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Poland 1994 50 Zlotych discovery AR prefix specimen perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE, serial AR0000000, with handwritten archive date 30.4.96, printer annotations, and Thomas De La Rue production origin.

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Discovery AR Prefix Specimen Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE (Pick Unlisted)

Produced by Thomas De La Rue in London for the National Bank of Poland, the note carries Andrzej Heidrich's completed 1994 design with layered guilloche work, detailed denomination panels, ornamental security structures, and the King Casimir III the Great watermark in the left field. Read more →

PolandDiscovery AR Prefix Specimen Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE199450 ZlotychUncirculated SpecimenDiscovery AR PrefixDiscovery PrefixDiscovery MaterialProduction-Stage DiscoveryPerforated SpecimenPerforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUESpecimen of No ValuePrinter AnnotationsHandwritten Archive Date30.4.96AR PrefixSerial AR0000000Zero Serial NumberThomas De La RueTDLRMilczak UnlistedPick UnlistedMilczak Unlisted AR PrefixPreviously Undocumented AR PrefixAR Prefix Specimen EvidencePhysical Specimen Control FormDe La Rue Archival ControlPoland Currency Redesign 1994National Bank of PolandNarodowy Bank PolskiModern Polish BanknotesSecurity Printing HistorySpecimen Control ProceduresPre Issue Control NotePrinter Control MaterialFinal Issued-Style DesignKing Casimir III the GreatKazimierz WielkiAndrzej HeidrichHanna Gronkiewicz-WaltzWieslaw BiernatowiczPolandPoland 1994199450 ZlotychMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations
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Italy 1871–1872 Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire specimen, Pick S976s, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., PMG 64 Top Pop

Italy 1871–1872 - Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire Specimen (Pick S976s)

Produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London during the early stages of their European expansion, the engraving reflects a transitional moment in BWC’s development from commercial engravers into one of the world’s premier security printers. The deeply cut guilloches, vast empty margins, and sculptural allegory of Standing Italia exhibit a sophistication rarely seen on private Italian issues of the period. BWC’s design language of the 1870s-ornate, aspirational, and technically ambitious-foreshadows the company’s later dominance in colonial and European banknote engraving. As an artifact of design history alone, this note marks one of the earliest intersections between British engraving expertise and the newly unified Italian state. Read more →

ItalySpecimen1871250 LirePMG 64 (Top Pop) Private BankOversizedSpecimenDouble Punch HolePunch Cancelled250 LireEngraved Security PaperProof and Archive PieceBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S976sItalian StatesPost Unification ItalyItalian Banking HistoryFailed Banknote IssuesGerman Capital in Italy19th Century FinanceNational AllegorySecurity Printing HistoryRome Banking ExperimentsUnissued Banknote ProjectItaly1871PMG 64Top PopR9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade
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Uruguay 1872 100 Pesos equals 10 Doblones printer archival specimen, early serial number 010001, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson

Uruguay 1872 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 100 Pesos = 10 Doblones Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The note was produced in London by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. as part of the bank’s highest-level security printing program. Its oversized format, broad unprinted margins, and finely executed intaglio engraving identify it as an archival specimen rather than a circulation note. The serial number 010001 places this piece at the very beginning of the production sequence, consistent with an early pull retained for reference, approval, or institutional record rather than public issue. Read more →

UruguaySpecimen1872100 Pesos = 10 DoblonesPMG 35 Choice Very Fine SpecimenPrinter Archival SpecimenDual DenominationGold EquivalenceEarly Pull Serial 010001Oversized FormatBradbury WilkinsonBWCLondon Security PrintingNineteenth Century EngravingArchival Reference NoteGold Standard ExperimentPeso Doblone ParityBanco de Londres y Rio de la PlataLatin American Monetary HistoryNineteenth Century State FinanceUruguayMontevideo1872Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique
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China 1915 South Sinkiang Border Defence Headquarters 1 tael textile emergency banknote printed on woven cloth with red overprint and bilingual inscriptions

China 1915 - South Sinkiang Border Defence Headquarters 1 Tael Textile Emergency Issue (Pick Unlisted)

The banknote is printed on hand-woven textile rather than paper, a deliberate and practical choice dictated by frontier conditions. The cloth substrate displays visible horizontal striping consistent with regional weaving traditions, providing durability and resistance to casual counterfeiting. Printing was executed using woodblock techniques, producing uneven ink penetration characteristic of authentic frontier textile issues. Read more →

ChinaTextile Banknote19151 TaelFine (Textile Issue) Textile BanknoteTextile Emergency CurrencyCloth CurrencyMilitary Emergency Issue1 TaelWoodblock PrintingRed OverprintSouth Sinkiang Border Defence HeadquartersFrontier Military AdministrationRegional Monetary SystemUyghur-Chinese Bilingual IssueCentral Asian Frontier FinanceSecurity Printing HistoryChinaSinkiangSouth Sinkiang1915R9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum GradePick Unlisted
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Specimen full sheet Serie A No. 23327 Banco de Zaragoza 100 reales vellón with header and talón, Pick S451s, 1 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 100 Reales Vellón Serie A Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 23327 (Pick S451s)

This specimen forms a matched pair with the issued Serie A banknote No. 23322 (Pick S451b) also held in the collection (see item 'spain-1857-banco-de-zaragoza-100-reales-serie-a-23322-issued-note'), together documenting both the specimen and circulation forms of the 1857 Zaragoza emission. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857100 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S451sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie ASerial 23327100 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingMonetary HistorySecurity PrintingSpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade
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Specimen full sheet Banco de Zaragoza 200 reales vellón, Serie B No. 07887, with header and talón, Pick S452s, 14 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 200 Reales Vellón Serie B Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 07887 (Pick S452s)

A full-sheet specimen of the Banco de Zaragoza 200 reales vellón dated 14 May 1857, Serie B, serial number 07887, classified as Pick S452s. This complete production sheet preserves the entire printing layout: the upper header panel used for alignment and plate control, the left talón for internal audit numbering, and the full banknote plate. Full-sheet specimens from Spanish provincial banks in the 1850s are exceptionally rare, and survivals with both header and talón intact are almost unknown. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857200 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S452sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie BSerial 07887200 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingSecurity PrintingMonetary HistorySpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade
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Specimen full sheet Banco de Zaragoza 500 reales vellón, Serie C No. 08703, with header and talón, Pick S453s, 14 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 500 Reales Vellón Serie C Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 08703 (Pick S453s)

This specimen forms a matched pair with the issued Serie C note No. 08785 (Pick S453a) also in the collection (see item 'spain-1857-banco-de-zaragoza-500-reales-serie-c-08785-issued-note'), documenting both the production-sheet specimen and the circulation-authorized form of the 500 reales vellón emission. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857500 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S453sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie CSerial 08703500 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingSecurity PrintingMonetary HistorySpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade
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New Zealand 1916–1920 Bank of New Zealand £5 Red-Rose wartime specimen from the BNZ orange lineage, Pick S227s, serial prefix 7/180001–7/220000, PMG 65 EPQ Top Pop

New Zealand 1916–1920 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Red-Rose (Orange Lineage) Specimen with Serial Number Prefix (Pick S227s)

Within the BNZ color lineage, the £5 denomination occupies the warm-tone tier established by the pre-war £5 Orange issues of 1895–1915. Wartime pigment constraints and paper rationing produced a tonal shift toward red-rose or salmon while preserving the same functional position within the denomination hierarchy. This note documents the wartime evolution of that established £5 color lineage, not a separate color class. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix19165 PoundsPMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated (Top Pop) Specimen5 PoundsRed-RoseBNZ Color LineageOrange LineageWith Serial PrefixPrinter AnnotationCANCELLED PerforationHigh DenominationBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S227sBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankWartime IssueNew Zealand Banking HistoryMāori Portrait SeriesMaritime Economy NotesSecurity Printing HistoryNew Zealand191619201916–1920Top PopPMG 65 EPQMuseum GradeR8 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations
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New Zealand 1913 Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange multi-serial approval specimen Pick S192ms with serials 286901 and 296900, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated

New Zealand 1913 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange Multi-Serial Approval Specimen (Pick S192ms)

The design retains the canonical BNZ Victorian layout: Māori portrait figures at left, a coastal vignette symbolizing New Zealand’s maritime economy, and dense guilloche frameworks engraved to Bradbury Wilkinson’s late-19th-century standard. By 1913, however, the orange duty tint had been deepened and the geometry subtly regularized, reflecting the broader transition from ornate Victorian engraving toward the more disciplined Edwardian and early WWI-era printing style. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen19135 PoundsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) SpecimenApproval Specimen5 PoundsOrangeBNZ Color LineageMulti-Serial ApprovalBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S192msBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankNew Zealand Banking HistoryWWI-Era ProductionVictorian-Edwardian TransitionMāori Portrait SeriesMaritime Economy NotesSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsNew Zealand1913PMG 63Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare
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New Zealand 1895–1908 Bank of New Zealand 10 Pounds Brown specimen with dual serial numbers 097476 and 102475, perforated SPECIMEN, Bradbury Wilkinson printing, PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated

New Zealand 1895–1908 - Bank of New Zealand £10 Brown Specimen with Serial Number Prefix (Pick S193bs)

Surviving specimens of the S193s type are extremely scarce. Positioned alongside the one pound green (Pick S191s) and five pounds orange (Pick S192s), the ten pounds brown completes the BNZ color lineage and represents the highest denomination within this pre-Reserve Bank engraved series. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix189510 PoundsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Specimen10 PoundsBrownBNZ Color LineageSerial Prefix Specimen097476102475Perforated SPECIMENBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S193bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankNew Zealand Banking HistoryMāori Portrait SeriesVictorian Edwardian TransitionSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsHistoryNew Zealand189519081895-1908PMG 63Choice UncirculatedMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare
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Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 proof, circa 1905–1910, PMG 63 EPQ

Australia 1905–1910 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 Specimen Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Bradbury Wilkinson’s master plates reflect the mature internationalisation of security printing. By 1905–1910, Australian banks increasingly relied on London engravers for their highest-grade notes, as BWC offered complex tint-stone methods, deep intaglio capability, and anti-counterfeiting technologies unattainable in most colonial print shops. These proof specimens were the pinnacle of that relationship, produced in tiny numbers for board approval, archival retention, or printer-client authentication. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen Proof19055 PoundsPMG 63 EPQ (Top Pop) Specimen5 PoundsSpecimen ProofProofPick UnlistedCommercial Banking Company of Sydney LimitedBradbury WilkinsonBWCLarge SizePre-FederationColonial SpecimenEngraved Security PrintingAustralian Private BanknotesSydney Banking HistorySecurity Printing HistoryEdwardian DesignBritish Engraving InfluenceTransition to Commonwealth CurrencyEarly 20th Century BankingAustralian Monetary HistoryAustraliaSydney190519101905–1910PMG 63 EPQTop PopMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare
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Australia 1889 Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited £5 specimen with serial number prefix, perforated SPECIMEN, printer annotation dated 1 March 1890

Australia 1880–1889 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited £5 SPECIMEN with Serial Prefix (Pick Unlisted, MVR4a)

The note is perforated SPECIMEN across the face and lacks manuscript signatures, confirming its exclusion from any intended issuance workflow. Serial numbers appear at both sides of the face, consistent with bank and printer audit material rather than circulation stock. A pencil annotation dated 1 March 1890 is present in the upper margin, recording a printer or bank-side control date. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix18895 PoundsUncirculated SpecimenSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix5 PoundsCommercial Banking Company of Sydney LimitedBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick UnlistedColonial SpecimenEngraved Security PrintingAustralian Private BanknotesNew South Wales Banking HistoryPre-Federation Finance19th Century BankingSecurity Printing HistoryAustralian Monetary HistoryAustraliaSydney1889Museum GradeR8 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations
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