Collection PL

Egypt 1943 — Cyril IX Moghabghab, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch (Signed Patriarchal Letter, Alexandria)

Official Patriarchal letter dated 17 September 1943 and issued from the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate residence in Fleming–Ramleh, Alexandria. Typed on cream chancery paper with faint laid lines and bearing the crowned Patriarchal emblem at upper right, the document is internally registered as 'عدد 305' and 'سجل 16,' confirming it as an authenticated in-period chancery file copy. Addressed to Dr. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1905–1916 — Bank of New Zealand £1 Red Cancelled Specimen with Serial Number Prefix G000001–G100000 (Pick S212bs)

An archival £1 Red specimen from the Bank of New Zealand private-issue series, catalogued as Pick S212bs and drawn from the opening serial block G000001–G100000. This example was pulled directly from the working plates of Bradbury Wilkinson & Co., London, as an approval and control specimen for internal printer and bank-director reference during the closing phase of BNZ private note production. The presence of live production serial numbers with the letter prefix G clearly distinguishes this class from unnumbered file specimens. ... Read more →

Poland 1940 — 10 Złotych Bank Emisyjny Series F Giesecke & Devrient (Pick 94a)

The 10 Złotych of 1 March 1940 was the first note issued by Bank Emisyjny w Polsce, the German-controlled central bank established in the General Government after the September 1939 invasion. Designed and printed by Giesecke & Devrient in Leipzig, it replaced pre-war Bank Polski currency and became the everyday money of occupied Poland. Obverse: allegorical female figures of Industry and Agriculture within neoclassical ornament; crowned female head at left — a faint echo of national dignity amid occupation imagery. ... Read more →

Poland 1940 — 10 Złotych Printing Remnants Forgery Workshop Underprint (Miłczak 94)

Fascinating semi-finished product from a wartime forgery workshop, connected with the 10 złotych 1940 issue (Miłczak 94). The piece is printed only with the underprint of the obverse design — background guilloches and the female allegorical portrait at left — without the main face value, overprints, or full intaglio elements. Trimmed to the correct banknote format, it represents an intermediate stage in the counterfeiting process. ... Read more →

Poland 1940 — 500 Złotych, Series A with Counterfeit Numbering (Pick 98a)

Original 500 złotych note of 1 March 1940 issued by the Bank Emisyjny w Polsce, Series A, with numbering that falls into the ranges later associated with diversionary forgeries. This note is genuine, but its serial begins within the counterfeit sequences (12xxxxx and 13xxxxx), making it an extremely rare survivor of the group later ordered withdrawn. During the German occupation, large numbers of forged 500 złotych notes were introduced into circulation as part of diversionary sabotage. ... Read more →

Poland 1941 — 1 Złoty, Uncut Sheet of 3 Notes with Serial Numbers (Pick 99b)

Uncut sheet of three 1 Złoty notes printed by the Emission Bank in 1941, Series BE. Each note bears its complete serial number sequence — a rare feature for surviving production materials from the wartime period. Two perforation control holes and a red diagonal cancellation mark across the center indicate withdrawal during the printer’s inspection phase. ... Read more →

Poland 1940 — 20 Złotych, Series N WWII London Counterfeit (Pick 95b)

20 złotych dated 1 March 1940, issued under the Bank Emisyjny w Polsce during the German occupation, here from Series N — a rarer subtype known as the 'WWII London Counterfeit' (LC). This variety is recognized by its distinct olive-toned underprint, setting it apart from the more common genuine emissions. PMG has described this piece as a diversionary counterfeit, aligning it with the series of clandestine productions created to destabilize the wartime Polish economy. ... Read more →

Poland 1940 — 500 Złotych Series B Unfinished Print Fragment (Pick 98)

Unfinished print fragment of the 500 złotych issue dated 1 March 1940, produced for the Bank Emisyjny w Polsce under German occupation. Cut from a printer’s sheet, this piece is classed as 'makulatura' (waste print) in printing terminology, representing a rare survival of the production process. The obverse carries only two layers of underprint with a double application of series and serial number, but lacks the steel-engraved main design. ... 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 →

Ireland 1939–40 — Belfast Banking Company Limited £1 (Pick 126b, PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated)

£1 note of the Belfast Banking Company Limited, dated 9 November 1939, with the arms of Belfast and the bank’s name in a sweeping banner. The face carries the finely engraved counters "ONE" in the corners and a blue value panel through the promise text—an eye‑catching security feature on this inter‑war design. Pick 126b identifies the late 1930s series with blue serials; this example is prefixed E/M, a style used by the bank to manage branches and print batches. ... Read more →

Egypt 1911 — The Odeon Hall, Cairo Gold Watch Repair Invoice

Early 1911 invoice from The Odeon Hall in Cairo, one of the city’s most modern pre-war establishments combining gramophone sales, watchmaking, and luxury retail. Issued for the repair of a gold watch, the bilingual French–Arabic letterhead advertises phonographs, records, and precision horological services, reflecting Egypt’s rapid adoption of European technology and leisure culture. The page displays a refined pre-war commercial aesthetic: scrolling decorative borders, clear French titles with Arabic equivalents, and balanced typesetting characteristic of early Cairo printing houses. ... 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 →