Canadian banknote issuers

Banknotes have been issued in Canada and the British colonies that confederated to form Canada from 1 July 1867.

Between 1871 and 1944, Canadian chartered banks were authorized to issue bank notes for circulation in Canada.See Bank Act, Statutes of Canada, 1871, chapter 5; Bank Act, Statutes of Canada, 1944, chapter 30, section 61. For a complete catalogue of Canadian chartered bank note issues, see R. J. Graham (ed.), Canadian Bank Notes, 9th ed., The Charlton Press, Toronto, 2019 In 1899, they were invested with the additional authority to issue bank notes for circulation in any British colony or possession.See An Act to amend the Bank Act, Statutes of Canada, 1899, c. 14 For several decades thereafter, the chartered banks were the only issuers of larger denominated notes for circulation in Canada, and an important source of notes for circulation in the British West Indies.

In 1934, the newly established Bank of Canada was given "the sole right to issue notes payable to bearer on demand".Bank of Canada Act, Statutes of Canada, 1934, chapter 43, section 24 Coincident with the introduction of the new Bank of Canada notes in 1935, arrangements were made for the gradual contraction in the quantity of chartered bank notes in circulation. As of the end of 1944, the Canadian government withdrew permission for Canadian banks to issue new notes for circulation in Canada; and by 1950, liability for all outstanding Canadian bank notes was transferred to the Bank of Canada, where such notes may still be redeemed.See An Act to amend the Bank Act, Statutes of Canada, 1944, chapter 30, section 61. The total value of the notes outstanding at that time was $13,302,046.60.

Provincial Issues

British Columbia: PS126-128. Nova Scotia: PS132-140. Ontario: PS141-143. Prince Edward Island: PS144-157. Province of Canada: PS161-176.

Domestic issues Notes for circulation in Canada were issued in a variety of different denominations, including 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, 40, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 dollars. In 1871, the smallest denomination allowed was 4 dollars,Bank Act, Statutes of Canada, 1871, chapter 5, section 8. which was raised to 5 dollars in 1880.Bank Act, Statutes of Canada, 1880, chapter 22, section 12(2).

The following is a list of banks with note-issuing privileges and the periods during which they issued notes in Canada. The end dates are the dates appearing on the last note issues, but notes may have circulated for some time after.

List of Canadian Chartered Banks that issued notes

for circulation in Canada The list includes some banks and other institutions that issued notes prior to the establishment of Canada in 1867 and the enactment of the first Bank Act in 1871.BankDates of IssuesAgricultural Bank1834-1837Arman's Bank1837Bank of Acadia1872Bank of Brantford1859Bank of British Columbia1862-1894Bank of British North America1852-1911Bank of Clifton1859-1861Bank of Fredericton1837-1838Bank of Hamilton1872-1922Bank of Liverpool1871Bank of London1883Bank of Lower Canada1839-1851Montreal Bank/Bank of Montreal1817-1942Bank of New Brunswick1820-1906Bank of Nova Scotia1834-1935Bank of Ottawa1874-1913Bank of Prince Edward Island1856-1877Bank of the County of Elgin1856Bank of Toronto1856-1937Bank of Upper Canada1819-1861Bank of Vancouver1910Bank of Western Canada1859Bank of Yarmouth1860-1891Banque De Boucherville1837Banque Canadienne1836Banque Nationale/Banque Canadienne Nationale1860-1935Banque du Peuple1835-1892Banque de St. Hyacinthe1874-1892Banque de St. Jean1873-1906Banque d'Hochelaga1874-1920Banque Internationale de Canada1862-1895Banque Provinciale du Canada1900-1936Banque St. Jean Baptiste1875Banque Ville Marie1873-1889Barclays Bank Canada1929-1935British Canadian Bank1884Canada Bank CompanyIt is uncertain whether these notes were ever put into circulation.1792Canadian Bank of Commerce1867-1935Central Bank of Canada1884Central Bank of New Brunswick1847-1860Charlotte County Bank1852-1859City Bank of Montreal1833-1857City Bank, Saint John, New Brunswick1836-1838Colonial Bank of Canada1859Commercial Bank of Canada1857-1862Commercial Bank of Manitoba1885-1891Commercial Bank of Montreal1835-1836Commercial Bank of New Brunswick1837-1860Commercial Bank of the Midland District1832-1854Commercial Bank of Windsor1860-1898Consolidated Bank of Canada1876Crown Bank of Canada1904Dominion Bank1871-1938Eastern Bank of Canada1929Eastern Townships Bank1859-1906Exchange Bank of Canada1872-1873Exchange Bank of Toronto1855Exchange Bank of Yarmouth1869-1902Farmers Bank of Canada1907-1908Farmers' Bank of Rustico1864-1872Farmers' Joint Stock Banking Company1835-1849Federal Bank of Canada1874-1884Goderich Bank1834Gore Bank1836-1856Grenville County Bank1856Halifax Banking Company1825-1898Hart's Bank1837-1838Henry's Bank1837Home Bank of Canada1904-1920Hudson's Bay Company1820-1870Imperial Bank of Canada1875-1939International Bank of Canada1858-1859MacDonald and Co.1863Maritime Bank of the Dominion of Canada1873-1882Mechanics Bank of Montreal1872Mercantile Banking Corporation1878Merchants Bank of Canada1868-1919Merchants Bank of Halifax1864-1899Merchants Bank in Montreal1874Merchants Bank of Montreal1837Merchants Bank of Prince Edward Island1871-1900Metropolitan Bank, Montreal1872Metropolitan Bank of Toronto1902-1912Molsons Bank1837-1922Newcastle District Loan Company1836Newcastle Banking Company1836Niagara District Bank1854-1872Niagara Suspension Bridge Bank1836-1841Northern Bank1905Northern Crown Bank1908-1914Ontario Bank1857-1898People's Bank of Halifax1864-1903People's Bank of New Brunswick1864-1905Pictou Bank of Nova Scotia1874-1882Provincial Bank of Canada in Stanstead1856Quebec Bank1818-1911Royal Bank of Canada1901-1943Royal Canadian Bank1865-1872Saint Francis Bank1850Sovereign Bank of Canada1902-1907St. Lawrence Bank1872St. Stephens Bank1830-1903Stadacona Bank1874Standard Bank of Canada1876-1924Sterling Bank of Canada1906-1921Summerside Bank of Prince Edward Island1866-1900Tattersall Bank1830Traders Bank of Canada1885-1910Union Bank1838Union Bank of Canada1886-1921Union Bank of Halifax1861-1909Union Bank of Lower Canada1866-1871Union Bank of Montreal1840Union Bank of Prince Edward Island1864-1877United Empire Bank of Canada1906Western Bank of Canada1882-1890Westmorland Bank1854-1861Weyburn Security Bank1911Zimmerman Bank1854-1856

Chartered Banks + Canadian chartered banks historically issuing banknotes Bank Name IDBank of British ColumbiaPS201-219.Bank of British North AmericaPS221-435.Bank of HamiltonPS441-468.Bank of MontrealPS471-564.Bank of New BrunswickPS571-599.Bank of Nova ScotiaPS601-633.Bank of OttawaPS636-664.Bank of TorontoPS666-693.Bank of VancouverPS696-700.Bank of YarmouthPS701-704.Banque Canadienne Nationale (National Bank of Canada)PS706-717.Banque d'Hochelaga (Bank of Hochelaga)PS721-815.Banque Internationale du Canada (International Bank of Canada)PS816-818.Banque Jacques Cartier (Jacques Cartier Bank)PS821-837.Banque Nationale (National Bank)PS841-875.Bank of the PeoplePS875A-875E.Banque du Peuple (Bank of the People)PS876-909.Banque Provincale du Canada (Provincial Bank of Canada)PS911-922.Banque de St. Hyacinthe (Bank of Saint Hyacinthe)PS924-929.Banque de St. Jean (Bank of Saint Jean)PS931-935.Banque Ville MariePS936-946.Barclays Bank CanadaPS947-951.Canadian Bank of CommercePS952-972.City BankPS972A-972C.Commercial Bank of CanadaPS973-996.Commercial Bank of ManitobaPS997-1000.Commercial Bank of the Midland DistrictPS1000A-1000W.Commercial Bank of WindsorPS1001-1004.Crown Bank of CanadaPS1006-1009.Dominion BankPS1011-1036.Eastern Townships BankPS1041-1057.Exchange Bank of YarmouthPS1058-1060.Farmers Bank of CanadaPS1061-1065.Gore BankPS1066-1069.Halifax Banking CompanyPS1070-1086.Home Bank of CanadaPS1087-1091.Hudson's Bay CompanyPS1095-1121.Imperial Bank of CanadaPS1122-1145H.Merchants' Bank of CanadaPS1146-1173.Merchants' Bank of HalifaxPS1174-1189.Merchants' Bank of Prince Edward IslandPS1191-1196.Metropolitan BankPS1197-1201.Molsons BankPS1202-1243.Montreal BankPS1243A-1243K.Niagara District BankPS1243L-1243V.Northern BankPS1244-1247.Northern Crown BankPS1248-1251.Ontario BankPS1252-1286.Peoples' Bank of HalifaxPS1287-1290.Peoples' Bank of New BrunswickPS1291-1302.Quebec BankPS1306-1368.Royal Bank of CanadaPS1369-1394.Saint Lawrence BankPS1395-1399.Saint Stephen's BankPS1400-1430.Sovereign Bank of CanadaPS1431-1434.Standard Bank of CanadaPS1435-1447.Sterling Bank of CanadaPS1448-1453.Summerside Bank of Prince Edward IslandPS1454-1465.Traders' Bank of CanadaPS1466-1482.Union Bank of CanadaPS1483-1507.Union Bank of HalifaxPS1511-1521.Union Bank of Lower CanadaPS1521A-1521J.Union Bank of Prince Edward IslandPS1522-1533.United Empire Bank of CanadaPS1534-1535.Western Bank of CanadaPS1536-1538.Weyburn Security BankPS1539-1541.

British West Indies issues In the British West Indies, Canadian bank notes circulated from 1900 to 1950 alongside notes of the Colonial Bank (later, Barclays Bank) and, in some places, notes of smaller denominations issued by local authorities.For a history of these issues, see Michael H. Ryan, "Canadian Banknotes for the British West Indies, 1900-1950", International Bank Note Society Journal, vol. 58, no. 1 (2019), pp. 22-35. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3700505 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3700505

The following is a list of the Canadian banks that issued notes for circulation in the British West Indies, together with the dates and denominations of those issues.

+ List of Canadian Chartered Banks that issued notes for circulation outside of CanadaBank Dates of IssuesDenominationsCanadian Bank of Commerce - Barbados1922 and 1940$5, $20, $100 - Jamaica1921 and 1938£1, £5 - Trinidad1921 and 1939$5, $20, $100Bank of Nova Scotia - Jamaica1900, 1919, 1920 and 1930£1, £5Royal Bank of Canada The 1920 and 1938 issues were also denominated in sterling: $5 = £1.0.10; $20 = £4.3.4; $100 = £20.16.8. Not all notes are known in issued form. - Antigua1913, 1920 and 1938$5 - Barbados1909, 1920 and 1938$5, $20, $100 - British Guiana1913, 1920 and 1938$5, $20, $100 - Dominica1913, 1920 and 1938$5 - Grenada1909, 1920 and 1938$5 - Jamaica1911 and 1938£1, £5 - St Kitts1913, 1920 and 1938$5 - St Lucia1920$5 - Trinidad1909, 1920 and 1938$5, $20, $100Union Bank of Halifax - Trinidad1905$5, $10, $20, $50, $100

Spurious or Expired Banks The following banks issued notes that cannot be exchanged for current Canadian dollar banknotes.

Bank Catalog numbers Bank of Acadia PS1542–1545 Accommodation Bank PS1546–1547 Agricultural Bank, Montreal PS1548–1550 Agricultural Bank, Toronto PS1551–1564 Arman's Bank PS1565–1567 Banque de Boucherville (Bank of Boucherville) PS1568 Bank of Brantford PS1569–1576 British Canadian Bank PS1577–1578 Canada Bank, Montreal PS1579–1580 Canada Bank, Toronto PS1581–1583 Bank of Canada, Montreal PS1584–1595 Banque Canadienne (Canadian Bank) S1596–1599 Central Bank of Canada PS1600–1602 Central Bank of New Brunswick PS1603–1617 Charlotte County Bank PS1618–1622 Bank of Charlottetown PS1623–1625

See also

Bank of Canada Canadian pound Central banks and currencies of the Caribbean Commonwealth banknote-issuing institutions Currencies of the British West Indies

Notes

References