Collection PL

Brazil 1963 — Tesouro Nacional, Prefix Test Proof “Estampa 3ª Série 000a”

Printer’s serial and prefix trial sheet bearing three bold red impressions reading 'ESTAMPA 3ª SÉRIE 000a'. Produced as an undated archival test without denomination, vignette, or design. Such prefix tests allowed press operators to calibrate numbering wheels and ink density before full production of Tesouro Nacional banknotes. ... Read more →

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

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 1970 — 100 Francs Archival Gridlines Calibration Specimen Serial D170001 (Pick 56s)

Archival calibration specimen of the 1970 one hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced during the Belgian Luxembourg Economic Union period and printed by Thomas De La Rue & Company, London. Unlike standard specimen notes bearing placeholder serials, this example carries a live production-format serial number D170001, linking it directly to an active print batch within the manufacturing process. Across the full surface, original blue registration gridlines remain visible. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 — 100 Francs Color Trial Specimen (Pick 56cts)

Color trial specimen of the 1970 one hundred francs issue of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, produced during the development phase of the Grand Duke Jean series. This example is executed in an alternative blue-toned palette rather than the green coloration adopted for circulation, representing a controlled press trial used to evaluate tonal hierarchy, engraving clarity, and denomination contrast. The note carries serial number A000000 33, applied within the standard specimen numbering format. ... Read more →

Luxembourg 1970 — 100 Francs Issued Note (Pick 56a)

Issued 1970 one hundred francs note of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, representing the finalized and circulating form of the Grand Duke Jean series within the Belgian Luxembourg Economic Union framework. This example, serial A143655, reflects the completed execution of a design system that balanced national identity with the technical demands of a shared currency environment. The note embodies the mature stage of late twentieth-century European banknote production. ... Read more →

Uruguay 1862 — Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata 100 Pesos Remainder (Pick S245r)

Few notes capture the working side of 19th-century banknote production like this 1862 100 Pesos remainder. Printed by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. for the Banco de Londres y Rio de la Plata but never signed or issued, it remains an untouched example of Uruguay’s first major British-engraved currency design. ... Read more →

North Macedonia 1996 — 5000 Denari Photographic Transparency Essay (Maenad Vignette)

This photographic transparency records the engraved Maenad vignette prepared during the design development of the Republic of Macedonia’s inaugural 5000 Denari banknote. Created within the pre-press workflow of Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited in London, the transparency preserves the original engraved image before the design progressed into plate production and full banknote printing. In modern security printing, photographic transparencies were produced after the engraver completed the steel die but before the design was transferred to printing plates. ... Read more →

North Macedonia 1996 — 500 Denari Vignette Die Proof (Golden Death Mask)

This engraved vignette die proof preserves the Golden Mask motif prepared for the 500 Denari denomination of the Republic of Macedonia’s first post-independence banknote series issued in 1996. Produced by Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited in London, the proof represents one of the earliest physical stages in the creation of the banknote’s final design. A vignette die proof is printed directly from the engraved steel die before the image is transferred to the working plates used for banknote production. ... Read more →

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

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 →

Italy 1871 — Germania with Shield and Spear Vignette Die Proof Used for 500 Lire (Pick PS977)

This engraved vignette proof depicting 'Germania with Shield and Spear' was produced by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Co. in London for the Banca Italo-Germanica during the early 1870s. The impression preserves the complete ornamental vignette prepared for the proposed 500 Lire banknote design, including the decorative frame and denomination tablet engraved for integration into the final banknote layout. ... Read more →

Poland 1988 — 50 Złotych Prefix HK Missing Signatures Date Print Error Issued Note (Pick 142c)

Issued 50 Złotych banknote of the Narodowy Bank Polski dated 1 December 1988 displaying a major typographic omission error. The entire printed layer containing the line 'WARSZAWA, 1 GRUDNIA 1988' together with the signatures of the issuing officials (Prezes and Główny Skarbnik) is completely absent. The national eagle emblem printed in the central guilloche remains intact, demonstrating that only the upper black typographic layer failed to transfer during printing. ... Read more →

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

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 →