Search Results for "year:<1900" - Collection

Portugal 1799 Real Erario 20000 reis apólice issued in Lisboa, serial number 37723 in red, blind embossed seal on the face, no red overprint present, with multiple official ink seals on the reverse

Portugal 1799 - Real Erario 20000 Reis Apólice, Original Issue, No Overprint, Lisboa No. 37723

The face displays a fully engraved ornamental border and a frieze of oval vignettes along the upper margin, incorporating emblematic and allegorical imagery typical of late eighteenth-century Portuguese state paper. At the center of the upper panel appears a blind embossed pressure seal, serving as an official authentication device applied without ink. The printed place and year read Lisboa 1799, and the denomination is rendered in period form as 20$000 reis. The instrument is classified by the printed series letter R. The handwritten serial number No. 37723, executed in red ink, functions as a primary control element linking the document to treasury registers. Read more →

PortugalPublic Debt Bond179920000 ReisVery Fine Public Debt BondApolice20000 ReisPayable to BearerBlind Embossed SealMultiple Reverse SealsNo OverprintOriginal IssuePre War of the BrothersReal ErarioLisboaPortuguese Treasury FinanceRoyal Era Fiscal PaperEighteenth Century State DebtAdministrative Validation SealsFiscal Control HistorySecurity Printing HistoryPortuguese Monetary HistoryPortugal17991811Museum GradeR9 Extremely Rare

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Brazil Imperial Treasury ten mil réis contemporary counterfeit, Pick A231x, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated, period forgery from the Dom Pedro II era

Brazil ca. 1852–1870 - Imperial Treasury of Brazil 10 Mil Réis Contemporary Counterfeit (Pick A231x)

This example is exceptional for its state of preservation. Most contemporary counterfeits survive today only in heavily worn condition, having circulated extensively and often been destroyed once detected. By contrast, this note remains in Choice Uncirculated condition with Exceptional Paper Quality. The EPQ designation confirms original paper integrity, intact fibers, and the absence of chemical processing or restoration, conditions rarely encountered in circulating forgeries of this era. Read more →

BrazilContemporary Counterfeit185210 Mil RéisPMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated Contemporary CounterfeitImperial Treasury of BrazilEmpire of Brazil10 Mil RéisPeriod ForgeryExceptional Paper QualityEPQTop PopNineteenth Century CurrencyBrazilian EmpireDom Pedro II EraMonetary Security HistoryCounterfeit StudiesBrazil18521870Pick A231xPMGPMG 64 EPQR7 RareCondition R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Uruguay 1871 Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos face proof, obverse-only engraving proof, PCGS 61 New

Uruguay 1871 - Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos Face Proof (Pick S239p)

This proof connects with the later 1883 Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 10 Pesos specimen preserved in this collection. The two pieces belong to different catalog issues and production dates, but together they document the continuing 10 Pesos denomination within the bank's nineteenth-century note history. The 1871 face proof preserves an earlier plate-approval state, while the 1883 Pick S242s specimen records a later completed two-sided specimen issue with full color, retained counterfoil, reverse design, and perforated SPECIMEN BW & Co LONDON cancellation. Their relationship provides a direct study of the denomination across separate production periods. Read more →

UruguayFace Proof187110 PesosPCGS 61 New Face ProofObverse OnlyEngraving Approval ProofPrinter Reference ProofBanco de Londres y Rio de la PlataNineteenth Century Security PrintingLatin American Banknote ProductionPlate Development ProcessPre Issue Production ArtifactUruguay1871MontevideoPick S239pMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUnique

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United States 1844 four dollars state bank note issued by the Bank of Florida in Tallahassee during its final revival, engraved by Rawdon Wright Hatch and Edson, New York payable, bearing official crosscut cancellation, graded PCGS 58 Choice About Uncirculated

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

The revival effort proved short-lived. Contemporary documentation and later numismatic research confirm that the Bank of Florida ceased operations again within approximately one year of resuming activity. This narrow issuance window imposes a hard historical ceiling on the quantity of notes that could have entered circulation, creating a structurally closed population for surviving issued examples. Read more →

United StatesState Bank Note18444 DollarsPCGS Banknote 58 Choice About Uncirculated 4 DollarsState Bank NoteBank of FloridaTallahasseeFlorida TerritoryFinal Revival IssueNew York PayableCrosscut CancelledRedeemed BanknoteAntebellum BankingState Chartered BankingFlorida Banking HistoryAmerican Engraved BanknotesUnited StatesFlorida1844PCGS BanknotePCGS 58Haxby Florida FL-65-G26Museum Grade

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Lower Canada 1837 Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad full uncut sheet showing six notes with 15 Sous, Quarter Dollar, and Half Dollar denominations in A and B series paired layout

Lower Canada 1837 - Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad - 15 Sous, Quarter Dollar, Half Dollar (Full Uncut Dual Series Sheet)

Issued in the same year as the Lower Canada Rebellion, this sheet stands at the intersection of monetary necessity, political instability, and early industrial expansion. It provides a direct and unaltered record of private currency issuance by a transportation enterprise operating within a complex and transitional economic system. Read more →

Lower CanadaRailroad Scrip Uncut Sheet183715 Sous, Quarter Dollar, Half DollarUncut Sheet, ungraded Railroad ScripUncut SheetFull SheetDual Series LayoutA SeriesB SeriesPaired Denomination FormatTwo of Each DenominationSix Note SheetChamplain and St. Lawrence RailroadLower CanadaPrivate CurrencyTransportation CurrencyLocomotive VignettesIndustrial Engraving15 SousQuarter DollarHalf DollarFifteen PenceSeven Pence Half PennyThirty SousThree FrancsPre Confederation CanadaLower Canada Rebellion EraCanadian Railroad HistoryNineteenth Century FinanceHistory1837August 1 1837350mm x 220mmUngradedR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Spain 1875 - Banco de España 50 Pesetas Contemporary Counterfeit (Pick 7x)

The design closely imitates the official Banco de España issue, including allegorical figures, ornamental frames, and serial numbering conventions. While visually convincing at first glance, deviations in engraving quality, line density, and execution distinguish the note from official production. These characteristics are consistent with contemporary counterfeiting practices rather than later imitative efforts. Read more →

SpainContemporary Counterfeit187550 PesetasPMG 25 Very Fine Contemporary CounterfeitBanco de España50 PesetasPeriod ForgeryCirculating CounterfeitFALSO StampHole Punch CancelledNineteenth Century CurrencySpanish Monetary HistoryPaper Money SecurityCounterfeit StudiesSpain1875Pick 7xPMG 25R8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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Spain 1876 Banco de España one hundred pesetas contemporary counterfeit, Pick 11x, with large circular hole punches and FALSO stamp, Top Pop graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine

Spain 1876 - Banco de España 100 Pesetas Contemporary Counterfeit (Pick 11x)

This note represents a contemporary counterfeit of the Banco de España one hundred pesetas issue of 1876, produced during the active circulation period of the official banknote and intended to pass as legal tender in everyday commerce. Classified in standard references as Pick 11x, it is a period forgery rather than a later reproduction or fantasy piece, created using materials and printing methods consistent with late nineteenth-century Spanish monetary circulation. Read more →

SpainContemporary Counterfeit1876100 PesetasPMG 40 Extremely Fine Contemporary CounterfeitBanco de España100 PesetasPeriod ForgeryCirculating CounterfeitFALSO StampHole Punch CancelledNineteenth Century CurrencySpanish Monetary HistoryPaper Money SecurityCounterfeit StudiesSpain1876Pick 11xPMGPMG 40Top PopR8 Extremely RareMuseum Grade

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South Africa 1828 Cape of Good Hope Bank five shillings pre issue sample note, engraved border and ships vignette, Smithsonian class institutional artifact

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

Archival and institutional records firmly place this five shillings note within the pre-authorization phase of the Cape of Good Hope Bank. An example of this exact class of material is preserved in the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution, where it is identified as a sample note produced in the late 1820s while Ebden awaited government permission to open the bank. The presence of this material within major museum holdings confirms its status as foundational evidence of early private banking practice in southern Africa rather than as a commercial or speculative issue. Read more →

South AfricaPre-Issue Sample1828Five Shillings SterlingUncirculated Pre Issue Sample5 Shillings SterlingSample NoteApproval Stage CurrencyCape of Good Hope BankPrivate Colonial BankingEarly Nineteenth Century CurrencyCape Colony Monetary HistoryBritish Colonial FinanceInstitutional ProvenanceSouth Africa1828Pick S171pR9 Extremely RareMuseum GradeSmithsonian Held Class

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South Africa 1861 Montagu Bank five pounds remainder, large format steel plate engraved private banknote with green counterfeit protector

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

The Montagu Bank ultimately failed after only a few years of operation, closing its doors in 1868 following sustained financial losses. Subsequent ownership passed to the African Banking Corporation, whose assets were later absorbed by Standard Bank. The short lifespan of the Montagu Bank places its surviving documentary material, including unissued banknotes, firmly within the context of institutional failure and liquidation rather than long-term circulation. Read more →

South AfricaRemainder18615 Pounds SterlingUncirculated Remainder5 PoundsUnissued CurrencyMontagu BankPrivate BanknoteSteel Plate EngravingMid Nineteenth Century CurrencyCape Colony BankingCounterfeit ProtectorColonial Monetary HistorySouth Africa1861Pick S231rR7 Very RareMuseum Grade

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United States 1854 Empire City Bank 100 Dollars proof note, Collins Line steamship vignette, blank reverse with American Bank Note Company archival stamp, PMG Uncirculated 62 EPQ

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 →

United StatesProof1854100 DollarsPMG Uncirculated 62 EPQ ProofProof Banknote100 DollarsHigh DenominationEmpire City BankABNCAmerican Bank Note CompanyArchival ProofPunch of CancellationAmerican Private BankingPre Civil War CurrencyNew York Banking HistoryNineteenth Century BankingSecurity Printing HistoryCollins Line Steamer VignetteUnited States1854Pick NY1585G16PPMG 62Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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United States 1838 Olney Alabama uncut remainder sheet with 25 cents, 50 cents, and 1 dollar notes printed by Manly and Orr, deckled bottom margin, PCGS Banknote Very Fine 25

United States 1838 - Olney, Alabama 25 Cents, 50 Cents, 1 Dollar Uncut Sheet Remainder

Each note bears a promise to pay George Washington or bearer in bills of the Bank of the State of Alabama, or its branches, once the aggregate amount of five dollars was presented. This conditional redemption structure reflects the widespread use of fractional and small denomination scrip during the late 1830s, when shortages of hard money and economic instability following the Panic of 1837 forced communities to rely on paper substitutes for everyday transactions. Read more →

United StatesRemainder183825 Cents, 50 Cents, 1 DollarPCGS Banknote Very Fine 25 RemainderUncut Sheet25 Cents50 Cents1 DollarFractional CurrencyStock EngravingManly and OrrDeckled EdgeAntebellum CurrencyPanic of 1837 EraLocal ScripUnofficial IssuerAlabama Monetary HistoryEarly American PrintingUnited StatesAlabamaOlney1838Gunther and Derby AO-386PCGS 25Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare

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Italy 1781 Regie Finanze di Torino five scudi front proof sheet with two impressions from plate 1 and plate 2, visible plate numbers, deep intaglio bite, unique surviving proof sheet

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

This sheet contains two impressions of the five scudi front design produced from plates one and two and printed under full intaglio pressure on official paper stock. Plate identifiers are present within the design, confirming systematic plate-based production rather than decorative or commemorative printing. The impressions exhibit deep plate bite visible from the verso, consistent with working proof material. Read more →

ItalyProof17815 ScudiUncirculated ProofFront ProofProof Sheet5 ScudiRegie Finanze di TorinoPlate NumberedPlate 1Plate 2Kingdom of SardiniaSavoyard State FinanceEighteenth Century CurrencyItalian State Paper MoneyPre Central Bank EraSecurity Printing HistoryItaly1781Pick UnlistedMuseum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueUnique Proof Sheet

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