Search Results for "year:<1900" - Collection

Late Qing Sinkiang textile emergency currency printed on red-dyed cloth using hand-carved woodblocks, circa 1880

China 1880 - Sinkiang Textile Emergency Currency, Cloth Note (Pick Unlisted)

Multilingual inscriptions appear within the design, combining Chinese characters with regional Turkic script forms used in Sinkiang administration. This reflects the practical need for legibility across multiple linguistic communities involved in trade, taxation, and supply logistics along caravan routes linking Kashgar, Yarkand, Khotan, and Dihua. The note was intended to function within a mixed commercial environment rather than as a symbolic imperial issue. Read more →

ChinaTextile Emergency Currency1880Unknown Local DenominationFine (Textile Issue) Textile BanknoteTextile Emergency CurrencyCloth BanknoteCloth NoteHand-Carved Woodblock PrintingLate Qing Frontier IssueWoodblock PrintingSinkiangChina1880R9 Extremely RareUniqueMuseum GradePick Unlisted

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Specimen full sheet Serie A No. 23327 Banco de Zaragoza 100 reales vellón with header and talón, Pick S451s, 1 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 100 Reales Vellón Serie A Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 23327 (Pick S451s)

Rarity is at the highest level. Importantly, PMG census data for the base Pick S451 grouping cannot be used to measure rarity for Zaragoza, because PMG aggregates multiple unrelated banks under the same base number (Barcelona, Cádiz, Valencia, Madrid, Pamplona, and others). Full-sheet S451s specimens for Banco de Zaragoza are not recorded by PMG at all. This example appears to be unique or one of very few survivors of its type, placing it firmly in the R8+ category. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857100 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S451sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie ASerial 23327100 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingMonetary HistorySecurity PrintingSpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Specimen full sheet Banco de Zaragoza 200 reales vellón, Serie B No. 07887, with header and talón, Pick S452s, 14 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 200 Reales Vellón Serie B Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 07887 (Pick S452s)

A full-sheet specimen of the Banco de Zaragoza 200 reales vellón dated 14 May 1857, Serie B, serial number 07887, classified as Pick S452s. This complete production sheet preserves the entire printing layout: the upper header panel used for alignment and plate control, the left talón for internal audit numbering, and the full banknote plate. Full-sheet specimens from Spanish provincial banks in the 1850s are exceptionally rare, and survivals with both header and talón intact are almost unknown. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857200 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S452sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie BSerial 07887200 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingSecurity PrintingMonetary HistorySpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Specimen full sheet Banco de Zaragoza 500 reales vellón, Serie C No. 08703, with header and talón, Pick S453s, 14 May 1857

Spain 1857 - Banco de Zaragoza 500 Reales Vellón Serie C Specimen Full Sheet with Header and Talón No. 08703 (Pick S453s)

Rarity is extreme. PMG census entries for the broader Pick S453 family combine notes from multiple unrelated banks and do not represent Banco de Zaragoza. No full-sheet S453s specimens from Zaragoza are recorded in PMG archives or in the catalog history of major Spanish auctions (Aureo & Calicó, Cayón, Soler y Llach, Vico). This complete production sheet, preserving header, talón, and banknote together, qualifies as R8+ and may be unique. Read more →

SpainSpecimen Full Sheet with Talon1857500 Reales VellónUncirculated (Specimen Full Sheet) SpecimenPick S453sFull SheetHeader PanelTalonUnissuedSerie CSerial 08703500 RealesBanco de ZaragozaSpanish Provincial IssuePrivate Banknote19th Century SpainReales VellonMadrid EngravingSecurity PrintingMonetary HistorySpain1857R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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New Zealand 1895–1908 Bank of New Zealand 10 Pounds Brown specimen with dual serial numbers 097476 and 102475, perforated SPECIMEN, Bradbury Wilkinson printing, PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated

New Zealand 1895–1908 - Bank of New Zealand £10 Brown Specimen with Serial Number Prefix (Pick S193bs)

A high-denomination specimen from the Bank of New Zealand color lineage, the ten pounds brown (Pick S193bs) represents the serial-prefix approval format bearing dual printed control numbers, 097476 at upper left and 102475 at lower right. These serial-prefix specimens were produced for internal audit, plate approval, and archival reference purposes, distinct from zero-serial specimen impressions. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix189510 PoundsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated Specimen10 PoundsBrownBNZ Color LineageSerial Prefix Specimen097476102475Perforated SPECIMENBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick S193bsBank of New ZealandPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankNew Zealand Banking HistoryMāori Portrait SeriesVictorian Edwardian TransitionSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsHistoryNew Zealand189519081895-1908PMG 63Choice UncirculatedMuseum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Australia 1889 Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited £5 specimen with serial number prefix, perforated SPECIMEN, printer annotation dated 1 March 1890

Australia 1880–1889 - Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited £5 SPECIMEN with Serial Prefix (Pick Unlisted, MVR4a)

Colouration is restrained compared to later proof or finished production states, indicating an earlier stage in the approval or validation process. Engraving quality, paper, and layout correspond to Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. master production standards for Australian private banks at the close of the nineteenth century. Read more →

AustraliaSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix18895 PoundsUncirculated SpecimenSpecimen with Serial Number Prefix5 PoundsCommercial Banking Company of Sydney LimitedBradbury WilkinsonBWCPick UnlistedColonial SpecimenEngraved Security PrintingAustralian Private BanknotesNew South Wales Banking HistoryPre-Federation Finance19th Century BankingSecurity Printing HistoryAustralian Monetary HistoryAustraliaSydney1889Museum GradeR8 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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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 →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note183920 Dollars / 4 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled20 Dollars4 PoundsColonial CurrencyDual-CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1839Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1870–1890 Bank of New Zealand 1 Pound Green Specimen Pick S191s, dual serial numbers A197001 and B047000, perforated CANCELLED, Bradbury Wilkinson printing, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated

New Zealand 1870–1890 - Bank of New Zealand £1 Green Specimen (Pick S191s)

The first Bank of New Zealand specimen and the foundation of the country’s pre-Reserve Bank note lineage. Engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, this one pound green specimen (Pick S191s) established the visual architecture reused throughout all later BNZ issues: paired Māori figures at left, an engraved coastal vignette below, and an ornate duty-tint panel framing the ONE POUND denomination. This design became the structural and visual origin of the Bank of New Zealand color lineage that defined New Zealand’s early commercial-bank currency. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen18701 PoundPMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated Specimen1 PoundBank of New ZealandBradbury WilkinsonBWCDual Serial NumbersA197001B047000Perforated CANCELLEDAudit MarginPrinter Control SystemColonial IssueVictorian DesignMāori Portrait SeriesEngraved Security PrintingNew Zealand Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankBNZ Color LineageColor Lineage Origin19th Century OceaniaMaritime Economy NotesEarly Indigenous ImageryBritish Colonial FinanceHistoryNew Zealand187018901870–1890Pick S191sPMG 58Choice About UncirculatedMuseum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

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New Zealand 1895–1915 Bank of New Zealand 5 Pounds Orange Specimen Pick S192s with dual serial numbers A000001 and A020000, perforated CANCELLED marking, left audit margin, and dated top margin printer annotations, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Company, Limited, London, PMG 55 About Uncirculated.

New Zealand 1895–1915 - Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange Specimen (Pick S192s)

The visual architecture of the note is highly structured. The left vertical column presents stacked vignette medallions-Māori portraiture above and a pastoral or maritime landscape below-serving both decorative and symbolic functions tied to New Zealand identity. The central orange-tinted obligation panel anchors the composition, overlaid with intricate guilloche and denomination text, while the outer borders exhibit dense, repeating security patterns designed to resist reproduction. The denomination appears in multiple formats-numeric, textual, and embedded within ornamental devices-creating layered redundancy typical of high-value colonial issues. Read more →

New ZealandSpecimen18955 PoundsPMG 55 About Uncirculated Specimen5 PoundsBank of New ZealandBradbury WilkinsonBWCA Prefix SpecimenA000001A020000Dual Serial NumbersPrinter Control NumberingPerforated CANCELLEDAudit Margin LeftPrinter AnnotationsTop Margin AnnotationDated Annotation 1915Printer Ledger MarkingsColonial IssueHigh DenominationEdwardian DesignMāori Portrait SeriesEngraved Security PrintingNew Zealand Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPre-Reserve BankBNZ Color LineageVictorian to Edwardian TransitionMaritime Economy NotesBritish Colonial FinanceSecurity Printing HistoryOceania NumismaticsHistoryNew Zealand189519151895-1915Pick S192sPMG 55Museum GradeR7 Extremely RareAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations

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Mexico 1884 Fabrica de Tunal 1 Peso ABNC PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated serial A07769

Mexico 1884 – Fábrica de Tunal 1 Peso (Pick Unlisted, ABNC)

As an issued and numbered piece (serial 07769, control letter 'A') this example comes from the active circulation series-not an archival pull or proof. Issued ABNC corporate notes are dramatically scarcer than the proofs occasionally seen from late ABNC dispersals. Notes like this circulated aggressively, were redeemed on payday, and were routinely destroyed during accounting consolidation. Their life expectancy was short, and surviving high-grade examples are exceptionally rare, especially in the PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated range. Read more →

MexicoIssued Note18841 PesoPMG 64 Choice Uncirculated Private Issue1 PesoABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyCorporate CurrencyIndustrial ScripEngraved Security PrintingPorfiriatoIndustrial FinanceMining Region CurrencyMexican Private BanknotesSilver StandardDurango Monetary HistoryRegional CirculationPayroll InstrumentsLatin American EngravingABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyPick UnlistedMexicoDurango1884PMG 64Museum GradeR7 Extremely Rare

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Argentina 1844 Provincia de Buenos Ayres 5 Pesos Moneda Corriente Rosas Confederation legend with Rosas manuscript signature and nandu vignette

Argentina 1844 - Provincia de Buenos Ayres 5 Pesos Moneda Corriente Issued Note, 1º Febrero 1844, Rosas Confederation Legend, Rosas Signature (Pick S389)

The central inscription reads 'La Provincia de Buenos Ayres,' preserving the period spelling AYRES. The obligation clause 'Por Cinco Pesos Moneda Corriente' affirms the fiduciary authority of the provincial government, while the signature of Rojas directly ties the note to the highest level of financial administration in Buenos Aires during the Rosas regime. Read more →

ArgentinaIssued Note18445 Pesos Moneda CorrienteUngraded Issued Note5 Pesos Moneda CorrienteRosas SignatureRojas SignatureJosé María Rojas SignatureJosé María Rojas y PatrónHand SignedLaid PaperRosas Confederation LegendNandu VignetteCheckered Security BandProvincia de Buenos AyresCasa de Moneda de Buenos AyresJose Maria Rojas y PatronMinister of Finance Buenos AiresCasa de Moneda ReformJuan Manuel de Rosas EraArgentine Confederation PeriodPre National Banking SystemArgentina1844Benegas and Ahlstrom BA42bPick S389R9 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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

Unlike the earlier 1839 $20 design, which only mentioned its sterling equivalent on the front, this issue introduced a red reverse overprint reading 'TWO POUNDS STERLING'. That innovation formally established Mauritius’s dual-currency layout, pairing silver-based dollars with their pound-sterling counterparts - a visual and accounting refinement adopted from 1841 onward. Read more →

MauritiusIssued & Cancelled Note184210 Dollars / 2 Pounds SterlingFine–Very Fine (Issued & Cancelled) Issued NoteCancelled10 Dollars2 PoundsDual-CurrencyColonial CurrencyMyers Frs & CoEngraved Security PrintingMauritius Commercial BankEarly Mauritius BankingColonial Banking HistoryPrivate Banknote EraPort Louis Harbor VignetteBritish Colonial Finance19th Century BanknotesRedemption and Cancellation NotesMauritiusPort Louis1842Museum GradeR6 Extremely Rare

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