Canadian banknotes are the
banknoteA banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...
s of
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, denominated in
Canadian dollarThe Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
s (CAD). In everyday usage, they are called
bills. Currently, they are issued in five, ten, twenty, fifty, and hundred dollar denominations. All current notes are issued by the
Bank of CanadaThe Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...
, which released its first series of notes in 1935. Banknotes issued in Canada can be viewed at the
Currency MuseumFirst opened on December 5, 1980, Canada's Currency Museum is located on the ground floor of the Bank of Canada in Ottawa. It is the public face of the National Currency Collection, which contains over 100,000 currency-related artifacts from around the world...
of the Bank of Canada in
OttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
History
The first paper money issued in Canada denominated in dollars were British Army Bills, issued between 1813 and 1815 in denominations between $1 and $400. These were emergency issues due to the
War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. The first banknotes were issued in 1817 by the Montreal Bank.
Chartered Banks
Large numbers of chartered banks were founded in the 1830s, 1850s, 1860s and 1870s, although many issued paper money for only a short time. Others, including the Montreal Bank (later called the
Bank of MontrealThe Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
), issued notes for several decades. Until 1858, many notes were issued denominated in both shillings/
poundsThe pound was the unit of account for currency of the Canadas until 1858. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence. In Lower Canada, the sou was used, worth penny...
and dollars (5 shillings = $1). A large number of different denominations were issued, including $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $10, $20, $25, $40, $50, $100, $500 and $1000. After 1858, only dollar denominations were used. The Bank Act of 1871 limited the smallest denomination the chartered banks could issue to $4, increased to $5 in 1880. To facilitate purchases below $5 without using Dominion notes, some charted banks issued notes in unusual denominations, such as the $6 and $7 notes issued by the Molsons Bank in 1871.
Colonial Governments
Prior to
Canadian confederationCanadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
, dollar denominated banknotes were issued by the governments of
British ColumbiaThe Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1866. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still largely...
,
CanadaThe Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
,
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and
Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. Of these, the
Province of CanadaThe Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
, established in 1841, was the most prolific issuer of paper money. Notes were produced for the government by the Bank of Montreal between 1842 and 1862, in denominations of $4, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. In 1866, the Province of Canada began issuing its own paper money, in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 and $500. The
Dominion of NewfoundlandThe Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
issued notes denominated in
Newfoundland dollarThe dollar was the currency of the colony and Dominion of Newfoundland from 1865 until 1949, when Newfoundland became a province of Canada. It was subdivided into 100 cents.-History:...
s from 1901 until it joined confederation in 1949.
Government of Canada
For a temporary period following
confederationCanadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1867, Province of Canada notes served as the Dominion of Canada's first national currency, and notes were dispatched from
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and
QuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to the other provinces. In 1870, the first Dominion of Canada notes were issued in denominations of 25¢, $1, $2, $500 and $1000. $50 and $100 notes followed in 1872. The bulk of later government note production was of $1 and $2 notes, with a $4 denomination added in 1882. $5 notes were issued starting in 1912. The last 25¢ notes, known as shinplasters due to their small size, were dated 1923. Issuance of all Dominion notes ceased in 1935, after the establishment of the
Bank of CanadaThe Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...
.
Other public issuers
Some municipalities also issued dollar-denominated notes. This was most prevalent in the
1930sFile:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
, when
depression scrip was issued in an attempt to alleviate the effects of the
Great DepressionCanada was hit hard by the Great Depression. Between 1929 and 1939, the gross national product dropped 40% . Unemployment reached 27% at the depth of the Depression in 1933...
on local citizens. The province of
AlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
also launched its own scheme in 1936 by issuing prosperity certificates.
Bank of Canada
In 1935, with only ten chartered banks still issuing notes, the
Bank of CanadaThe Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...
was founded and began issuing notes in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $25, $50, $100, $500 and $1000. In 1944, the chartered banks were prohibited from issuing their own currency, with the
Royal Bank of CanadaThe Royal Bank of Canada or RBC Financial Group is the largest financial institution in Canada, as measured by deposits, revenues, and market capitalization. The bank serves seventeen million clients and has 80,100 employees worldwide. The company corporate headquarters are located in Toronto,...
and the Bank of Montreal among the last to issue notes. From that point forward, the Bank of Canada has been the sole issuer of bank notes denominated in Canadian dollars. A liability of more than $12 million remains on the Bank of Canada's books up to the present day, representing the face value of Dominion of Canada, provincial, and chartered bank notes still outstanding.
Production
Notes are issued by the Bank of Canada, but the actual production of the banknotes is outsourced to the
Canadian Bank Note CompanyThe Canadian Bank Note Company is a Canadian security printing company. It is probably best known for being one of two private companies holding contracts with the Bank of Canada to supply it with Canada's paper currency. The company's other clients include private businesses, national and...
and BA International Inc (part of
Giesecke & DevrientGiesecke & Devrient is a German company headquartered in Munich that provides banknote and securities printing, smart cards, and cash handling systems....
of Germany) in accordance with the specifications and requirements of the Bank of Canada. All wording on the notes appears in both of Canada's official languages,
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and
FrenchFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. Bank notes are printed on paper composed of pure
cottonCotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. In March 2010 the government of Canada announced that beginning in 2011, cotton fibre will be discontinued and replaced by a synthetic polymer.
Counterfeiting
Efforts to reduce counterfeiting in recent years have sharply reduced the number of counterfeit notes in circulation. The number of counterfeit notes passed annually in Canada peaked in 2004, when 553,000 counterfeit notes were passed. Counterfeiting has decreased annually since that peak, with only 53,536 notes passed in 2010.
Withdrawn denominations
The 1935 series was the only series to have included $25 and $500 denominations. Both denominations were short lived. The $25 note was withdrawn on May 18, 1937. Stacks of unissued 1935 $500 notes were destroyed in February 1938, and issued $500 notes were recalled and withdrawn from circulation five months later.
Some of the most significant recent developments in Canadian currency were the withdrawal of the $1, $2, and $1,000 notes in 1989, 1996, and 2000 respectively. The $1 and $2 denominations have been replaced with coins. See
loonieThe Canadian 1 dollar coin is a gold-coloured, bronze-plated, one-dollar coin introduced in 1987. It bears images of a common loon, a bird which is common and well known in Canada, on the reverse, and of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.The design for the coin was meant to be a voyageur theme,...
and
toonieThe Canadian 2 dollar coin, commonly called Toonie, was introduced on February 19, 1996 by Public Works minister Diane Marleau. The Toonie is a bi-metallic coin which bears an image of a polar bear, by Campbellford, Ontario artist Brent Townsend, on the reverse. The obverse, like all other current...
. The $1,000 note was removed at the request of the
Solicitor General of CanadaThe Solicitor General of Canada was a position in the Canadian ministry from 1892 to 2005. The position was based on the Solicitor General in the British system and was originally designated as an officer to assist the Minister of Justice...
, and the
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
, as it was reported that they were largely being used for
money launderingMoney laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
and
organized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
.
1935 Series
The
Bank of CanadaThe Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...
was created in 1934 and given responsibility, through an Act of Parliament, to regulate the country's money supply and to "promote the economic and financial welfare of Canada." Accordingly, it was given the exclusive right to issue bank notes in
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. On 11 March 1935, the
Bank of CanadaThe Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...
issued its first series of bank notes.
1937 Series
The creation of a second series of bank notes, only two years after the first issue, was prompted by changes in Canadian government legislation requiring the Bank of Canada to produce bilingual bank notes. Another contributing factor was the death of
King George VGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
on 20 January 1936 and the subsequent abdication of
Edward VIIIEdward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
.
1954 Series
The third series of Bank of Canada bank notes was prepared in 1952. Significant changes to the design of Canada's paper currency gave it a whole new look that set the standard for the future.
With the ascension to the throne of
Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 1952, plates were prepared for the third series of Bank of Canada notes. They were very different from the 1937 series, although the colours and bilingual nature were retained. The portrait was moved from the centre of the bank note to the right-hand side where it was less susceptible to wear caused by the folding of notes. The elaborate detail of earlier issues was simplified, and the earlier allegorical figures were replaced by Canadian landscapes. The
Canadian coat of armsThe Arms of Canada is, since 1921, the official coat of arms of the Canadian monarch, and thus also of Canada...
was first introduced in this series and formed part of the background design. This is the only series on which the portrait of the Queen appears on all denominations.
1969 Scenes of Canada Series
Because of a growing concern over counterfeiting, the Bank of Canada began to release a new series of bank notes in 1969.
This series represented another complete departure in design from earlier issues:
- colourful, wavy patterns were introduced;
- a new series of Canadian scenic vignettes was created;
- portraits of former Canadian prime ministers
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
were re-introduced.
1986 Birds of Canada Series
| 1986 ("Birds of Canada") series |
| Image | Value | Main Colour | Description | Date of |
| Front | Back | Front | Back | Series Year | Issued | Withdrawn |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1986_2f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1986_2b.jpg |
$2 |
Terra cottaTerracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
|
H.M. Queen Elizabeth II |
American RobinThe American Robin or North American Robin is a migratory songbird of the thrush family. It is named after the European Robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closely related, with the European robin belonging to the flycatcher family...
s |
1986 |
2 September 1986 |
February 16, 1996 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1986_5f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1986_5b.jpg |
$5 |
Blue |
Sir Wilfrid LaurierSir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
|
Belted KingfisherThe Belted Kingfisher is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, the only member of that group commonly found in the northern United States and Canada. It is depicted on the 1986 series Canadian $5 note. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests...
|
1986 |
April 28, 1986 |
March 27, 2002 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1989_10f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1989_10b.jpg |
$10 |
Purple |
Sir John A. MacdonaldSir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
|
OspreyThe Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
|
1989 |
June 27, 1989 |
January 17, 2001 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1991_20f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1991_20b.jpg |
$20 |
Green |
H.M. Queen Elizabeth II |
Common Loon |
1991 |
June 29, 1993 |
September 29, 2004 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1988_50f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1988_50b.jpg |
$50 |
Red |
William Lyon Mackenzie KingWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
|
Snowy OwlThe Snowy Owl is a large owl of the typical owl family Strigidae. The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize plants and animals. The bird is also known in North America as the Arctic Owl, Great...
|
1988 |
December 1, 1989 |
November 17, 2004 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1988_100f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1988_100b.jpg |
$100 |
Brown |
Sir Robert BordenSir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
|
Canada GooseThe Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
|
1988 |
December 3, 1990 |
March 17, 2004 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1988_1000f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Birds/1988_1000b.jpg |
$1000 |
Pink |
H.M. Queen Elizabeth II |
Pine Grosbeakleft|thumb|Adult femaleThe Pine Grosbeak is a large member of the true finch family, Fringillidae. It is found in coniferous woods across Alaska, the western mountains of the United States, Canada, and in subarctic Fennoscandia and Siberia...
|
1988 |
May 4, 1992 |
May 12, 2000 |
|
2001 Canadian Journey Series
Beginning in 2001, the Bank of Canada introduced a new series of bills called "Canadian Journey", featuring images of Canadian heritage and excerpts from
Canadian literatureCanadian literature is literature originating from Canada. Collectively it is often called CanLit. Some criticism of Canadian literature has focused on nationalistic and regional themes, although this is only a small portion of Canadian Literary criticism...
. The $10 was first issued on January 17, 2001; the $5 on March 27, 2002; the $100 bill on March 17, 2004, the $20 on September 29, 2004, and the $50 on November 17, 2004.
The $20, $50, and $100 dollar notes introduce
watermarkA watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
security features for the first time on Canadian currency since the four-dollar Dominion notes; they also boast significantly expanded holographic security features. Also among the new features are a windowed colour-shifting thread woven into the paper, a see-through number, and enhanced fluorescence under ultraviolet lighting. These features are reliable, quick and easy to use, and are designed to help Canadians protect themselves by detecting counterfeit notes. All post-2001 series notes also include the
EURion constellationThe EURion constellation is a pattern of symbols found on a number of banknote designs worldwide since about 1996. It is added to help software detect the presence of a banknote in a digital image. Such software can then block the user from reproducing banknotes to prevent counterfeiting using...
, on both sides of the bill. The new bills have a "
tactile featureThe Canadian currency tactile feature is a feature on the current "Canadian Journey" series of Canadian banknotes. The feature indicates the banknote denomination in the upper right corner of the face side of the bill using a series of raised dots. It was suggested by Bruno Thériault, an...
", which is a series of raised dots (but not
BrailleThe Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
) in the upper right corner on the face of each bill to aid the visually impaired in identifying currency denominations.
The security features new on the $20, $50, and $100 notes were added to an updated version of the $10 note released on 18 May 2005, and the Bank of Canada began issuing a $5 note with upgraded security features on 15 November 2006 as part of its ongoing effort to improve the security of Canadian bank notes. The illustrations on the front and back of the upgraded notes are the same as those on the $5 and $10 notes issued in 2001 and 2002.
The "Canadian Journey" literary excerpts are printed in English and French, with the English versions being:
- $5: The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places—the school, the church, and the skating-rink—but our real life was on the skating-rink. (Roch Carrier
Roch Carrier, OC is a Canadian novelist and author of "contes" . He is among the best known Quebec writers in English Canada....
(b. 1937) from his short story Le chandail de hockey (The Hockey Sweater"The Hockey Sweater" is a short story published in 1979 by Canadian author Roch Carrier....
))
- $10: In Flanders Fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row, / That mark our place, and in the sky / The larks, still bravely singing, fly / Scarce heard amid the guns below. (John McCrae
Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres...
(1872–1918), from his poem In Flanders Fields"In Flanders Fields" is one of the most notable poems written during World War I, created in the form of a French rondeau. It has been called "the most popular poem" produced during that period...
)
- $20: Could we ever know each other in the slightest without the arts? (Gabrielle Roy
Gabrielle Roy, CC, FRSC was a French Canadian author.- Biography :Born in Saint Boniface , Manitoba, Roy was educated at Saint Joseph's Academy...
(1909–1983) from her novel La Montagne secrète (The Hidden Mountain))
- $50: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights (from Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
, 1948)
- $100: Do we ever remember that somewhere above the sky in some child's dream perhaps Jacques Cartier is still sailing, always on his way always about to discover a new Canada? (Miriam Waddington
Miriam Waddington was a Canadian poet, short story writer and translator.Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she studied English at the University of Toronto and social work the University of Pennsylvania . She worked for many years as a social worker in Montreal...
(1917–2004) from her poem Jacques Cartier in Toronto)
Canadian Journey banknotes (2004 style) incorporates background color and consists of series years 2001, 2003, 2003A, 2004, 2004A and 2006. All the notes except the $100 bill have additional series years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2009A (some banknotes only). The $100 2009 series began issuing to the public in early 2010 and was printed in 2009 before they were issued. The 2004-2009 series of the $100 bill would be withdrawn from the circulation by the end of this year in November 2011. The $50 bill will be withdrawn on March 2012 and $5-$20 bills would be withdrawn in the next 2 years before it will be officially announced.
| 2001 ("Canadian Journey") series |
| Image | Value | Main Colour | Description | Date of |
| Front | Back | Front | Back | Watermark | Series | Issued | Withdrawn |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2002_005f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2002_005b.jpg |
$5 The Canadian five-dollar bill is currently the lowest denomination banknote issued by the Bank of Canada.The current five-Canadian dollar bill is dominantly blue in colour. The front features a portrait of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the coat of arms, and a picture of the West Block of the Parliament...
|
Blue |
Sir Wilfrid LaurierSir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
; the West Block of ParliamentParliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
|
Children playing hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and other winter sports; excerpt from "The Hockey Sweater" by Roch CarrierRoch Carrier, OC is a Canadian novelist and author of "contes" . He is among the best known Quebec writers in English Canada....
|
|
2001/2003 |
27 March 2002 |
By late 2013 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2006_005f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2006_005b.jpg |
$5 The Canadian five-dollar bill is currently the lowest denomination banknote issued by the Bank of Canada.The current five-Canadian dollar bill is dominantly blue in colour. The front features a portrait of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the coat of arms, and a picture of the West Block of the Parliament...
|
As portrait |
2006/2008/2009/2009A |
15 November 2006 |
By late 2013 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2001_010f.gif |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2001_010b.gif |
$10 The Canadian ten-dollar bill is one of the most common banknotes of the Canadian dollar. It was the first bill printed when Canada changed its banknotes in 2001....
|
Purple |
Sir John A. MacdonaldSir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
; the Library of ParliamentThe Library of Parliament is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada...
|
Peacekeeping forces and war memorial; excerpt from "In Flanders Fields "In Flanders Fields" is one of the most notable poems written during World War I, created in the form of a French rondeau. It has been called "the most popular poem" produced during that period...
" by John McCraeLieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres...
|
|
2001 |
17 January 2001 |
By late 2013 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2005_010f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2005_010b.jpg |
$10 The Canadian ten-dollar bill is one of the most common banknotes of the Canadian dollar. It was the first bill printed when Canada changed its banknotes in 2001....
|
As portrait |
2004A/2006/2008 |
18 May 2005 |
By late 2013 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2004_020f.gif |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2004_020b.gif |
$20 The Canadian $20 bill is the most common banknote of the Canadian dollar; it is the main banknote dispensed from Canadian automatic banking machines . The Canadian $20 bill was introduced on September 29, 2004 as part of the Canadian Journey Series....
|
Green |
Queen Elizabeth II; the Centre Block of ParliamentThe Centre Block is the main building of the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing the Commons and Senate chambers, as well as the offices of a number of Members of Parliament and Senators, as well as senior administration for both legislative houses...
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Artwork of Bill ReidWilliam Ronald Reid, OBC was a Canadian artist whose works included jewelry, sculpture, screen-printing, and painting. His work is featured on the Canadian $20 banknote.-Biography:...
; excerpt from Gabrielle RoyGabrielle Roy, CC, FRSC was a French Canadian author.- Biography :Born in Saint Boniface , Manitoba, Roy was educated at Saint Joseph's Academy...
's novel, The Hidden Mountain. |
As portrait |
2004/2004A/2006/2008/2009/2009A |
29 September 2004 |
In 2012 |
| http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2004_050f.jpg |
http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2004_050b.jpg |
$50 The Canadian $50 bill is a banknote of the Canadian dollar. It is sometimes dispensed by ATMs, but not as commonly as the $20 bill.The current 50-dollar bill is predominantly red in colour. The front features a portrait of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the coat of arms, and a picture of the Peace...
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Red |
William Lyon Mackenzie KingWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
; the Peace TowerThe Peace Tower is a focal bell and clock tower, sitting on the central axis of the Centre Block of the Canadian parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. The present incarnation replaced the Victoria Tower after the latter burned down in 1916, along with most of the Centre Block...
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The Famous Five The Famous Five or The Valiant Five were five Canadian women who asked the Supreme Court of Canada to answer the question, "Does the word 'Persons' in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons?" in the case Edwards v...
and Thérèse CasgrainMarie Thérèse Forget Casgrain, was a feminist, reformer, politician and senator in Quebec, Canada.Thérèse Casgrain was raised in a wealthy family, the daughter of Lady Blanche MacDonald and Sir Rodolphe Forget...
; quotation from the Universal Declaration of Human RightsThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
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As portrait |
2004/2004A/2006/2008 |
17 November 2004 |
March 2012 |
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http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/images/Journey/2004_100b.gif |
$100 The Canadian hundred-dollar bill is one of five different banknotes of the Canadian dollar. It is the highest-valued and least-circulated of the bills since the $1000 bill was gradually removed from circulation starting in 2000....
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Brown |
Sir Robert BordenSir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
; the East Block of ParliamentParliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
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Maps of Canada, historic and modern; excerpt from Miriam Waddington Miriam Waddington was a Canadian poet, short story writer and translator.Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, she studied English at the University of Toronto and social work the University of Pennsylvania . She worked for many years as a social worker in Montreal...
's poem, "Jacques Cartier in Toronto" |
As portrait |
2003A/2004/2004A/2006/2009 |
17 March 2004 |
14 November 2011 |
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2011 Frontier Series
Beginning in 2011, the Bank of Canada introduced a new series of
polymerPolymer banknotes were developed by the Reserve Bank of Australia , Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and The University of Melbourne and were first issued as currency in Australia in 1988. These banknotes are made from the polymer biaxially-oriented polypropylene ...
bills. The $100 bill was the first issued in November, 2011; the $50 will be issued in March 2012; and the remaining small denominations by late 2013.
These are the first Canadian notes produced on polymer. In place of a watermark are two visual features; a translucent maple leaf and a transparent window. The leaf includes a security feature that, when viewed close to the eye with a single-point light source behind, produces a circular image displaying the note's denomination. The window is fringed by maple leaves; at its top is a smaller version of the portrait, and at its bottom a light-refracting metallic likeness of an architectural feature from the parliament buildings. The portraits on the face are more centred on the bill, and are more photo-realistic, rather than engraved art. The backs of the bills introduce new cultural and thematic imagery, but the literary quotation is not continued. The polymer bills continue the "
tactile featureThe Canadian currency tactile feature is a feature on the current "Canadian Journey" series of Canadian banknotes. The feature indicates the banknote denomination in the upper right corner of the face side of the bill using a series of raised dots. It was suggested by Bruno Thériault, an...
", from the 'Canadian Journey' series.
| 2011 ("Frontier") series |
| Image | Value | Main Colour | Description | Date of Issue |
| Front | Back | Front | Back |
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$5 The Canadian five-dollar bill is currently the lowest denomination banknote issued by the Bank of Canada.The current five-Canadian dollar bill is dominantly blue in colour. The front features a portrait of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the coat of arms, and a picture of the West Block of the Parliament...
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Blue |
Sir Wilfrid LaurierSir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
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Canadarm2 and Dextre |
By late 2013 |
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$10 The Canadian ten-dollar bill is one of the most common banknotes of the Canadian dollar. It was the first bill printed when Canada changed its banknotes in 2001....
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Purple |
Sir John A. MacdonaldSir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
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The Canadian train |
By late 2013 |
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$20 The Canadian $20 bill is the most common banknote of the Canadian dollar; it is the main banknote dispensed from Canadian automatic banking machines . The Canadian $20 bill was introduced on September 29, 2004 as part of the Canadian Journey Series....
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Green |
Queen Elizabeth II |
Canadian National Vimy MemorialThe Canadian National Vimy Memorial is a memorial site in France dedicated to the memory of Canadian Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War. It also serves as the place of commemoration for First World War Canadian soldiers killed or presumed dead in France who have no known...
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In 2012 |
| http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5852863454_4c94e70757_o.jpg |
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2505/5852863464_10674637bf_o.jpg |
$50 The Canadian $50 bill is a banknote of the Canadian dollar. It is sometimes dispensed by ATMs, but not as commonly as the $20 bill.The current 50-dollar bill is predominantly red in colour. The front features a portrait of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the coat of arms, and a picture of the Peace...
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Red |
William Lyon Mackenzie KingWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
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CCGS Amundsen CCGS Amundsen is a T1200 Class Medium Arctic icebreaker and Arctic research vessel operated by the Canadian Coast Guard.-CCGS Sir John Franklin:...
in arctic waters; a map of Canada's North; 'Arctic' in InuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
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March 2012 |
| http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2602/5852863452_d895087fb5_o.jpg |
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/5852863462_50bd76cd27_o.jpg |
$100 The Canadian hundred-dollar bill is one of five different banknotes of the Canadian dollar. It is the highest-valued and least-circulated of the bills since the $1000 bill was gradually removed from circulation starting in 2000....
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Brown |
Sir Robert BordenSir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
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Medical research; DNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
double helix; vial of insulinInsulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
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14 November 2011 |
Commemorative Issues
‡ Withdrawn from circulation. Currency withdrawn from circulation is still
legal tenderLegal tender is a medium of payment allowed by law or recognized by a legal system to be valid for meeting a financial obligation. Paper currency is a common form of legal tender in many countries....
. Despite the introduction of new notes, the 1986 series $20, $50, and $100 are still occasionally used; $1,000 notes are rare.
All bills of 1954 series or later measure 152.4 mm by 69.85 mm (6 by 2¾ inches).
See also
Withdrawn Canadian banknotesAmong Canadian currency, only five different banknotes are currently printed. Smaller denominations have been replaced by coins, and larger ones are felt to be no longer required in an era of electronic transmission of most large transactions...
.
Myths
A number of myths have circulated regarding Canadian banknotes.
- An American flag is flying over the Parliament
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
buildings on Canadian paper money. This is not the case. The Birds series bills depict a Union FlagThe Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
flying over Parliament on the $100; a Canadian Red EnsignThe Canadian Red Ensign is the former flag of Canada, used by the federal government though it was never adopted as official by the Parliament of Canada. It is a British Red Ensign, featuring the Union Flag in the canton, defaced with the shield of the Coat of Arms of Canada.-History:The Red Ensign...
(a former Canadian flag) on the $5, $10, and $50; and the modern maple-leaf flagThe national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
was on the $20 and $1000 bills. (The $20 depicts the Library of Parliament, with no flag visible.) Those "taken" by the rumour were likely fooled by the bills with the Red Ensign, as the flags are very small and not shown in full colour, and the Ensign with its contrasting canton somewhat resembles the American flag.
- When a bill depicts a past prime minister, the Parliament buildings behind him are flying whichever flag Canada was using at the time of his tenure. The face of the Birds series featured images of prime ministers (or the Queen) and the houses of Parliament. However, as noted above, the $10 note featured the Red Ensign alongside Sir John A. Macdonald, who became prime minister 25 years before the Red Ensign was approved for use on the Merchant Marine and more than 50 years before it was used on government buildings. Also, the Union Flag is on the $100 with Sir Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
, who came after Laurier who appears with the Red Ensign. This is sometimes explained by the fact that Borden governed during World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The views of the Houses of Parliament on the current Canadian Journey series do not feature any flag.
- The new series $10 bill is being recalled because there is a misprint in the poem In Flanders Fields
"In Flanders Fields" is one of the most notable poems written during World War I, created in the form of a French rondeau. It has been called "the most popular poem" produced during that period...
. The first line as printed, "In Flanders fields the poppies blow," startled many people, who believed the last word should be "grow". John McCrae wrote two versions which were both published, but his original manuscript, the one used by the government and widely used for Remembrance DayRemembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
ceremonies, reads "blow". (The last two lines are, "We shall not sleep, though poppies grow/In Flanders fields.")
External links