Collection

Australia 1905–1910 — Commercial Banking Company of Sydney £5 (Specimen Proof)

Proof specimen printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. between 1905 and 1910 for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney—one of Australia’s oldest and most respected private banks, founded in 1834. The CBC operated independently until its 1981 merger with the National Bank of Australasia, forming today’s NAB. ... Read more →

Paraguay 1907 — 100 Pesos with 1912 Dual-Side Overprint (Specimen)

Archival specimen of the 1907 Banco de la República 100 Pesos (base Pick 159) carrying the fiscal overprint 'Emisión del Estado – 11 de Enero de 1912' not only on the face but also on the reverse. This dual-side application is extremely unusual for Paraguayan emergency issues and is absent from the standard Pick 134 state overprints. The reverse bears an additional departmental validation 'Departamento de Hacienda – Junta Fiscalizadora', applied in heavy black ink per the decree of 20 May 1912. ... Read more →

Bolivia 1904 — Banco Nacional 5 Bolivianos (Specimen)

Specimen of the 1904 Banco Nacional de Bolivia 5 Bolivianos, engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. (BWC) in London. The note bears the date SUCRE, 1 de Enero de 1904, and features the portrait of Simón Bolívar at center—an enduring symbol of republican legitimacy. ... Read more →

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. The 5 Bolivianos design reflects Bolivia’s early 20th-century drive to modernize its financial infrastructure following the Federal Revolution of 1899. ... Read more →

Poland 1936 — 50 Zlotych Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (Pick 78a, CM#77a-b)

The 1936 50 Zlotych with Jan Henryk Dąbrowski is among the rarest Polish interwar notes. Prepared for issue but never officially released, it is believed that a small number were distributed as payment to soldiers in September 1939. These notes saw harsh wartime handling — carried in shoes, bags, or pockets rather than preserved — making collectible examples extraordinarily scarce. ... Read more →

Poland 1936 — 50 Zlotych Progressive Proof (Pick 78pp2, CM#77c) Reverse Only

Progressive proof of the reverse design for the 1936 50 Zlotych issue, showing the allegorical worker group. Printed by the Państwowa Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych (PWPW) in Warsaw as part of the preparation for the new higher-denomination series. Progressive proofs were trial impressions used to evaluate engraving stages before final approval — most were never meant to survive outside the archives of the printer. ... Read more →

Paraguay 1907 — 100 Pesos with 1912 State Overprint

Provisional issue created on base Pick 159 during Paraguay’s sweeping 1912 monetary reform. The bold oval 'Emisión del Estado – 11 de Enero de 1912' was applied in official black ink to validate existing 1907 stock. These overprints served as stop-gap currency while new designs were prepared, making them both historically and fiscally important. ... Read more →

Barbados 1943 — $100 Front & Back Archival Photograph (Unlisted)

Pair of archival photographs showing both the front and back of an unissued $100 design dated 1943. Produced within British colonial banking workflows, these monochrome prints documented layout, portraits, and border work before (or instead of) any production run. The images preserve the wartime high denomination that never reached circulation, with King George VI portraiture and formal colonial ornament. ... Read more →

Ireland 1920 — Ulster Bank Ltd. £1 (Proof)

Archival proof for Ulster Bank Ltd., dated 1920. Printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, the note displays finely executed allegories and maritime motifs, reflecting both classical design and national symbolism in the early 20th century. The Waterlow imprint remains visible in the margin, a hallmark of genuine proofs. ... Read more →

Portugal ND (1917) — Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis Specimen (Pick 110s)

Specimen of the Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis, the grandest denomination of the First Republic’s intricate 1916–1919 issue. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co., London, without serials or signatures and perforated SPECIMEN, it reveals the full design before numbering and underprint were applied. PMG 35 Choice Very Fine. ... Read more →

Portugal ND (1917) — Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis Front Progressive Proof (Pick 110pp1)

Front progressive proof for the Banco de Portugal 50 Mil Réis, printed in a single intaglio color to test composition and line fidelity before the final multi-color stones were prepared. Without underprint or overprint, it exposes the engraver’s hand—the bare guilloche network and portrait cartouche that later defined the completed note. PMG 25 EPQ Very Fine. ... Read more →

Great Britain — Thomas Cook & Son Circular Note $50 (Proof, ca. 1904)

Unsigned photographic proof of a $50 Circular Note produced by Thomas Cook & Son around 1904. Circular Notes were the forerunners of modern travellers cheques. Issued to clients of the Cook travel agency, they allowed holders to draw equivalent cash abroad through the firm’s authorized banking correspondents. ... Read more →