EngravingABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyABNCo Security PrintingLathework GuillocheSteel Banknote EngravingThe Bank of Nova ScotiaHalifaxNova ScotiaCanadian Chartered BanknotesVictorian Era BankingCanada189620 DollarsPMG 63Choice UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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New Zealand 1975 - 100 Dollars R.L. Knight Signature Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE Serial G000000000 (Pick 168bs)

As a perforated specimen from the ND (1975–1977) Knight issue, this note represents the internal documentation stage of production at Thomas De La Rue. Such pieces were typically retained for archival and verification purposes and were rarely released, contributing to their limited survival. Read more →

New ZealandPerforated Specimen of No Value1975100 DollarsPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Perforated SpecimenSpecimen of No ValuePerforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUENo OverprintNo Oval StampNo Punch Hole100 DollarsQueen Elizabeth II portraitCaptain James Cook watermarkThomas De La RueTDLRKnight SignatureR.L. KnightInternal archival specimenDecimal SeriesReserve Bank of New ZealandHigh denomination noteNew Zealand currency evolutionHistoryNew Zealand197519771975-1977G000000000Pick 168bsPick 168bPMG 64Choice UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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New Zealand 1981 100 Dollars printer annotation specimen with replacement star serial YA000000*, handwritten approval markings, single punch hole, no overprint or oval stamp, Pick 175as, PMG 55 About Uncirculated.

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 ZealandPrinter Annotation Specimen Replacement Star with Punch Hole1981100 DollarsPMG 55 About Uncirculated SpecimenPrinter annotation specimenPrinter’s annotationsHandwritten approvedApproval markingsStar serialReplacement style serialSingle Punch HolePunch CancelledNo OverprintNo Oval Stamp100 DollarsQueen Elizabeth II portrait revisedCaptain James Cook watermarkBradbury WilkinsonBWCHardie SignatureH.R. HardieProduction control stagePrinter evaluation pieceDecimal SeriesReserve Bank of New ZealandSecond design typeNew Zealand currency evolutionHistoryNew Zealand198119851981-1985YA000000*Pick 175asPick 175aPMG 55About UncirculatedMuseum GradeAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1981 100 Dollars printer annotation specimen with serial YAA000000, handwritten approval markings, single punch hole, no overprint or oval stamp, Pick 175as, PMG 40 Extremely Fine.

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 ZealandPrinter Annotation Specimen with Punch Hole1981100 DollarsPMG 40 Extremely Fine SpecimenPrinter annotation specimenPrinter’s annotationsHandwritten approvedApproval markingsSingle Punch HolePunch CancelledNo OverprintNo Oval Stamp100 DollarsQueen Elizabeth II portrait revisedCaptain James Cook watermarkBradbury WilkinsonBWCHardie SignatureH.R. HardieProduction control stagePrinter evaluation pieceDecimal SeriesReserve Bank of New ZealandSecond design typeNew Zealand currency evolutionHistoryNew Zealand198119851981-1985YAA000000Pick 175asPick 175aPMG 40Extremely FineMuseum GradeAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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New Zealand 1985 100 Dollars specimen with black SPECIMEN overprints, dual oval DE LA RUE stamps, single punch hole, handwritten top margin annotations, Serial YAC000000, Specimen No. 004, Pick 175bs, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated.

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 ZealandSpecimen with Black Overprint, Oval Stamps, and Punch Hole1985100 DollarsPMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated SpecimenOverprint SpecimenBlack OverprintHorizontal SPECIMEN overprintMultiple SPECIMEN markingsDual Oval StampOval Stamp DE LA RUESingle Punch HolePunch CancelledPrinter AnnotationsHandwritten annotationsTop margin annotations100 DollarsQueen Elizabeth II portrait revisedCaptain James Cook watermarkBradbury WilkinsonBWCRussell SignatureS.T. RussellLate paper seriesFinal paper issueSpecimen control systemDecimal SeriesReserve Bank of New ZealandNew Zealand currency evolutionHistoryNew Zealand198519891985-1989Specimen No. 004YAC000000Pick 175bsPick 175bPMG 58Choice About UncirculatedMuseum GradeAnnotations

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