Search Results for "top pop" - Collection

New Zealand 1907–1926 Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue audit-range serial-prefix specimen with dual control numbers, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., PMG 55 AU, Pop 1/1, R9 Extremely Rare

New Zealand 1907–1926 - Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue Serial-Prefix Audit Specimen (Pick S194s)

The obverse presents a fully realized Edwardian composition: an engraved Māori portrait vignette rendered with anthropological precision, a coastal scene symbolizing New Zealand’s export-driven economy, and a central blue-grey guilloche medallion exclusive to the bank’s highest denomination. The reverse features an ornate frame enclosing the word POUNDS, surrounded by micro-engraved denomination clusters and anti-photographic detailing. Watermark impressions visible in transmitted light correspond to the special paper stock used only for BNZ’s top-tier issues. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen190720 PoundsPMG 55 About Uncirculated (Pop 1/1) Specimen20 PoundsBlueBNZ Color LineageHigh Denomination Color TierHigh DenominationAudit-Range SpecimenSerial PrefixDual Serial NumbersPerforated SpecimenBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S194sBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankNew Zealand Banking HistoryBritish Engraved NotesMāori Portrait VignettesSecurity Printing HistoryHigh-Value NotesAudit Control SheetNew Zealand190719261907–1926PMG 58Pop 1Top PopMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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Poland 1994 50 Złotych front proof, Pick 175ap1, PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated, final approved obverse design by Thomas De La Rue

Poland 1994 - 50 Zlotych Front Proof (Pick 175ap1)

The definitive front proof of the 1994 50 Złotych issue, this sheet represents the final approved obverse design prepared by Thomas De La Rue for Narodowy Bank Polski during Poland’s post-communist monetary reform. Executed as an internal production proof, it preserves the complete engraved obverse exactly as authorized for issue, prior to serial numbering and reverse printing. Read more →

PolandFront Proof199450 ZłotychPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Front Proof, Top Pop 1/1) Front ProofPick 175ap1Thomas De La RueTDLRNarodowy Bank PolskiKazimierz WielkiCasimir the GreatModern Polish BanknotesRedenomination SeriesPoland1994PMG 63Top PopR9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum Grade

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Australia 1877 Mercantile Bank of Sydney £1 specimen with red ONE overprint, Pick Unlisted, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., graded PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated Pop 1, only known example

Australia 1877 - Mercantile Bank of Sydney £1 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A superb Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. specimen from the early colonial banking era, this £1 note for the Mercantile Bank of Sydney survives today as the only documented example of its type. Certified PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated and recorded as Pop 1, it represents a unique surviving specimen of a private Australian bank whose issues rarely appear in any form. The same piece is known to have appeared once in a past Christie’s sale prior to encapsulation, making this the sole confirmed survivor based on all available auction, census, and institutional research. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen18771 PoundPMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated (Pop 1) Specimen1 PoundPick UnlistedRed OverprintColonial Private BankBradbury WilkinsonBWCMercantile Bank of SydneyNew South Wales Banking History19th Century FinanceAustralian Private IssuesSecurity Printing HistoryColonial PeriodAustralia1877Only Known ExampleR9 Extremely RareUniquePop 1Top PopPMG 66 EPQGem UncirculatedMuseum Grade

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Australia Federal Bank of Australia Limited one pound Sydney specimen printed by Bradbury Wilkinson, annotated 1882, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated

Australia 1879–1903 - Federal Bank of Australia, Limited £1 Sydney Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A pencilled annotation reading “9 May 82” appears on the note. Such annotations are rarely preserved on specimen material and provide valuable documentary evidence of how reference notes were handled during the working life of a banknote design. Specimens were commonly retained in printer archives, banking offices, or presentation sets used during the approval and distribution process. Handwritten notes added during this process form part of the historical record of the object itself. In this case, the annotation confirms that the specimen was already in institutional reference use by 1882, within the earliest operational period of the Federal Bank of Australia. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen18791 PoundPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (Annotated, Top Population) Specimen Banknote1 PoundPrinter SpecimenAnnotated SpecimenExport Engraved NoteLarge Format BanknoteBradbury WilkinsonBWCBritish Security PrintingVictorian Era EngravingPrivate Banknote ProductionFederal Bank of Australia LimitedAustralian Private BanksPre Federation AustraliaSydney Banking HistoryVictorian Banking Crisis1893 Banking CollapseAustraliaSydney187919031879–1903Pick UnlistedTop PopMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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

An exceptional and academically important survival from the experimental phase of Italy’s early post-unification banking era, this 250 Lire specimen from the short-lived Banca Italo-Germanica, cataloged as Pick S976s, represents one of the rarest and most ambitious private note-issuing projects attempted in Rome during the 1870s. No issued examples of this type are known to exist, and all scholarship indicates that the bank’s banknote program collapsed before any notes entered circulation, leaving only a microscopic number of presentation pulls, proofs, or internal printer’s archive sheets. This PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated example is the sole graded specimen in the PMG census, making it both Top Pop and Only Pop. 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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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)

This specimen is a reference-grade artifact of New Zealand monetary history, combining wartime production context, live serial numbering, internal control markings, and documented survival from the Bank of New Zealand’s private-issue period. Certified PMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, it is the sole PMG-certified example at this grade and Top Pop. R8 rarity. 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)

By 1913, the Bank of New Zealand’s commercial note-issuing era was approaching its end. Two decades later, issuance would be centralized under the Reserve Bank, and most private-bank archival material was destroyed. Surviving multi-serial approval specimens such as this are therefore exceptionally rare. In light of known populations and the specialized function of the type, Pick S192ms properly belongs in the R8 rarity tier. It stands today as one of the most important reference artifacts for the study of New Zealand’s private-banknote system and Bradbury Wilkinson’s Oceania output. 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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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)

Unlisted in Pick and graded PMG 63 EPQ Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop), this specimen marks the transition from private colonial issues to the newly centralised Commonwealth currency introduced after 1910. It reflects both the confidence of early-twentieth-century Australian banking and the enduring partnership between London engravers and Australian financial institutions. 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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Argentina 1881 Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro Proof, PMG 64 Top Pop

Argentina 1881 - Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro Proof (Pick S536fp)

Only one example is certified in the PMG census, graded 64 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) - the sole recorded proof of this denomination and date. Beyond its rarity, this engraving illustrates the precision and artistry characteristic of the American Bank Note Company during the late 19th century, when U.S. firms dominated Latin American banknote production. This proof stands as a tangible artifact of that era’s intersection between artistry, financial expansion, and technological excellence. Read more →

ArgentinaProof18812 Pesos OroPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop) Proof2 Pesos OroArchivalTop PopEngraved Security PrintingBanco de la Provincia de Buenos AiresArgentine Provincial Banks19th Century BankingPesos Oro SeriesABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyLatin American NumismaticsPre-National ConsolidationProvincial Monetary HistoryArgentinaBuenos Aires18811883PMG 64Museum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1924–1925 Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Front Proof Pick S231p1 with SPECIMEN perforation, Bradbury Wilkinson & Co.

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

Front proof of the Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings (Pick S231p1), printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, for the post-war re-engraved issue dated 1924–25. Perforated SPECIMEN through the lower margin and certified by PMG as Choice Uncirculated 63 Top Pop, this example shows the completed obverse design prior to overprinting and serial application. Read more →

New ZealandFront Proof192410 ShillingsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Top Pop, Front Proof with SPECIMEN Perforation) Front Proof10 ShillingsSpecimen PerforationIntaglioBradbury WilkinsonBWCTamati Waka NeneBank of New ZealandNew Zealand Banking HistoryPre-Reserve BankPrivate Banknote EraInterwar Currency DesignEngraved Security PrintingLate Edwardian PlateworkTint-Stone UnderprintMāori Portrait SeriesNew Zealand192419251924–1925PMG 63Top PopMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Bolivia 1904 - Banco Nacional 5 Bolivianos (Specimen)

Graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated and standing at the top of the population report, this example ranks as the finest known for the type. Beyond rarity, it illustrates both the artistry of BWC’s export engravings and the transitional stage of Bolivia’s financial system in the early 1900s-when private banks carried national currency responsibility. As such, it is a cornerstone type for collectors of Bolivian paper money and a reference piece for the study of South American banknote history. Read more →

BoliviaSpecimen19045 BolivianosPMG 64 (Top Pop) S214sTop PopBanco NacionalBradbury WilkinsonBWCBolivia 20th CenturyBolivia19045 BolivianosAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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Bolivia 1903 Banco Agrícola 5 Bolivianos ABNC proof pair, PMG 63

Bolivia 1903 - Banco Agrícola 5 Bolivianos (Proof Pair)

Matched front and back printer’s proofs attributed to the American Bank Note Company, both graded PMG 63. These proofs were prepared as final design studies before mass production, allowing the printer and issuing bank to review alignment, color, and engraving detail prior to signature placement or numbering. Read more →

BoliviaFront & Back Proof19035 BolivianosPMG 63 (Top Pop) ABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyTop PopBanco AgrícolaBolivia19035 Bolivianos

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