Collection PL

North Macedonia 2003 - 500 Denari (Issued, Pick 21a) DA8148021 Golden Death Mask

The 500 Denari banknote dated January 2003 represents a continuation printing of the denomination within the banknote program of the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia. While maintaining the established design introduced in the 1996 series, the 2003 issue reflects a later production batch prepared by Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited in London, preserving the same national imagery while refining color balance and background guilloche structures. At the center of the design remains the Golden Mask motif derived from the funerary mask discovered at the archaeological site of Trebeništa near Ohrid, dating to the 6th century BCE. ... Read more →

New South Wales 1865 — Embossed 'ONE HALF PERCENT' Stamp Duty Fiscal Proof Specimen

This archival embossed proof was prepared for the Treasury of the Colony of New South Wales in 1865 as part of the design approval process for official stamp duty revenue paper. The piece displays the crowned colonial arms surrounded by a laurel wreath with the inscription 'ONE HALF PERCENT', executed in colourless embossing and framed by printer’s blue layout guide lines with a printed 'Specimen' designation. Unlike adhesive revenue stamps, this form of fiscal authentication was produced as embossed security paper intended to validate legal and financial documents. ... Read more →

Fiji 1942 — 1 Pound Government of Fiji Overprint on New Zealand £1 (Pick 45c)

This one pound note issued for Fiji in 1942 was created by overprinting an existing Reserve Bank of New Zealand £1 note originally dated 1 August 1934. The base note was printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company in London for circulation in New Zealand, but during the Second World War it was adapted for emergency use within the British colony of Fiji. In early 1942 Japanese military expansion across the Pacific severely disrupted supply lines throughout the British colonial network. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1967 — 100 Dollars (Pick 168as, Fleming Signature, TDLR Overprint Specimen, Serial G000000009, Specimen No. 9, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated)

The 1967 one hundred dollars specimen represents the inaugural issue of New Zealand’s decimal currency system at its highest denomination, issued during the ND (1967–1968) period under the signature of Roderick Ninian Fleming as Chief Cashier. Fleming’s tenure was limited to the opening phase of decimalization, making his signature exclusive to the earliest production window of the new monetary system. Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, this specimen was prepared for formal distribution to central banks and institutional archives. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1967 — 100 Dollars (Pick 168as, Fleming Signature, Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE, Serial G000000, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated)

The 1967 one hundred dollars perforated specimen represents the highest denomination of New Zealand’s inaugural decimal currency issue, produced during the ND (1967–1968) period under the signature of Roderick Ninian Fleming as Chief Cashier. Fleming’s tenure was limited to the opening phase of decimalization, making his signature exclusive to the earliest production window of the modern dollar system. Printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, this specimen belongs to the internal archival class rather than the externally distributed presentation format. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1975 — 100 Dollars (Pick 168bs, R.L. Knight Signature, TDLR Overprint Specimen, Serial G000000004, Specimen No. 004, PMG 62 Uncirculated)

The 1975 one hundred dollars specimen represents the highest denomination of New Zealand’s decimal currency series during the tenure of R.L. Knight as Chief Cashier, issued within the ND (1975–1977) period. Knight’s signature defines the third phase of the decimal era, following the Fleming and Wilks periods, and reflects a stage in which the system had transitioned from initial introduction into a fully established national currency structure. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1975 — 100 Dollars (Pick 168bs, R.L. Knight Signature, Perforated SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE, Serial G000000000, PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated)

The 1975 one hundred dollars perforated specimen represents the highest denomination of New Zealand’s decimal currency during the tenure of R.L. Knight as Chief Cashier, issued within the ND (1975–1977) period. Knight’s signature defines the third phase of the decimal era, following the Fleming and Wilks periods, and reflects a stage in which the currency system had reached structural maturity. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1981 — 100 Dollars (Pick 175a, H.R. Hardie Signature, Serial YAA173980, PMG 45 Choice Extremely Fine)

The 1981 one hundred dollars note represents the reintroduction and continuation of New Zealand’s highest denomination within the revised decimal currency series, issued during the ND (1981–1985) period under the signature of H.R. Hardie as Chief Cashier. This issue belongs to the later Hardie design phase, distinguished by the updated portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, presenting a more mature likeness compared to the earlier ND (1977–1981) series bearing the same signatory. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1981 — 100 Dollars (Pick 175as, H.R. Hardie Signature, Vertical Perforated SPECIMEN, Black Overprint, Serial YAA000000, Specimen No. 016, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated)

The 1981 one hundred dollars specimen represents a later-stage development in New Zealand’s decimal currency specimen formats, issued during the ND (1981–1985) period under the signature of H.R. Hardie as Chief Cashier. This note belongs to the revised Hardie design phase, distinguished by the updated portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, reflecting the mature visual identity of the series. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1992 — 100 Dollars (Pick 181s, Rutherford Design, Vertical Red SPECIMEN Overprint, Printer-Annotated TDLR Specimen, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated)

The 1992 one hundred dollars specimen marks the introduction of the Rutherford design and the beginning of New Zealand’s final paper currency series before the transition to polymer. Issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London, this note replaces the long-standing Queen Elizabeth II portrait with Lord Ernest Rutherford of Nelson, symbolizing a decisive shift toward national scientific identity within the country’s banknote iconography. This example represents a complex internal printer specimen, combining multiple control and approval features rarely encountered together on a single note. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Perforated Cancel, Series A–B (Pick 41as)

This specimen note represents a distinct institutional handling variant of the one thousand pesos denomination of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939, during the mature phase of state-directed banking and currency policy in Uruguay. As the highest denomination issued within the national paper money system at the time, the 1000 pesos was reserved exclusively for interbank settlement, treasury accounting, and large-scale financial operations, and was never intended for routine public circulation. By the late 1930s, the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay functioned as the central pillar of the country’s monetary framework, combining commercial banking activity with responsibility for currency issuance, financial regulation, and monetary stability. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1939 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 1000 Pesos Specimen, Printed Cancel, Serie D, Specimen No. 23 (Pick 41cs)

This specimen note represents the one thousand pesos denomination of the Republica Oriental del Uruguay issued under the monetary law of 2 January 1939, a period that marks the mature phase of state-directed banking and currency policy in Uruguay. Produced as an official non-circulating specimen, this note was created for institutional reference, printer archives, and controlled distribution among central banking authorities, government departments, and international financial correspondents, rather than for public monetary use. The Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay, established in 1896, had by the late 1930s consolidated its role as the principal state banking institution, combining commercial operations with responsibility for currency issuance, monetary stabilization, and credit regulation. ... Read more →