Collection PL

United States 1933 - State of Delaware 50 Cents Tax Paid on Half Barrel of Beer Uncut Specimen Strip of Five

This specimen strip represents an official State of Delaware excise tax stamp issued in 1933 for beer, explicitly designated TAX PAID ON HALF BARREL OF BEER and denominated Fifty Cents. It originates from the earliest phase of state-level alcohol regulation following the repeal of national Prohibition, when individual states were forced to reconstruct taxation, licensing, and enforcement systems that had been dormant or dismantled for more than a decade. The repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1933 did not simply legalize alcohol; it transferred regulatory responsibility almost immediately to the states, many of which lacked fully developed administrative frameworks for alcohol control. ... Read more →

United States 1844 — Bank of Florida — Tallahassee 4 Dollars, State Bank Note, Final Revival Issue, FL-65-G26

This four dollar state bank note was issued by the Bank of Florida in Tallahassee on February 1, 1844, during the institution’s second and final operational phase. This emission belongs exclusively to the bank’s failed revival following its earlier suspension after the Panic of 1837 and must be distinguished from notes of its original operating period. The revived charter represented a last attempt to restore banking activity in Florida Territory under severely constrained financial conditions, including weak capitalization, limited specie reserves, and diminished public confidence. ... Read more →

South Africa 1828 — Cape of Good Hope Bank 5 Shillings Pre-Issue Sample (Pick S171p)

This note represents a pre-issue sample of the Cape of Good Hope Bank five shillings denomination, produced in the late 1820s during the formative period of private banking in the Cape Colony, well before the bank was formally authorized to commence operations. It predates all circulating issues of the institution and belongs to the earliest documentary layer of South African private-bank paper money. The Cape of Good Hope Bank occupies a unique position in South African monetary history. ... Read more →

South Africa 1861 — Montagu Bank 5 Pounds Remainder (Pick S231r)

This note is an unissued remainder of the Montagu Bank five pounds denomination, produced in the early 1860s during the brief operational life of one of the Cape Colony’s most distinctive private commercial banks. As the highest denomination authorized by the Montagu Bank, the five pounds issue occupied the uppermost tier of the institution’s monetary structure and was intended for large commercial settlements, capital transactions, and internal accounting rather than routine daily exchange. The Montagu Bank was established in 1861 at a time when local banking was widely regarded as essential to trade and economic development within the Cape Colony. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie D, Specimen No. 23 (Pick 41cs)

This specimen note represents the one thousand pesos denomination of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939, a period that marks the mature phase of state-directed banking and currency policy in Uruguay. Produced as an official non-circulating specimen, this note was created for institutional reference, printer archives, and controlled distribution among central banking authorities, government departments, and international financial correspondents, rather than for public monetary use. The Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay, established in 1896, had by the late 1930s consolidated its role as the principal state banking institution, combining commercial operations with responsibility for currency issuance, monetary stabilization, and credit regulation. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie C, Specimen No. 2 (Pick 41bs)

This specimen note represents the one thousand pesos denomination of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939, a period that marks the mature phase of state-directed banking and currency policy in Uruguay. Produced as an official non-circulating specimen, this note was created for institutional reference, printer archives, and controlled distribution among central banking authorities, government departments, and international financial correspondents, rather than for public monetary use. The Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay, established in 1896, had by the late 1930s consolidated its role as the principal state banking institution, combining commercial operations with responsibility for currency issuance, monetary stabilization, and credit regulation. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, De La Rue Cancel Stamp, Serie A, Specimen No. 50 (Pick 41as)

This specimen note represents a further distinct institutional handling variant of the one thousand pesos denomination of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939. As the highest denomination issued within Uruguay’s paper currency system at the time, the 1000 pesos was reserved exclusively for interbank settlement, treasury accounting, and high-level financial administration, and was never intended for routine public circulation. By the late 1930s, the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay had consolidated its position as the central state banking institution, responsible not only for commercial banking functions but also for currency issuance, monetary regulation, and financial stability. ... Read more →

United States 1854 — Empire City Bank 100 Dollars Proof (Pick NY1585G16P)

This note represents a proof of the one hundred dollars denomination prepared for the Empire City Bank of New York during the final year of the institution’s operation. It was produced as part of the internal design approval and engraving review process and was never intended for public circulation. As such, it belongs to the documentary layer of American private banknote production rather than to issued or remainder currency. ... Read more →

Italy 1781 — Regie Finanze di Torino 5 Scudi Front Proof Sheet (Pick Unlisted)

This uncut front proof sheet represents the five scudi denomination prepared for the Regie Finanze of the Kingdom of Sardinia and dated Torino il primo Luglio 1781. It is a true proof-stage production sheet and constitutes the only currently documented multi-impression sheet of this denomination. The sheet is printed from the earliest engraved plates, specifically plate numbers one and two. ... Read more →

Italy 1745 — Regie Finanze di Torino — 100 Lire Back Proof, Pre-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

This proof sheet represents the back of the one hundred lire denomination prepared for the Regie Finanze of the Kingdom of Sardinia and preserves a pre-date control state in which the control framework is fully engraved but carries no engraved date. All elements originate from plate number two. The entire composition is enclosed within a rectangular ornamental frame and printed under full intaglio pressure on official laid paper, with plate impression clearly visible from the verso. ... Read more →

Italy 1746 — Regie Finanze di Torino — 100 Lire Back Proof, Fixed-Date Control State (Pick Unlisted)

This proof sheet represents the back of the one hundred lire denomination prepared for the Regie Finanze of the Kingdom of Sardinia and preserves the fixed-date control state dated Torino il p. Gen. 1746. ... Read more →

Italy 1765 — Regie Finanze di Torino — 100 Lire Front Proof, Final Face State (Pick Unlisted)

This proof sheet represents the front of the one hundred lire denomination prepared for the Regie Finanze of the Kingdom of Sardinia and preserves the final face state dated Torino il p. Gen. 1765. ... Read more →