Collection PL

New Zealand 1896 — Bank of Australasia £50 Christchurch Proof (Pick Unlisted)

This proof represents a pre issue banknote of the Bank of Australasia, denominated Fifty Pounds and prepared for the Christchurch office during the late nineteenth century expansion of British chartered banking in New Zealand. It was produced as part of the institution internal design approval and presentation process and was never intended for public circulation. The Bank of Australasia, incorporated by Royal Charter in 1835, operated as one of the dominant British joint stock banks across Australia and New Zealand. ... Read more →

China 1921 — Xinjiang Textile Emergency Currency Printed on Red Cloth with Sun Emblem (Pick Unlisted)

An issued textile emergency currency produced in Xinjiang (Sinkiang) during the early Republican period, printed by hand from carved woodblocks onto red-dyed cotton cloth. This note represents a distinct local issue within the Xinjiang textile tradition, created for circulation under conditions of monetary instability, limited access to paper currency, and decentralized administrative control in China’s western frontier. The design is printed directly onto coarse textile in dark ink, with the weave of the fabric clearly visible through the impression. ... Read more →

Ireland 1920 — Ulster Bank Ltd. £1 Proof

Archival proof for Ulster Bank Ltd., dated 1920. Printed by Waterlow & Sons, London, the note displays finely executed allegories and maritime motifs, reflecting both classical design and national symbolism in the early 20th century. The Waterlow imprint remains visible in the margin, a hallmark of genuine proofs. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2004 — Northern Bank £50 Specimen NR126 (Pick Unlisted)

Specimen of the 2004 Northern Bank £50, printed by De La Rue for Northern Bank Limited, Belfast. This pre-issue design was the last note prepared before the bank’s December 2004 robbery, the largest cash theft in UK history. The note carries the red SPECIMEN overprint and the oval NO VALUE control stamps, serial DA000000 001, and watermark of Sir Samuel C. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2005 — Northern Bank £50 Specimen NR131 (Pick 208s)

Specimen of the redesigned 2005 Northern Bank £50, printed by Thomas De La Rue and issued under the new Northern Bank Limited branding after the December 2004 robbery. Serial JB000000, watermark Sir Samuel Davidson, and bold red SPECIMEN overprint across the face. This version was part of the printer’s formal reference and approval series prepared for bank and regulator use. ... Read more →

Ireland — Northern 2005 — Northern Bank £50 Replacement Prefix YY (Pick 208)

Replacement note for the 2005 Northern Bank £50 issue, printed by Thomas De La Rue, bearing the distinct 'YY' prefix used exclusively for replacement sheets following the 2004 Belfast vault robbery. These notes were part of the emergency replacement program that saw all pre-robbery stock withdrawn and destroyed, with new serial ranges produced under enhanced security oversight. Featuring the portrait of Sir Samuel Cleland Davidson (1846–1921), inventor and industrialist, the design celebrates Northern Ireland’s engineering legacy. ... Read more →

Egypt 1921 — National Bank of Egypt, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

Original National Bank of Egypt cheque issued in Cairo on 23 March 1921, printed on pale cream security paper with an elaborate blue guilloche frame. The border consists of finely interlaced geometric linework characteristic of early twentieth-century British-engraved financial stationery. The upper section displays the bold NATIONAL BANK OF EGYPT title flanked by twin rosettes, presenting the institution in its combined role as both Egypt’s de facto state bank and the country’s dominant commercial bank during this period. ... Read more →

Poland 1928 — Bank Polski 20 Zlotych Archival Watermarked Paper (Miłczak 67)

This archival sheet represents an original watermark paper prepared by Thomas De La Rue and Company Limited in London for the 20 złotych banknote dated 2 January 1928 for Bank Polski. The banknote itself was never introduced into circulation, and surviving material from this project is known almost exclusively in specimen form. The present piece preserves the production substrate — the multitone watermark paper — rather than a printed banknote. ... Read more →