Collection PL

Australia 1877 — Mercantile Bank of Sydney £1 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A superb Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. specimen from the early colonial banking era, this £1 note for the Mercantile Bank of Sydney survives today as the only documented example of its type. Certified PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated and recorded as Pop 1, it represents a unique surviving specimen of a private Australian bank whose issues rarely appear in any form. ... Read more →

Australia 1879–1903 — Federal Bank of Australia, Limited £1 Sydney Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

This specimen represents a one pound note prepared for the Federal Bank of Australia, Limited and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company in London during the bank’s short operational life between 1879 and 1903. The note carries the Sydney office imprint, identifying the colonial financial center where the issue was intended to circulate. It belongs to one of the most fragile and least documented chapters of Australia’s pre-Federation private banking era, when numerous colonial banks issued their own paper currency under uneven regulation and volatile economic conditions. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1916–1920 — Bank of New Zealand £5 Red-Rose (Orange Lineage) Specimen with Serial Number Prefix (Pick S227s)

The finest preserved £5 specimen of New Zealand’s wartime private-banknote era and the highest-graded example recorded for Pick S227s. Printed in London by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. during the 1916–1920 wartime production cycle, this specimen represents an internal audit and approval piece retained from a numbered print run rather than a zero-serial display copy. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1913 — Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange Multi-Serial Approval Specimen (Pick S192ms)

A numbered approval specimen of the Bank of New Zealand £5 Orange design, printed by Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London, circa 1913. Though derived from the original 1895 S192 plate, this example bears two distinct serial numbers (286901 and 296900), identifying it as a multi-serial approval specimen drawn from the opening and closing positions of a controlled production range. Such pieces were created for printer audit, plate verification, and contractual record-keeping rather than circulation. ... Read more →

Bolivia 1904 — Banco Nacional 5 Bolivianos (Specimen)

Specimen of the 1904 Banco Nacional de Bolivia 5 Bolivianos, engraved and printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. (BWC) in London. The note bears the date SUCRE, 1 de Enero de 1904, and features the portrait of Simón Bolívar at center—an enduring symbol of republican legitimacy. ... Read more →

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

This color trial specimen represents a pre-issue production stage of the Central Bank of Libya 10 Dinars note introduced in 1971, prepared during the immediate post-monarchy redesign of the national currency. Following the establishment of the Libyan Arab Republic, royal imagery was formally removed and replaced with revolutionary-era symbolism, most prominently the portrait of Omar al-Mukhtar, positioned as a unifying national figure and ideological anchor of the new regime. Color trial specimens occupy a critical position within the banknote production sequence. ... Read more →

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 →

Paraguay 1907 — 100 Pesos with 1912 State Overprint

Provisional issue created on base Pick 159 during Paraguay’s sweeping 1912 monetary reform. The bold oval 'Emisión del Estado – 11 de Enero de 1912' was applied in official black ink to validate existing 1907 stock. These overprints served as stop-gap currency while new designs were prepared, making them both historically and fiscally important. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1982 — 1000 Francs Specimen (Pick 52bs, Grand Duchess Charlotte)

Specimen of the 1982 one thousand francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the highest denomination prepared within this short-lived contingency series featuring Grand Duchess Charlotte. As the apex denomination, the 1000 Francs defines the full technical and visual ambition of the issue, combining the most complex engraving, the highest value tier, and the most advanced security layout of the set. This example carries serial number A000000 094, presented in the standard specimen format with dual serial placement at left and right. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1982 — 1000 Francs Proof (Pick 52bp, Grand Duchess Charlotte)

Plate proof of the 1982 one thousand francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the earliest finalized stage of the design before specimen marking, color testing, or production handling. As the highest denomination of the series, this proof captures the complete engraving program at its purest state—prior to overprints, serial application, or cancellation. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, the note displays the full intaglio structure exactly as prepared for final production. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1982 — 500 Francs Proof (Pick 52ap, Grand Duchess Charlotte)

Plate proof of the 1982 five hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the finalized engraving stage prior to specimen marking, color testing, or production handling. As the primary working denomination within the intended series, the 500 Francs proof defines the practical structure of the design before any production-layer modifications were introduced. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, the note presents the complete design in its pure form, without overprints, serial numbering, or cancellation. ... Read more →

Brazil 1963 — Tesouro Nacional 10 Cruzeiros Issuede Note (Pick 167b)

The 10 Cruzeiros note dated 1963 was issued by the Tesouro Nacional during the turbulent final years of Brazil’s first Cruzeiro monetary system. Printed by the American Bank Note Company in New York, it embodies the meticulous craftsmanship and classical design language for which ABNC was world-renowned. The obverse presents a formal engraved portrait of Getúlio Vargas, President of Brazil through two defining eras: his populist leadership of the 1930s and 1940s and his later return to power in the early 1950s. ... Read more →