Collection PL

Libya 1971 — Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars Specimen (Omar al-Mukhtar Portrait, Pick 37s)

This specimen represents the official pre-issue specimen of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, the first high-denomination issue of the Libyan Arab Republic following the abolition of the monarchy. Bearing the red SPECIMEN overprint and zero control serials, the note documents the final approved design state immediately before full circulation printing commenced. Specimen banknotes occupy a distinct position within the currency production and distribution process. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 — 100 Francs Specimen (Pick 56s)

Specimen of the issued 1970 one hundred francs type of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, bearing a red SPECIMEN overprint and circular punch hole cancellation across the central signature area. The note carries serial number A000000 in dual placement, consistent with specimen-format control numbering used for internal distribution and archival reference. The punch hole cancellation serves as the primary method of invalidation, physically rendering the note non-circulating while preserving the full design. ... 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 →

United States 1934 — New Jersey, County of Atlantic School Scrip Ten Dollars Specimen (November 1 Issue)

This specimen represents an official county-level school tax scrip issued by the County of Atlantic, New Jersey, dated November 1, 1934, and denominated Ten Dollars. It belongs to a category of legally authorized educational finance instruments created during the Great Depression, when counties were confronted with the collapse of normal revenue flows and were forced to adopt extraordinary measures to sustain public schooling. Unlike informal emergency substitutes or privately issued local notes, this instrument was grounded in a defined statutory and administrative framework. ... Read more →

United States 1933 — New Jersey, Borough of Palmyra Municipal Scrip Five Dollars Specimen (General Obligation)

This specimen represents an official municipal scrip issued by the Borough of Palmyra, Burlington County, New Jersey, Series of 1933, and denominated Five Dollars. It originates from the most acute phase of the Great Depression, when local governments faced severe liquidity shortages and were compelled to issue interest-bearing scrip to meet ordinary municipal obligations in the absence of sufficient circulating cash. Municipal scrip functioned as a direct acknowledgment of indebtedness by the issuing authority, intended for local circulation or settlement rather than long-term financing. ... Read more →

United States 1935 — New Jersey, Borough of Palmyra Municipal Scrip One Dollar Specimen (General Obligation)

This specimen represents an official municipal scrip issued by the Borough of Palmyra, Burlington County, New Jersey, Series of 1935, and denominated One Dollar. It belongs to the later phase of Depression-era local finance, when smaller municipalities continued to rely on interest-bearing scrip to manage routine obligations amid prolonged economic strain and uneven recovery. Municipal scrip differed from tax anticipation notes and formal bond issues in that it functioned as a direct acknowledgment of indebtedness by the issuing municipality, intended for circulation or settlement within the local economy. ... Read more →

United States 1934 — New Jersey, City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note One Dollar Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

This specimen represents an official municipal tax anticipation note issued by the City of Asbury Park, New Jersey, dated March 31, 1934, and denominated One Dollar. Explicitly titled TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE OF 1934 and further identified on the design as a RECOVERY BOND, the instrument forms part of a structured municipal financing program implemented during the depth of the Great Depression, when local governments faced severe cash shortages and unstable revenue collection. Tax anticipation notes were legally authorized short-term obligations designed to transform expected tax receipts into immediate operating funds. ... Read more →

United States 1934 — New Jersey, City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Five Dollars Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

This specimen represents an official municipal tax anticipation note issued by the City of Asbury Park, New Jersey, dated March 31, 1934, and denominated Five Dollars. Explicitly titled TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE OF 1934 and prominently labeled RECOVERY BOND, the instrument forms part of a coordinated municipal financing program implemented during the most severe phase of the Great Depression, when local governments faced acute revenue shortfalls and escalating insolvency risk. Tax anticipation notes were legally sanctioned debt instruments designed to convert expected tax revenues into immediate operating capital. ... Read more →

United States 1934 — New Jersey, City of Asbury Park Tax Anticipation Note Ten Dollars Recovery Bond Specimen (March 31 Issue)

This specimen represents an official municipal tax anticipation note issued by the City of Asbury Park, New Jersey, dated March 31, 1934, and denominated Ten Dollars. Explicitly titled TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE OF 1934 and further identified on the design as a RECOVERY BOND, the instrument belongs to a class of short-term municipal obligations created during the most acute phase of the Great Depression, when local governments faced severe cash shortages and collapsing revenue streams. Tax anticipation notes were not emergency substitutes or informal scrip, but legally sanctioned debt instruments issued in advance of expected tax receipts. ... Read more →

United States 1933 — State of Delaware Tax Paid on Half Barrel of Beer Fifty Cents Specimen Strip,

This specimen strip represents an official State of Delaware excise tax stamp issued in 1933 for beer, explicitly designated TAX PAID ON HALF BARREL OF BEER and denominated Fifty Cents. It originates from the earliest phase of state-level alcohol regulation following the repeal of national Prohibition, when individual states were forced to reconstruct taxation, licensing, and enforcement systems that had been dormant or dismantled for more than a decade. The repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1933 did not simply legalize alcohol; it transferred regulatory responsibility almost immediately to the states, many of which lacked fully developed administrative frameworks for alcohol control. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1966 — 20 Francs Color Trial Specimen (Pick 54cts)

Color trial specimen of the twenty francs note of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg dated 1966, produced during the advanced evaluation phase of the Grand Duke Jean series within the Belgian Luxembourg Economic Union framework. Printed by Thomas De La Rue and Company, London, this example represents a controlled press-stage trial where final color relationships, engraving visibility, and overall tonal balance were assessed prior to full production approval. The obverse displays Grand Duke Jean in formal military attire, rendered in finely controlled intaglio and surrounded by complex multicolor guilloche structures. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1972 — 50 Francs Signature A Color Trial Specimen (Pick 55cts)

Color trial specimen of the fifty francs note of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the Signature A configuration later cataloged as Pick 55a. This example reflects the stage of production in which finalized engraving and layout were combined with experimental color application prior to approval for full issuance. The note carries serial number A000000 in dual placement and is overprinted SPECIMEN in red across the face. ... Read more →