Collection PL

United States ca. 1970s – Giori Test Note – Jefferson Center, Black Front / Greenback (Inverted Experimental Serial, With Watermark, PMG 64 EPQ)

Experimental intaglio test note printed around the 1970s by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on the Giori multicolor press system. Named for engineer Giovanni Giori, these sheets were used to evaluate multi-plate registration, color density, and press alignment on machinery that would later define modern currency production. The design known as the Jefferson Center joins engraved portraits of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Ulysses S. ... Read more →

United States 1950A — 10 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, Chicago District (Friedberg 2011-G) Butterfly Fold Error, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated

This 1950A 10 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Chicago District (Friedberg 2011-G, GB Block) displays a striking Butterfly Fold Error, one of the most visually dramatic mechanical mishaps encountered in modern U.S. currency production. During printing, a corner of the paper was unintentionally folded over, causing part of the note’s design to print on the folded flap and leaving an unprinted void once the fold was later unfolded. ... Read more →

United States 1988A — 10 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, Philadelphia District (Friedberg 2028-C) Insufficient Inking on Face Error, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated

This 1988A 10 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Philadelphia District (Friedberg 2028-C, CA Block) exhibits a major Insufficient Inking Error across its face printing. The left and right '10' denomination medallions, top border inscriptions, and parts of the ornamental scrollwork show extreme fading, with many engraved lines barely visible. The green Treasury seal and serial numbers remain sharp and fully inked, confirming that the fault occurred during the black intaglio printing pass, prior to the overprint stage. ... Read more →

United States 1985 — 5 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, Cleveland District (Friedberg 1978-D) Insufficient Inking on Back Error, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated

A visually striking Insufficient Inking Error on this 1985 5 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Cleveland District (Friedberg 1978-D, DB Block) leaves nearly two-thirds of the reverse design ghosted or missing. The left portion of the intaglio printing—normally displaying the numeral '5,' frame ornamentation, and portions of the Lincoln Memorial vignette—shows only a faint outline where the press failed to transfer adequate ink to the paper. This form of printing error occurs when the intaglio press cylinder is inadequately charged with ink before an impression cycle. ... Read more →

United States 1988A — 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note, Chicago District (Friedberg 1915-G) Insufficient Inking Error, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated

This 1988A 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note from the Chicago District (Friedberg 1915-G, GE Block) displays a dramatic Insufficient Inking Error that left much of the upper design on the obverse faint or missing. The portrait of George Washington remains clear and fully struck, but the border engraving, serial zone, and areas above the central vignette show patchy or absent ink transfer. This occurred during the intaglio face printing pass when the plate failed to receive an even ink layer or when the wiping cylinder overcleaned the plate prior to impression. ... Read more →

United States 1993 — 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, Chicago District (Friedberg 2080-G) Printed Tear Errors, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated

This 1993 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Chicago District (Friedberg 2080-G, GA Block) represents one of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s most visually dynamic mechanical failures—a genuine Printed Tear Error, preserved in fully original condition. The note exhibits two sharply folded and partially torn corners that became creased before entering the final printing pass. When the sheet was fed into the intaglio press, the torn and folded segments prevented ink from transferring to those areas, leaving distinctive blank voids and offset impressions once unfolded. ... Read more →

United States 1935D — 1 Dollar Silver Certificate (Friedberg 1613N, YE Block) Radar Serial Number Y88866888E, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated

This 1935D 1 Dollar Silver Certificate (Friedberg 1613N, YE Block) combines classic blue-seal artistry with one of the most coveted numerical patterns in modern U.S. small-size currency — a Radar Serial Number. The serial Y88866888E reads the same forward and backward, forming a perfect numerical palindrome that collectors universally prize for its rarity and visual symmetry. ... Read more →

United States 1935F — 1 Dollar Silver Certificate (Friedberg 1615, UI Block) Courtesy Autograph by Treasurer Ivy Baker Priest, PMG 64 EPQ Choice Uncirculated

This 1935F 1 Dollar Silver Certificate (Friedberg 1615, UI Block) bears a distinguished Courtesy Autograph by Ivy Baker Priest, Treasurer of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Her handwritten blue-ink signature appears directly above the printed facsimile of her name, representing one of the most desirable forms of official Treasury autographs collected today. ... 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 →

Cayman Islands 1974 — Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 6s)

This five dollar specimen of the Cayman Islands Currency Board belongs to the 1974 design series prepared under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974 and produced by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited as controlled reference material. It was never intended to function as money. Instead, it documents the fully finalized face and reverse designs of the denomination in a deliberately invalidated form suitable for institutional distribution and printer archive control. ... Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 — Cayman Islands Currency Board 5 Dollars Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' (Pick 6s, 467/1–A2)

This five dollar Cayman Islands Currency Board specimen is a perforated archival control example of the 1974 series authorized under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974. It preserves the full production design of the denomination while being permanently invalidated by a dot-matrix perforation reading “SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE” across the face, a cancellation method intended for final archival retention rather than for outward-facing specimen distribution. The specimen carries the all-zero serial format with prefix A/1, a configuration reserved exclusively for specimen material and never used on circulation notes. ... Read more →

Cayman Islands 1974 — Cayman Islands Currency Board 40 Dollars Specimen with Black Overprint & Oval Stamp (Pick 9s)

This forty dollars specimen of the Cayman Islands Currency Board belongs to the 1974 design series authorized under the Cayman Islands Currency Law of 1974 and produced by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited as controlled reference material. It preserves the complete engraved production design of the denomination while being permanently invalidated for non-monetary use. The specimen format follows the established Thomas De La Rue control protocol. ... Read more →