Collection PL

Martinique 1870 - Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Cheque Recovered After the 1902 Mount Pelée Eruption (Pick P.5A)

The printed face follows the established Banque de la Martinique cheque format, bearing the heading “Chèque sur la Banque de la Martinique,” internal control marking “B.P.F. 1,” and a printed acknowledgment of receipt for the sum of one franc, to be debited from the account of a named holder. The place of issue is Saint-Pierre, with a printed year line left incomplete, consistent with cheque forms intended to be dated at the time of use. Ornamental engraved borders composed of tropical flora frame the document, reflecting French metropolitan engraving conventions adapted for colonial financial instruments. Printer imprints at the lower margins attribute production to Claverie et Fils, with engraved elements credited to Reschérer. Read more →

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

Their role expanded in 1797. Decrees allowed apolices to be used for certain taxes and payments, and authorized smaller denominations below the previous 50,000-reis minimum. These instruments could circulate in public and private transactions as bearer obligations. A recipient could be required to accept apolices for up to half of a payment. The face of this example promises payment to its bearer one year from the handwritten issue date, with the corresponding interest. The loan's annual interest rate was set at 6 percent. Read more →

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 →

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

The left side retains the broad counterfoil area with the printed denomination Valor 10 Pesos, FECHA heading, partial date structure, and corresponding control space. A tall ornamental security band separates the counterfoil from the principal note design. This retained margin preserves the full intended face arrangement, including the relationship between the accounting and control section and the engraved monetary instrument itself. Read more →

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 →

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 →

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

This note represents a contemporary counterfeit of the Banco de España fifty pesetas issue of 1875, 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 7x, it is a period forgery rather than a later reproduction or fantasy piece, created using materials and printing methods consistent with nineteenth-century Spanish monetary circulation. Read more →

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

As a result, this 1876 one hundred pesetas contemporary counterfeit must be regarded as an extremely rare monetary artifact. It provides direct evidence of the vulnerabilities of nineteenth-century Spanish paper currency systems and the enforcement mechanisms developed to combat forgery, while standing as a scarce and well-documented survivor of period counterfeit circulation. Read more →

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

This 1828 five shillings pre-issue sample must therefore be regarded as a museum-grade monetary artifact rather than a conventional banknote. It documents the transition from state-administered colonial finance toward private banking, the absence of central banking authority in nineteenth-century South Africa, and the institutional processes through which early banks sought legitimacy, authorization, and public trust. As such, it stands as a primary historical document of South Africa’s pre-central-bank monetary system and the origins of private paper currency in the region. Read more →

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 →

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

The sheet is printed on a single piece of paper with all three denominations intact and aligned as produced. The bottom edge retains a deckled margin, confirming that the sheet remains in as made condition and was not trimmed or altered after printing. The reverse is blank, consistent with the printing practices used for many small denomination and scrip issues of the era. Read more →