Collection

Italy 1871–72 — Banca Italo-Germanica 250 Lire (Specimen)

Oversized specimen of the short-lived Banca Italo-Germanica, engraved in the immediate aftermath of Italian unification. Founded in Rome with German capital, the bank intended to position itself as a bridge between northern European finance and the new Kingdom of Italy. In practice, its note-issuing project never advanced beyond archival and presentation pulls—no issued examples are known. ... Read more →

Australia 1880–1910 — Commercial Bank of Australia £100 (Pick Unlisted, Specimen)

A monumental survivor from Australia’s private banking era, this £100 note ranks among the most important colonial-era specimens known. Printed circa 1880–1910 for the Commercial Bank of Australia Limited, it predates the 1910 Australian Notes Act that abolished private currency issuance. Engraved by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. ... Read more →

Australia 1879–1903 — Federal Bank of Australia £1 (Specimen, Annotated)

Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London for the short-lived Federal Bank of Australia, this £1 specimen belongs to one of the rarest chapters of Australia’s pre-Federation banking history. The Federal Bank opened in 1881 and failed during the banking crisis of 1893, leaving only presentation and archival notes behind. ... Read more →

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 →

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

Context — Porfiriato industrial finance (1876–1911): In the 1880s, Mexico’s northern mining belt (Durango–Zacatecas–Coahuila) expanded under Porfirio Díaz’s pro-investment policies. Private companies routinely paid workers and contractors with bearer notes redeemable in silver on demand. These instruments sat between payroll scrip and banknotes: fully engraved, serialed, and legally payable al portador en moneda de plata, but issued by corporations rather than chartered banks. ... Read more →

Mauritius 1839 — Mauritius Commercial Bank 20 Dollars / 4 Pounds Sterling (Issued & Cancelled, Pick S125)

Earliest known issued high-denomination note from the Mauritius Commercial Bank, dated 9 April 1839 and denominated Twenty Dollars / Four Pounds Sterling. Printed by Myers Frs. & Co. ... Read more →

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

A fully issued, hand-signed, and dated Mauritius Commercial Bank note — one of the earliest known examples of circulating paper money from the island. Dated 2 August 1842, this note bears manuscript signatures, serial numbers, and the characteristic oval CANCELLED stamps applied upon redemption. The engraving by Myers Frs. ... Read more →

Mauritius 1843 — Mauritius Commercial Bank 10 Dollars / 2 Pounds Sterling (Remainder, Pick S122r, PMG 50 NET)

Unissued remainder from the earliest Mauritius Commercial Bank dual-currency series, printed by Myers Frs. & Co., London. This note represents the archival stock of the 1840s issue — printed but never signed or circulated. ... Read more →

Argentina 1876 — Banco de San Juan 1 Peso Fuerte (Specimen)

Specimen printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. for the Banco de San Juan during Argentina’s expansion of provincially chartered banks in the 1870s. The 1 Peso Fuerte design reflects the distinct artistic language of the early British engravers active in Latin America, with refined lathe-work borders and a central condor vignette symbolizing vigilance and freedom. ... Read more →

Argentina 1876 — Banco de San Juan 5 Pesos Fuertes (Specimen)

Companion specimen to the 1 Peso Fuerte, engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. for the Banco de San Juan. The 5 Pesos Fuertes note expands the artistic program with allegorical vignettes of Liberty, the national arms of Argentina, and native fauna—each rendered with the precision that defined Bradbury Wilkinson’s London workshop during the golden age of steel engraving. ... 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 →

Argentina 1883 — Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires 2 Pesos Oro (Proof)

Superb proof engraving prepared by the American Bank Note Company for the Banco de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, dated 19 de Enero de 1883. The design features an equestrian vignette at center symbolizing progress and vitality, flanked by portraits of Florencio Varela and Valentín Alsina, two influential figures in Argentina’s political and intellectual life. Printed directly from ABNC master plates in black ink on thin India paper and mounted on card stock, this piece confirms its pre-issue proof status. ... Read more →