Collection PL

Poland 1936 — 50 Zlotych Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (Pick 78a, Miłczak 77a–b)

The 50 Zlotych note dated 11 November 1936 with the portrait of General Jan Henryk Dąbrowski represents the highest artistic and symbolic achievement of Polish interwar banknote design. Conceived as the flagship denomination of a fully modernized Bank Polski series, it was intended to embody state continuity, national identity, and technical excellence at a moment when the Second Polish Republic had reached institutional maturity. The choice of date was deliberate. ... Read more →

New Zealand ND (1924-1933) - Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings Oversized Proof, Perforated SPECIMEN (Pick S161s)

Printers archival oversized proof for the Bank of New South Wales Ten Shillings, classified in the Standard Catalog and grading records as New Zealand Pick S161s (ND 1924-1933) and produced in London by Charles Skipper and East. This example survives on an oversized, untrimmed sheet and represents the most internal and earliest preserved production state of the design. Although cataloged under New Zealand, the design belongs to the broader Australasian operating structure of the Bank of New South Wales, a trans Tasman institution active in both Australia and New Zealand. ... Read more →

Australia ca.1939 — Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED £5 Travellers Cheque Photographic Proof (Pick Unlisted)

Photographic proof of a £5 Travellers Cheque prepared for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney LIMITED around 1939, mounted on cardstock and annotated at upper margin for archival use. This early pre-war layout marks one of the first generations of CBC traveller’s cheques, preceding the coloured issues of the 1960s. Produced during the late interwar period when secure portable payment instruments were vital for travel within the British Empire, this proof reflects the evolution of Australian financial printing in collaboration with Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1934 — Reserve Bank of New Zealand 10 Shillings Issued Note (Pick 154)

The 10 Shillings banknote issued on 1 August 1934 forms part of the first national paper money series produced for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand after its establishment under the Reserve Bank Act of 1933. The creation of the Reserve Bank replaced the fragmented system of private trading bank notes with a unified national currency, marking a major milestone in the country’s monetary history. This inaugural series is widely known as the "Lefeaux series", named after Leslie Lefeaux, the first Governor of the Reserve Bank whose printed signature appears on the notes. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 — Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1,000 Pesos Large-Format Presentation Photo Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

This exceptionally large-format photographic presentation proof pair for the 1,000 Pesos issue dated 1939 represents the apex of archival proof material prepared for the Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Produced by the American Bank Note Company, this pair documents the finalized design of Uruguay’s highest denomination in its fully resolved form, preserved outside the currency production workflow. Printed on heavyweight photographic paper and mounted on archival cardstock, this presentation format was intended for institutional reference rather than technical testing. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1935 — Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1,000 Pesos Large-Format Presentation Photo Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

This exceptionally large-format photographic proof pair for the 1,000 Pesos issue dated 1935 represents one of the most imposing archival presentation formats produced for the Departamento de Emisión del Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Unlike standard-sized photographic proofs intended primarily for internal plate approval, this example was mounted on an oversized presentation card measuring approximately thirty-three by thirty-three centimeters, dwarfing both the standard note format and later proof mountings. The face and back photographic proofs themselves measure approximately twenty-three by twelve centimeters, reflecting a distinct enlargement relative to the issued banknote format. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1920 — Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company José Gervasio Artigas Engraved Portrait Die Proof (Reference 192A, Cancelled)

An engraved portrait die proof of José Gervasio Artigas produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company of London for the Republic of Uruguay. Printed in black from a master steel die onto thin India paper and mounted on card, this proof carries the printer identification, country designation, and the internal reference number “192A.” Directly beneath this reference, the word “CANCELLED” appears as a printed, typeset element, indicating formal cancellation at the printer level. The portrait depicts Artigas in restrained neoclassical profile, engraved with finely controlled line work and tightly structured cross-hatching. ... Read more →

Australia 1929 — Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited — Circular Letter of Introduction Photographic Proof (Mounted on Cardstock, PCGS 50 About New)

This photographic proof represents a Circular Letter of Introduction prepared for the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited during the late interwar period. Such documents functioned as formal financial identification instruments, issued to bank clients traveling abroad to establish identity, credibility, and recognized standing within an international banking network. In practical use, the holder would present the letter to correspondent banks, which would acknowledge the issuing institution and extend services based on that established relationship. ... Read more →

1931 — Deutsche Orientbank A.G. Cairo Correspondence Set (Letter, Registered Cover, and Account Statement)

Complete 1931 Deutsche Orientbank A.G. Cairo correspondence set consisting of three original components: a printed bank letterhead with bilingual Arabic–French text, the matching addressed postal cover bearing a King Fuad 5m franking and Cairo postal strikes, and the full Konto–Korrent account statement issued to the same client on the same date. Taken together, these documents preserve the complete administrative chain between the German overseas bank's Cairo branch and one of its Egyptian clients during the interwar period. ... Read more →

Egypt 1923 — Banco di Roma, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

Original Banco di Roma cheque issued in Cairo on 17 November 1923, printed on cream security paper with a richly engraved Roman header characteristic of interwar Italian banknote and cheque design. At the upper left, within an elaborate vertical cartouche of scrollwork and rosettes, appears the iconic Capitoline Wolf suckling Romulus and Remus. This emblem served as the visual shorthand for Banco di Roma's institutional identity and its projection of Italian national symbolism abroad. ... Read more →

Egypt 1927 — Chahine & Sbath Cairo Commercial Draft Endorsed by Banque d’Orient

Original 1927 commercial draft issued in Cairo by Chahine & Sbath, the well-known textile and drapery merchants located at 4 Rue Boulac. The left margin features the firm’s elaborate vertical trade header, printed in dark grey with ornamental shading and the wording Draperie Haute Nouveauté in both French and Arabic. The typography and engraved side panel are characteristic of B. ... Read more →

Egypt 1935 — Palestine & Egypt Lloyd Ltd., Alexandria Agency Letterhead

Original 1935 commercial letterhead issued by Palestine and Egypt Lloyd Ltd., one of the most important multinational forwarding, clearing, and passenger-transport agencies operating in the Eastern Mediterranean during the interwar period. The sheet is printed on period cream office stock and carries a trilingual English–French–Arabic masthead, dominated by the bold PEL monogram at upper left. The left margin lists every operational branch of the company—Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Haifa, Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said, Damascus, Aleppo, Baghdad, and Teheran—providing an unusually comprehensive snapshot of a major Levantine–Egyptian commercial network at a moment when regional transport corridors were undergoing rapid modernization. ... Read more →