Collection PL

Canada 1896 — Bank of Nova Scotia 20 Dollars Front and Back Proofs (Pick Unlisted)

Matched front and back proof pair of the 20 Dollars banknote issued by The Bank of Nova Scotia of Halifax, Nova Scotia, dated 22 July 1896. Engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Company of New York, the pair documents the approval stage of one of the most elaborate chartered banknote designs produced in Canada during the late nineteenth century. The front proof is printed in black and white, the standard format used for die and plate approval. ... Read more →

Ireland 1940 — Northern Bank Limited £1 (Pick 178b)

Classic pre‑decimal £1 of Northern Bank Limited, Belfast, with the dramatic blue ONE counter across the center. Maritime and industrial vignettes reflect the bank’s Ulster customer base—shipping, linen, and engineering—and the note retains the ornate Victorian border language long favored by Northern Irish issuers. This is the black‑prefix and black‑serial variety recorded for 1940 within Pick 178b. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 5 Pesos Photographic Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

A photographic proof pair for the 5 Pesos issue dated 1896, produced by the American Bank Note Company for the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Printed in black on photographic paper and mounted on cardstock, this pair records the approved face and back engravings prior to preparation of circulation plates. The obverse features a formal portrait of José Gervasio Artigas set within an ornate late-nineteenth-century framework of scrollwork, floral ornament, and dense guilloche patterns. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1896 — Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay 10 Pesos Photographic Proof Pair (Pick Unlisted)

A photographic proof pair for the 10 Pesos issue dated 1896, produced by the American Bank Note Company for the Banco de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay. Printed in black on photographic paper and mounted on cardstock, this pair preserves the approved face and back engravings prior to preparation of circulation plates. The obverse features a formal engraved portrait medallion set within an ornate late-nineteenth-century framework of scrollwork, lathe engraving, and dense guilloche patterns. ... Read more →

1875 — 5 Shillings Victoria Consular Revenue Tied Diplomatic Document (British Consulate, Alexandria)

High-value British consular certificate issued at Her Britannic Majesty’s Consulate in Alexandria on 9 September 1875, bearing the scarce 5 Shillings Queen Victoria Consular Service revenue stamp. The document certifies a civil status event and is fully executed with period manuscript, the embossed consular arms, and the oval BRITISH CONSULATE ALEXANDRIA datestamp tying the fiscal adhesive to the sheet. The large-format 5/– Consular Service adhesive was reserved for significant legal acts such as notarisation, registration, attestations, and inheritance or identity confirmations. ... Read more →

Egypt 1912 — Allen, Alderson & Co. Machinery Agents, Alexandria (Illustrated Letterhead)

Spectacular illustrated industrial letterhead from Allen, Alderson & Co., Alexandria, dated 18 January 1912. The firm served as engineering agents and importers for major British manufacturers such as Ruston, Proctor & Co., supplying steam engines, boilers, pumps, and milling equipment to Egypt’s rapidly modernising industrial and agricultural sectors. The sheet features a refined bilingual English–Arabic masthead identifying the company as agents, importers, and engineers active throughout the Delta and Upper Egypt. ... Read more →