Collection PL

Mexico 1884 – Fábrica de Tunal 1 Peso (Pick Unlisted, ABNC)

As an issued and numbered piece (serial 07769, control letter 'A') this example comes from the active circulation series-not an archival pull or proof. Issued ABNC corporate notes are dramatically scarcer than the proofs occasionally seen from late ABNC dispersals. Notes like this circulated aggressively, were redeemed on payday, and were routinely destroyed during accounting consolidation. Their life expectancy was short, and surviving high-grade examples are exceptionally rare, especially in the PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated range. Read more →

New Zealand 1924-1925 - Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings with SPECIMEN Perforation Front Proof (Pick S231p1)

Front proofs such as this were retained in the printer’s reference archives and used to verify color registration, alignment, and micro-engraving before full production. The intact margins and deep relief impression make this piece an ideal teaching reference for plate-making and tint-stone layering techniques used by BWC during the interwar modernization of New Zealand’s private-issue currency. It stands as an educational artifact bridging colonial design tradition and the technical precision that would define later Reserve Bank series. Read more →

Libya 1971 - Central Bank of Libya Omar al-Mukhtar Intaglio Vignette Proof (Portrait Master for 10 Dinars Issue)

At the time of cataloging, this is the only certified intaglio vignette proof of Omar al-Mukhtar recorded for the Central Bank of Libya 1971 series. No additional examples are documented in grading census data, auction archives, institutional collections, or reference literature. Its rarity derives from production-stage uniqueness rather than condition scarcity. Read more →

Italy 1869 - Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company Portrait of Man for Credito Agricolo della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna 30 Lire Design Intaglio Vignette

Together with the 30 Lire specimen note, this vignette establishes a complete design lineage from engraved origin to final printed instrument, making it an essential companion artifact and a critical reference point for the series. Read more →

El Salvador 1998 - 25 Colones Issued Note (Pick 149b)

These mid-series notes were part of El Salvador’s last paper-money production cycle before the transition to the U.S. dollar in 2001. Known for crisp intaglio definition and consistent inking, the 1998 printing demonstrates the maturity of De La Rue’s plate maintenance process. Read more →

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

The note belongs to the inaugural Reserve Bank series commonly known as the "Lefeaux series", named for Leslie Lefeaux, the institution’s first Governor. Prior to 1934 New Zealand’s paper money had been issued by private trading banks. The establishment of the Reserve Bank introduced a unified national currency system, and the new banknotes were commissioned from Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited in London, one of the world’s leading security printers. Read more →

New Zealand 1934 - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Issued Note (Pick 154)

The 10 Shillings banknote issued on 1 August 1934 forms part of the first national paper money series produced for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand after its establishment under the Reserve Bank Act of 1933. The creation of the Reserve Bank replaced the fragmented system of private trading bank notes with a unified national currency, marking a major milestone in the country’s monetary history. Read more →

Poland 1940 - 20 Zlotych, Series N WWII London Counterfeit (Pick 95b)

20 złotych dated 1 March 1940, issued under the Bank Emisyjny w Polsce during the German occupation, here from Series N - a rarer subtype known as the 'WWII London Counterfeit' (LC). This variety is recognized by its distinct olive-toned underprint, setting it apart from the more common genuine emissions. PMG has described this piece as a diversionary counterfeit, aligning it with the series of clandestine productions created to destabilize the wartime Polish economy. Read more →

United States 1902 – 5 Dollars Large Size Plain Back National Bank Note – The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas Charter 13076 Error Note (Fr.609)

Organized in May 1927, The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas, was one of the last institutions chartered under the National Banking Act, entering the system just as small-town banks faced increasing consolidation pressures. Chartered as number 13076, it was led by cashier N. Reimers and president W. D. Ferguson, whose engraved signatures appear boldly in dark ink on this note. Despite its late founding date, the bank issued both large-size 1902 Plain Backs and small-size 1929 series notes before the National system’s absorption into the FDIC framework in the mid-1930s. Read more →

Uruguay 1939 - Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 50 Pesos Specimen, Red Oval De La Rue Cancel, Serie A (Pick 38as)

This specimen note represents the fifty pesos denomination of the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939 and printed by Thomas De La Rue and Company in London. The note is clearly identified on its face as Serie A, reflecting the actual printed series rather than generalized range designations sometimes used on grading labels. Read more →

Great Britain 1922 - Thomas Cook and Son 5 Pounds Travellers Cheque Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

The face design combines a strong Thomas Cook and Son title banner, large 5 Pounds denomination devices, dense guilloche patterning, a portrait vignette at the right, and a layered security background designed to convey institutional reliability and protect against alteration. The payment text identifies the cheque as payable in the British Isles and in other countries through the firm's established international network, reflecting the mature form of the traveller's cheque as a portable and identity-linked financial instrument. Read more →

Great Britain 1919 - Thomas Cook and Son 5 Pounds Circular Note Photographic Proof, Alternate Design (Pick Unlisted)

Together with the companion 1919 5 Pounds Circular Note photographic proof, this alternate design creates an unusually strong paired record of Thomas Cook and Son's postwar proofing process. One design carries forward the portrait-and-denomination structure that visually connects with later 5 Pounds material, while this proof preserves a more centralized ornamental treatment rooted in the circular note tradition. The pair shows active design development rather than a single isolated proof image. Read more →