Collection PL

Australia 1880–1910 — Commercial Bank of Australia £100 Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

A monumental survivor from Australia’s private banking era, this £100 specimen ranks among the most important colonial-era notes known. Printed circa 1880–1910 for the Commercial Bank of Australia Limited, it represents the uppermost denomination produced under the private-issue system that existed before the Commonwealth took full control of note issuance in 1910. No issued examples of this £100 are believed to have survived, making specimens the only remaining documentation of the type. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1907–1926 — Bank of New Zealand £20 Blue Serial-Prefix Audit Specimen (Pick S194s)

A unique high-denomination Bradbury Wilkinson audit-range specimen and the rarest surviving document from New Zealand’s private-banknote era, the £20 Blue (Pick S194s) represents the apex of BNZ’s color-coded denomination hierarchy. This specimen is not a generic zero-serial example: it carries dual live serials (No. 061001 and No. ... Read more →

Poland 1994 50 Zlotych Approval Specimen Without Overprints AR Prefix (Pick Unlisted)

This example documents the use of a previously unrecorded AR prefix on a known approval specimen type of the 50 zlotych banknote from the 1994 Polish issue. The note is a fully printed approval specimen produced by Thomas De La Rue in London for the National Bank of Poland as part of the formal approval process for the final design intended for circulation. It retains the complete structure of the emission design, corresponding to the version that subsequently entered regular production. ... Read more →

Poland 1994, 50 Zlotych Specimen with Red Overprint & Oval Stamp AR Prefix (Pick Unlisted)

This AR-prefix specimen is a fully printed presentation example of the 50 zlotych banknote from Poland’s 1994 series, prepared by Thomas De La Rue for controlled institutional use. The note preserves the complete production design corresponding to the issued banknote and carries serial number AR0000000 together with the official signatures of the National Bank of Poland. A bold red diagonal SPECIMEN overprint spans the face of the note and is accompanied by two red oval NO VALUE stamps applied in the standard De La Rue format. ... Read more →

Poland 1994, 50 Zlotych Specimen with Perforated 'SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE' AR Prefix (Pick Unlisted)

This AR-prefix specimen is a fully printed 50 zlotych banknote from Poland’s 1994 series, permanently cancelled by a large perforated inscription reading “SPECIMEN OF NO VALUE” across the portrait of King Casimir III the Great. The perforation represents a terminal archival control form prepared by Thomas De La Rue and retained for internal documentation and security reference. The banknote preserves the complete production design corresponding to the issued currency, including serial number AR0000000 and the official signatures of the National Bank of Poland. ... Read more →

New Zealand 1895–1908 — Bank of New Zealand 10 Pounds Brown Specimen with Serial Number Prefix (Pick S193bs)

A high-denomination specimen from the Bank of New Zealand color lineage, the ten pounds brown (Pick S193bs) represents the serial-prefix approval format bearing dual printed control numbers, 097476 at upper left and 102475 at lower right. These serial-prefix specimens were produced for internal audit, plate approval, and archival reference purposes, distinct from zero-serial specimen impressions. Engraved and printed in London between 1895 and 1908 by Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company, Limited, the note reflects mature late-Victorian engraving practice. ... 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 →

United States 2003 — 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note, Cleveland District Repeater Serial Number D67776777D (Friedberg 1928-D, DD Block)

This 2003 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note from the Cleveland District (Friedberg 1928-D, DD Block) features an exceptional Repeater Serial Number D67776777D, forming a rhythmic sequence that mirrors the structure of mathematical repetition within U.S. serial numbering systems. The pattern '67776777' creates a cascading numeric flow, with a repeating '67' prefix and triple '777' finale—one of the most aesthetically balanced repeater configurations possible. ... Read more →

Poland 1940 — 20 Złotych Bank Emisyjny w Polsce Prefix A Kraków Issue Approval Specimen (Pick Unlisted)

This Prefix A approval specimen of the 20 Złotych issue documents the formal authorization stage of the occupation-era monetary system administered by Bank Emisyjny w Polsce. Dated Kraków, 1 March 1940, the note represents the fully accepted production standard from which circulation printing was initiated. It is a completed, signed, and institutionally approved banknote retained as a reference at the moment when monetary authority was translated into physical form. ... Read more →

Barbados 1959 — Government of Barbados Treasury Bill, Photographic Proof (Early Design Stage)

This photographic proof records an early design form of a Government of Barbados Treasury Bill prepared under the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922. The proof differs materially in wording, layout, and structure from later issued and specimen Treasury Bills, and represents an earlier design stage within the Barbados treasury bill system. The front displays the full issuer heading “Government of Barbados Treasury Bill” and a legal obligation clause stating payment “to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados.” This formulation is not identical to the wording used on later Treasury Bills and bearer instruments, where the obligation language is more compact and standardized. ... Read more →

Barbados 1968 — Government of Barbados 500 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Perforated Cancelled, Prefix A

Specimen Treasury Bill issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922, produced for internal reference and administrative control rather than circulation or fiscal settlement. The document carries a printed denomination of five hundred dollars and defines an obligation payable out of the Consolidated Fund at any commercial bank in Barbados or at the Treasury. The place of issue is identified as Bridgetown, confirming its role within the central administrative framework of the Barbadian state. ... Read more →

Barbados 1960 — Government of Barbados 1,000 Dollars Treasury Bill, Specimen, Punch Hole Cancelled, Prefix B

Specimen Treasury Bill issued by the Government of Barbados under the authority of the Treasury Bills (Local) Act of 1922, prepared as a non-circulating reference instrument for internal administrative and archival use. The bill is denominated at one thousand dollars and sets out an obligation payable to bearer out of the General Revenue and Assets of Barbados, reflecting the earlier legal wording also observed on the photographic proof and preceding later standardized Treasury Bill formulations. The place of issue, Bridgetown, is included within the printed layout, confirming its issuance within the central administrative framework of Barbados. ... Read more →