The commemorative note features an added colour image of the young Queen from 1954 plus other features

The commemorative note features an added colour image of the young Queen from 1954 plus other features.
Photo Credit: Bank of Canada

Bank of Canada honours the reign of Queen Elizabeth II

The Bank of Canada has honoured Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning British monarch. This week Her Majesty’s reign surpassed that of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.

null
© Bank of Canada

A new special commemorative banknote was released on Thursday at a ceremony at the Governor-General’s residence in Ottawa, the Canadian capital.

The new $20 banknote is a variation on the current one which already features an image of the Queen but with one distinct difference: its large window contains a range of special design elements, including a portrait of Her Majesty wearing a crown (tiara) for the first time on a Canadian bank note.

The portrait is based on a 1951 image by renowned Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh – the same photograph that inspired the portrait engraving of the Queen, without the crown, for the 1954 Canadian Landscape series of bank notes and the 1967 commemorative note celebrating Confederation. Since her accession to the throne in 1952, an image of Her Majesty has appeared on every series of Canadian bank notes.

A commemorative $25 note bearing the date 6 May 1935 was issued in honour of the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Similar to the 1935 series, this denomination was available in either French or English. No other $25 denominations have been issued.
A commemorative $25 note bearing the date 6 May 1935 was issued in honour of the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Similar to the 1935 series, this denomination was available in either French or English. No other $25 denominations have been issued. © Bank of Canada
null
© Bank of Canada

The Bank of Canada will issue 40 million commemorative notes, the first of which will start to be available at financial institutions across Canada tomorrow. They will circulate alongside the existing $20 note, which will continue to be issued and will comprise the vast majority of $20 notes in circulation.

In honour of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, a modified version of the 1954 $1 note was issued, bearing the date 1967. The centennial logo was added to the front of the note and a view of Canada's original Parliament Buildings, destroyed by fire in 1916, was substituted for the prairie landscape that appeared on the original 1954 $1 note. A second version of this commemorative note, featuring the dates 1867–1967 in place of the serial numbers, was also issued.
In honour of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, a modified version of the 1954 $1 note was issued, bearing the date 1967. The centennial logo was added to the front of the note and a view of Canada’s original Parliament Buildings, destroyed by fire in 1916, was substituted for the prairie landscape that appeared on the original 1954 $1 note. A second version of this commemorative note, featuring the dates 1867–1967 in place of the serial numbers, was also issued. © Bank of Canada
null
© Bank of Canada

The Bank of Canada has issued only two previous commemorative notes, a rare $25 note in 1935 to mark the Silver Jubilee of the reign of King George V, and another in 1967 to mark Canada’s centennial.

A fourth commemorative note is in the works for 2017 for Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Categories: Economy, International, Society
Tags: , , , ,

Do you want to report an error or a typo? Click here!

For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.