The above vignette of Queen Victoria is a sample of the engraved artwork created by the American Bank Note Company for use on official documents and paper money. The paper is cream-coloured and it feels thick and waxy, while the vignette itself is brown, not black. This vignette was made from the original plates engraved by ABN Co. However, this engraving is NOT a banknote proof or any other kind of rare test printing. Nor did this vignette come from an archive or museum housing rare artifacts from the ABN Co.

The vignette came from a book entitled "The Story of the American Bank Note Company" written by William H. Griffiths and published in 1959. Most of the book is text with illustrations, but there are a number of "inserted pages" made from the waxy cream-coloured paper on which the Queen Victoria vignette is printed. Each page (or plate) contains a number of vignettes with a similar theme (see images below). The American Bank Note Company supplied notes and other secure documents to the United States, Canada, and other countries around the world, and these vignettes appeared on circulating paper money at one time or another. Some popular vignettes appeared on many different notes issued by government agencies and financial institutions alike. Many people who collect world paper money enjoy the designs and, in particular, the vignettes because they demonstrate an incredibly high level of professional and artistic talent in capturing realistic representations of their subjects.

The Griffiths book is not exceedingly rare. Copies can even be found on this auction site. Individual vignettes taken from the book have come up for sale recently, and in particular, they have been offered as collectibles in categories extending well beyond books and other printed media.  It must be emphasized that these vignettes were never offered by ABN Co. to the public outside of the Griffiths book. They were removed from the original book by persons wielding scissors and a sense of creative imagination.  I bought the above Queen Victoria vignette from a seller in Nevada before I knew about the book. I was never informed about the origins of the individual vignettes until a friend who owns an intact copy of the book showed me.  I have since purchased my own copy of the book.  In fairness, there is nothing morally or legally wrong with cutting apart books and selling the pieces so long as there is disclosure on the part of the seller. Paper money collectors may not be interested in buying the entire intact book containing all of the vignettes. Some people may be interested in only certain vignettes and will pay a modest price for the privilege of owning just what they want. The real question is: How collectible are the individual vignettes? They are collectible, though it is safe to assume that the supply side is much greater than the demand.

Problems arise when there is confusion in distinguishing these vignettes from similar items, like banknote proofs and specimens, trial proofs, approval proofs, and other materials from the printers that were NEVER issued publicly. The latter items are considered highly collectible because they are scarce to very rare and can be valued in the hundreds or thousands of dollars by paper money collectors. I am not saying that there are sellers who deliberately mislead collectors and consumers into thinking that the vignettes from the Griffiths book are actually rare items worth hundreds of dollars. However, because there are many uninformed buyers in the paper money market, it is very easy for a person to take a copy of the book, cut out the vignettes, and sell them with no explanation as to where the vignettes came from. Many sellers inform their prospective buyers that the vignettes offered for sale come from the Griffiths book and were removed manually, but some do not. Certain sellers choose to be misleading and/or downright deceitful by saying that the vignettes were "printed by the American Bank Note Company, and that's all we know!", thus discouraging potential buyers from asking pertinent questions. The onus is on the buyer to get informed, and this is why I have written this guide.  Have a look at the images below, they show a copy of the actual book.