Collection PL

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Approval Specimen Without Overprints AR Prefix (Pick Unlisted)

This example documents the use of a previously unrecorded AR prefix on a known approval specimen type of the 50 zlotych banknote from the 1994 Polish issue. The note is a fully printed approval specimen produced by Thomas De La Rue in London for the National Bank of Poland as part of the formal approval process for the final design intended for circulation. It retains the complete structure of the emission design, corresponding to the version that subsequently entered regular production. ... Read more →

Poland 1936 - 50 Zlotych Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (Pick 78a, Miłczak 77a–b)

The 50 Zlotych note dated 11 November 1936 with the portrait of General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski represents the highest artistic and symbolic achievement of Polish interwar banknote design. Conceived as the flagship denomination of a fully modernized Bank Polski series, it was intended to embody state continuity, national identity, and technical excellence at a moment when the Second Polish Republic had reached institutional maturity. The choice of date was deliberate. ... Read more →

Italy 1871 - Standing Italia Vignette Die Proof (PS976)

Engraved vignette die proof of 'Standing Italia,' later integrated into the 250 Lire specimen of the Banca Italo-Germanica (1871–72, PS976). The allegory, modeled on classical prototypes, depicts Italia standing with shield and spear, emblematic of the country’s newly achieved unification and Rome’s designation as capital in 1871. Pulled directly from the master plate by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., this die proof captures the engraving in its purest state-sharp, uninked margins, and untouched by printing wear. ... Read more →

Italy 1871 - Germania with Shield and Spear Vignette Die Proof Used for 500 Lire (Pick PS977)

This engraved vignette proof depicting 'Germania with Shield and Spear' was produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London for the Banca Italo-Germanica during the early 1870s. The impression preserves the complete ornamental vignette prepared for the proposed 500 Lire banknote design, including the decorative frame and denomination tablet engraved for integration into the final banknote layout. ... Read more →

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

This engraved proof note was prepared for the Penn Township Savings Institution of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the early 1830s. Rather than serving as circulating currency, the document represents a fractional savings deposit certificate issued by one of the many mutual savings institutions that emerged in American cities during the early nineteenth century. The text of the instrument reveals its purpose: a depositor places ten cents with the institution, which promises repayment with interest at two percent per annum, or redemption on demand once the accumulated balance reaches five dollars in current bank notes. ... Read more →

Confederate States of America 1864 – 10 Dollars First Series in Roman Letters Richmond (T-68 PF-3 CR-541)

The ten-dollar note of the February 17, 1864 issue, cataloged as T-68 (Criswell 541), was among the final wartime emissions of the Confederate Treasury. Printed in Richmond, Virginia, by Keatinge & Ball of Columbia, South Carolina, it forms part of the most widely recognized Confederate paper-money design family-distinguished by pink underprint, detailed engraving, and complex typography produced under severe wartime constraints. The central vignette depicts Confederate artillery and cavalry maneuvering on the battlefield, adapted from an original steel engraving used before the war. ... Read more →

Poland 1928 - Bank Polski 20 Zlotych Archival Watermarked Paper (Miłczak 67)

This archival sheet represents an original watermark paper prepared by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited in London for the 20 złotych banknote dated 2 January 1928 for Bank Polski. The banknote itself was never introduced into circulation, and surviving material from this project is known almost exclusively in specimen form. The present piece preserves the production substrate - the multitone watermark paper - rather than a printed banknote. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1870 - El Banco Franco Platense 20 Pesos Dos Doblones Issued Note (Pick S173a)

This 20 Pesos note was issued by El Banco Franco Platense in Montevideo and dated 1 de Agosto de 1870. The denomination is expressed both as Veinte Pesos and Dos Doblones, reflecting contemporary dual-value terminology within Uruguay's evolving monetary structure during the late nineteenth century. The note was engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Company of New York, a major supplier of security printing to Latin American commercial banks during this period. ... Read more →