Collection PL

Australia 1879–1903 — Federal Bank of Australia, Limited £1 Sydney Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

This specimen represents a one pound note prepared for the Federal Bank of Australia, Limited and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company in London during the bank’s short operational life between 1879 and 1903. The note carries the Sydney office imprint, identifying the colonial financial center where the issue was intended to circulate. It belongs to one of the most fragile and least documented chapters of Australia’s pre-Federation private banking era, when numerous colonial banks issued their own paper currency under uneven regulation and volatile economic conditions. ... Read more →

Poland 1926 — 10 Złotych Remainder Bolesław Chrobry 992–1025 Watermark (Pick 65br)

This banknote is a remainder from the 10 złotych issue of Bank Polski dated 20 July 1926, printed on paper carrying a portrait watermark of Bolesław Chrobry together with the dates of his reign, 992–1025. In standard catalog references, this material is recorded as Pick 65br and represents the remainder counterpart to the issued type Pick 65b, sharing the same paper and watermark characteristics. The portrait watermark featuring Poland’s first crowned king was introduced within a specific historical and symbolic framework. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 50 Zlotych Approval Specimen Without Overprints AR Prefix (Pick Unlisted)

This example documents the use of a previously unrecorded AR prefix on a known approval specimen type of the 50 zlotych banknote from the 1994 Polish issue. The note is a fully printed approval specimen produced by Thomas De La Rue in London for the National Bank of Poland as part of the formal approval process for the final design intended for circulation. It retains the complete structure of the emission design, corresponding to the version that subsequently entered regular production. ... Read more →

Poland 1994, 50 Zlotych Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp AR Prefix (Pick Unlisted)

This AR-prefix specimen is a fully printed presentation example of the 50 zlotych banknote from Poland’s 1994 series, prepared by Thomas De La Rue for controlled institutional use. The note preserves the complete production design corresponding to the issued banknote and carries serial number AR0000000 together with the official signatures of the National Bank of Poland. A bold red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint spans the face of the note and is accompanied by two red oval NO VALUE stamps applied in the standard De La Rue format. ... Read more →

Poland 1994, 50 Zlotych Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' AR Prefix (Pick Unlisted)

This AR-prefix specimen is a fully printed 50 zlotych banknote from Poland’s 1994 series, permanently cancelled by a large perforated inscription reading “SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE” across the portrait of King Casimir III the Great. The perforation represents a terminal archival control form prepared by Thomas De La Rue and retained for internal documentation and security reference. The banknote preserves the complete production design corresponding to the issued currency, including serial number AR0000000 and the official signatures of the National Bank of Poland. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1872 — 100 Pesos = 10 Doblones Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A printer’s archival specimen of the 1872 issue of the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata, denominated 100 Pesos Nacionales with an explicit equivalence to 10 Doblones in gold. This dual-denomination construction represents one of the most ambitious monetary experiments undertaken in nineteenth-century Uruguay, attempting to anchor paper currency directly to a fixed gold value at a time of persistent instability and public distrust in fiduciary issues. The note was produced in London by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. ... Read more →

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

Archival specimen of the 1907 Banco de la Republica 100 Pesos (base Pick 159) bearing the emergency overprint 'Emisión del Estado – 11 de Enero de 1912' applied to both face and reverse — a dual-side validation highly unusual for Paraguay’s fiscal issues. Additionally, the note carries the departmental counterstamp 'Departamento de Hacienda – Junta Fiscalizadora' in heavy black ink, confirming its dual-signature fiscal authorization per the decree of 20 May 1912. This overprint configuration diverges from the standard 1912 state revalidations (Pick 134) by combining both governmental and fiscal signatures on opposite sides, creating one of the rarest identifiable archival variants of the period. ... Read more →

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

This textile emergency currency from Sinkiang belongs to the late Qing frontier monetary tradition, when regional authorities relied on locally produced substitutes in response to chronic shortages of official coin and paper money. Executed on coarse red-dyed cloth and printed by hand-carved woodblocks, the note reflects a monetary environment shaped by isolation, logistical constraints, and reliance on pre-modern administrative practices. The use of textile as a monetary substrate is not symbolic but functional. ... Read more →

China 1915 — South Sinkiang Border Defence Headquarters 1 Tael Textile Emergency Issue (Pick Unlisted)

This 1 tael textile banknote represents a formally authorized military emergency issue produced in 1915 by the South Sinkiang Border Defence Headquarters during a period of severe administrative and monetary fragmentation in western China. Issued within the southern frontier zone encompassing Khotan, Yarkand, and Karghalik, the note reflects a localized system of fiscal control exercised by military authorities operating with substantial autonomy from central government structures. The banknote is printed on hand-woven textile rather than paper, a deliberate and practical choice dictated by frontier conditions. ... Read more →

China 1918 — Xinjiang Textile Emergency Currency Printed on Red Cloth, Local Authority Issue (Pick Unlisted)

An issued textile emergency currency produced in Xinjiang (Sinkiang) during the early Republican period, printed by hand from carved woodblocks onto red-dyed cotton cloth. This note represents a locally authorized substitute currency created for circulation under conditions of monetary instability, material shortage, and fragmented administrative control in China’s western frontier. The design is printed directly onto fabric in dark ink, with the textile weave clearly visible through the impression. ... Read more →

China 1920 — Xinjiang Textile Emergency Currency Printed on Red Cloth, Local Authority Issue (Pick Unlisted)

An issued textile emergency currency produced in Xinjiang (Sinkiang) in the early Republican period, printed by hand from woodblock onto coarse red-dyed cotton cloth. This note forms part of the broader tradition of frontier textile currency developed in western China under conditions of monetary instability, material shortage, and decentralized administrative control. The design is executed in dark ink directly on fabric, with the weave of the cloth clearly visible through the printed impression. ... Read more →

China 1921 — Xinjiang Textile Emergency Currency Printed on Red Cloth with Sun Emblem (Pick Unlisted)

An issued textile emergency currency produced in Xinjiang (Sinkiang) during the early Republican period, printed by hand from carved woodblocks onto red-dyed cotton cloth. This note represents a distinct local issue within the Xinjiang textile tradition, created for circulation under conditions of monetary instability, limited access to paper currency, and decentralized administrative control in China’s western frontier. The design is printed directly onto coarse textile in dark ink, with the weave of the fabric clearly visible through the impression. ... Read more →