Collection PL

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 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 →

Poland 1919 (ND 1924) — 1 Złoty Issued Note Radar Serial 070070 (Pick 51)

The 1 złoty of 28 February 1919, printed in London by Waterlow & Sons, stands as the inaugural złoty of the reborn Republic of Poland following independence in 1918. It was the lowest denomination of the reform series and among the most widely used, yet it carried enormous symbolic weight: the obverse bears the portrait of Tadeusz Kościuszko, national hero of both Poland and the American Revolution, surrounded by intricate guilloches and the bold legend 'Bank Polski.' Kościuszko’s inclusion underscored the continuity of national identity after more than a century of partitions. This example is further distinguished by its serial number: a radar repeater, 070070 (Series S.26 C), a pattern highly prized by collectors for its symmetry and rarity. ... Read more →

Egypt 1914–1915 — Egyptian Red Crescent Society (Khedivial Era Membership Receipts, Two-Document Set)

Pair of original Egyptian Red Crescent Society membership receipts from 1914 and 1915, both issued on cream wove paper and printed with the early Khedivial-era layout. Each sheet carries the large red Crescent emblem at top center, rendered in thick oil-based ink with slight unevenness at the edges typical of hand-inked early Red Crescent forms. Beneath the emblem appears the full institutional title in classical Arabic script, followed by the patronage line noting the protection of the Khedivial household and the presidency of His Highness Prince Mohamed Ali. ... Read more →

Egypt 1918 — Banque Belge pour l’Étranger, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

Original cheque issued by the Cairo branch of Banque Belge pour l'Étranger on 2 September 1918, produced during the final phase of the First World War. The form is printed on light cream security stock with a richly engraved Art Nouveau header. Along the left margin runs a vertical ornamental cartouche enclosing the bank’s interlocking monogram and the legend BANQUE BELGE POUR L'ÉTRANGER – LE CAIRE, framed by a list of the bank’s principal branches in BRUXELLES, LONDRES, ROTTERDAM, LE CAIRE, ALEXANDRIE, SHANGHAI, PEKIN and TIENTSIN. ... Read more →