Catalog
1 Dollar
| Issuer | Colonial Bank of Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1859 |
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| Printer | Jocylen, Draper, Welsh & Co. |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated on the left by a large circular guilloche medallion enclosing a portrait vignette of Queen Victoria, surrounded by the words ONE DOLLAR in ornate lettering. To the upper centre, the place and date of issue appear in manuscript, with the bank's capital noted as $2,000,000. A central vignette depicts a seated male figure, likely a farmer or labourer, at rest beside agricultural implements. The bank title THE COLONIAL BANK OF CANADA is set in bold letterpress across the centre, with the promise text 'Will pay ONE DOLLAR to bearer On Demand' inscribed beneath, above a manuscript signature for the Colonial Bank. |
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| Obverse lettering | THE COLONIAL BANK OF CANADA Will pay ONE DOLLAR to bearer On Demand For the Colonial Bank CAPITAL $2,000,000 TORONTO INCORPORATED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT ONE DOLLAR |
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| Comments |
The Colonial Bank of Canada had a short and troubled existence. Chartered in 1856 under the Province of Canada, it never achieved the footing its promoters hoped for and collapsed before Confederation. This 1859 dollar is among the earliest notes the bank issued — and given the institution's brief lifespan, the total quantity printed and released into circulation was always limited.
The American Bank Note Company in New York handled production, as it did for dozens of colonial and early Canadian chartered banks during this period. ABNCo's dominance of the Canadian private bank note trade in the 1850s reflects how underdeveloped domestic printing capacity was at the time.