Collection PL

Poland 1994 — 10 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 173s)

A WZÓR specimen banknote of the 10 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski as part of the post-denomination monetary reform. This specimen represents the lowest denomination of the new złoty series introduced to re-establish numerical continuity and monetary clarity following the redenomination of Polish currency. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the implementation of the new series. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 20 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 174s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 20 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. This specimen represents the second denomination of the new złoty series, positioned between the introductory 10 złotych note and the higher-value denominations that complete the system. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the new series. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 50 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 175s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 50 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. Positioned at the core of the denomination structure, the 50 złotych note represents the central transactional unit of the new złoty system. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the series. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 100 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 176s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 100 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. As the principal high-value circulation note of the new złoty system, the 100 złotych denomination occupied a central role in everyday monetary use following the reform. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the series. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 — 200 Zlotych, Narodowy Bank Polski WZÓR Specimen Number 010 (Pick 177s)

A WZÓR specimen of the 200 złotych denomination from the 1994 Polish banknote series, issued by the Narodowy Bank Polski during the introduction of the post-denomination monetary reform. As the highest denomination of the initial 1994 series, the 200 złotych note functioned as the flagship issue representing the full design, security, and symbolic ambition of the reform. The WZÓR designation identifies a non-circulating specimen prepared for approval, institutional reference, and controlled distribution during the rollout of the series. ... Read more →

Austria 1800 — Wiener Stadt Banco 5 Gulden Issued Note (Pick A33)

The 5 Gulden note of 1800, issued by the Wiener Stadt Banco, occupies a pivotal position within Austria’s early fiduciary paper money system known as Banco-Zettel. Introduced in 1796, this system marked the Habsburg Monarchy’s first sustained attempt to replace metallic circulation with state-backed paper currency, driven by the severe fiscal pressures of continuous warfare and structural budget deficits at the end of the eighteenth century. Within the denomination hierarchy, 5 Gulden functioned as a true intermediary value. ... Read more →

Martinique 1870 — Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Unissued Cheque (Pick P.5A)

An unissued cheque for one franc prepared for the Banque de la Martinique and intended for use at Saint-Pierre, dating from the early period of organized colonial banking on the island. Classified as Pick P.5A, this form represents a non-circulating banking instrument rather than a circulating banknote, designed for internal settlement, account debiting, and controlled monetary transfers within the colonial financial system. The Banque de la Martinique was established as part of France’s overseas banking framework, created to stabilize currency supply and facilitate commercial credit in the Caribbean colonies. ... Read more →

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

A Banque de la Martinique one franc cheque form, Pick P.5A, originally printed for use at Saint-Pierre during the late nineteenth century and later recovered from the ruins of the city following the catastrophic eruption of Mount Pelée on 8 May 1902. Although printed decades earlier as part of the bank’s standardized cheque issue, this surviving example was never negotiated as a financial instrument and instead entered history as a disaster-recovery relic, explicitly identified as such by contemporary handwritten annotations. 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. ... Read more →

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

A Portuguese royal-era public debt instrument issued in Lisboa in 1799 under the authority of the Real Erario, denominated 20000 reis and payable to bearer. This document is an apólice, a formal treasury obligation representing state-backed debt issued during a period of administrative continuity in late eighteenth-century Portugal, prior to the political and fiscal disruptions of the nineteenth century. This example belongs to the original issue phase of Portuguese treasury apólices and predates the period commonly associated with the War of the Brothers. ... Read more →

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

This note represents a contemporary counterfeit of the Imperial Treasury of Brazil ten mil réis issue, 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 A231x, it is a period forgery rather than a later reproduction or fantasy piece, created using materials, engraving methods, and paper consistent with mid-nineteenth-century Brazilian monetary circulation. Contemporary counterfeits occupy a distinct and historically important category within paper money studies. ... Read more →

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

This face proof represents the obverse-only proof state of the 10 Pesos issue prepared for the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata in 1871. It was pulled directly from the finished face plate during the engraving and plate-approval process, prior to the preparation of reverse plates, serial numbering, or the assembly of complete circulating banknotes. As such, it documents the earliest finalized stage of design approval rather than a variant of an issued note. ... Read more →

United States 1933 — Any City, U.S.A. City and County Scrip Five Dollars Specimen (Generic Municipal Master Form)

This specimen represents a generic City and County municipal scrip master form, dated Series of 1933 and denominated Five Dollars, produced during the most acute phase of the Great Depression. Explicitly designated for use by ANY CITY, U.S.A., the instrument was not issued by a specific municipality but instead functioned as a standardized template intended for rapid adoption by multiple cities and counties facing severe liquidity collapse. During the banking crisis of 1933, municipalities across the United States encountered simultaneous failures of cash circulation, delayed tax receipts, and restricted access to credit markets. ... Read more →