Collection PL

Australia 1835-1850 - Bank of Australasia 10 Pounds Melbourne Proof (Pick Unlisted)

This proof represents a pre-issue banknote of the Bank of Australasia, denominated Ten Pounds and prepared for the Melbourne office during the institution early period of operation. It was produced as part of the bank internal approval and presentation process and was not intended for circulation. The Bank of Australasia was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1835 and operated as one of the earliest British joint-stock banks active in Australia. ... Read more →

Mauritius 1839 — Mauritius Commercial Bank 20 Dollars / 4 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled Note (Pick S125)

One of the earliest surviving issued notes of the Mauritius Commercial Bank—the oldest banking institution in the Indian Ocean—this 1839 Twenty Dollar / Four Pounds Sterling note is a foundational artifact of Mauritian monetary history. Issued only one year after the bank’s founding in 1838, it belongs to the first generation of fully functional colonial paper money used on the island. These early issues circulated at a time when coin shortages were severe, and private banknotes became the primary medium of exchange for merchants, plantation owners, and shipping houses. ... Read more →

Mauritius 1842 — Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Issued & Cancelled (Pick S122a)

A fully issued, hand-signed, and dated Mauritius Commercial Bank note — one of the earliest known examples of circulating paper money from the island. Dated 2 August 1842, this note bears manuscript signatures, serial numbers, and the characteristic oval CANCELLED stamps applied upon redemption. The engraving by Myers Frs. ... Read more →

Mauritius 1843 — Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling Remainder (Pick S122r)

Unissued remainder from the earliest Mauritius Commercial Bank dual-currency series, printed by Myers Frs. & Co., London. This note represents the archival stock of the 1840s issue — printed but never signed or circulated. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2004 — Northern Bank £50 Specimen (Pick Unlisted NR126)

Specimen of the 2004 Northern Bank £50, printed by De La Rue for Northern Bank Limited, Belfast. This pre-issue design was the last note prepared before the bank’s December 2004 robbery, the largest cash theft in UK history. The note carries the red SPECIMEN overprint and the oval NO VALUE control stamps, serial DA000000 001, and watermark of Sir Samuel C. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2005 — Northern Bank £50 Specimen (Pick 208s NR131)

Specimen of the redesigned 2005 Northern Bank £50, printed by Thomas De La Rue and issued under the new Northern Bank Limited branding after the December 2004 robbery. Serial JB000000, watermark Sir Samuel Davidson, and bold red SPECIMEN overprint across the face. This version was part of the printer’s formal reference and approval series prepared for bank and regulator use. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2005 — Northern Bank £50 Issued Note (Pick 208 NR131)

Circulation version of the 2005 Northern Bank £50, printed by Thomas De La Rue for Northern Bank Limited, Belfast. Serial range JB000001 onward, watermark Sir Samuel C. Davidson, printer imprint TDLR. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2005 — Northern Bank £50 Replacement Prefix YY (Pick 208)

Replacement note for the 2005 Northern Bank £50 issue, printed by Thomas De La Rue, bearing the distinct 'YY' prefix used exclusively for replacement sheets following the 2004 Belfast vault robbery. These notes were part of the emergency replacement program that saw all pre-robbery stock withdrawn and destroyed, with new serial ranges produced under enhanced security oversight. Featuring the portrait of Sir Samuel Cleland Davidson (1846–1921), inventor and industrialist, the design celebrates Northern Ireland’s engineering legacy. ... Read more →

Scotland 1959 — National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited £1 (Pick 265, Bradbury Wilkinson, PMG 58 EPQ Choice About Uncirculated)

One Pound of the National Commercial Bank of Scotland Limited dated 16 September 1959. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson and Company, the note carries the Head of Caledonia watermark and presents a panoramic view of the Forth Bridge—Scotland's engineering icon—beneath the central promise text. The National Commercial Bank was a pillar of Scottish banking until its merger with the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1969. ... Read more →

Scotland 1956–64 — The Royal Bank of Scotland £1 (Pick 324b, With Engraver's Name on Back, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated)

Royal Bank of Scotland One Pound of the 1956–64 series, variety with the engraver's imprint on back as cited by PMG. The face carries the bank's crowned arms and the long‑standing central medallion portrait associated with the institution since the eighteenth century, surrounded by a dense field of micro‑lettered Royal Bank of Scotland repeats. Production credit on this type appears as W and A K Johnston and G W Bacon Ltd Edinburgh, reflecting Scottish engraving traditions as late as the mid‑twentieth century before most issuers shifted to London firms. ... Read more →

Scotland 1967 — British Linen Bank £1 Specimen (Pick 168s, TDLR, Sorting Lines on Back, PMG 55 EPQ About Uncirculated)

Specimen One Pound of the British Linen Bank dated 13 June 1967, printed by Thomas De La Rue. The face shows the royal arms above the title and an ornate security panel at center. Standard De La Rue SPECIMEN oval handstamps and a specimen control number are present, together with a cancellation punch. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 1968–72 — Provincial Bank of Ireland Limited £1 Specimen (Pick 245s PR99, TDLR, PMG 58 EPQ Choice About Uncirculated)

De La Rue specimen of the Provincial Bank of Ireland £1, dated 1 January 1968. Classical head within a guilloche medallion at center, with the denomination framed by large sterling symbols. SPECIMEN diagonal overprint and De La Rue control ovals confirm its archival status, accompanied by a cancellation punch and specimen serial panel. ... Read more →