Catalog
1 Dollar = 5 Shillings
| Issuer | Niagara Suspension Bridge Bank, Queenston |
|---|---|
| Year | 1841 |
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| Reference(s) | P#S1902 |
| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in black on cream paper and is richly engraved in the early American bank note tradition. To the left, a classical vignette shows a rearing horse attended by a figure, while at centre a landscape vignette of the Niagara River with the suspension bridge is flanked by two large numeral "1" counters within ornate lathe-work medallions. A portrait of a gentleman in an oval frame appears at the lower right. The obligation text reads "Bank will pay on demand to the bearer" above the bold legend ONE DOLLAR QUEENSTON, with manuscript date and two handwritten signatures below. |
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| Obverse lettering | THE NIAGARA SUSPENSION BRIDGE ONE DOLLAR QUEENSTON PAYABLE AT ONE Cash. Pres. |
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| Comments |
The Niagara Suspension Bridge Bank was a short-lived Upper Canadian chartered institution operating out of Queenston, a village whose commercial significance had peaked decades earlier — by 1841 it was already being overshadowed by nearby Niagara Falls and Chisholm's Wharf traffic. The dual denomination printed on this note, one dollar equated to five shillings, reflects the transitional monetary arithmetic of pre-Confederation Canada, where British sterling and American decimal currency circulated simultaneously and issuers had to accommodate both.
Pick 1902 is among the rarest survivals from any Upper Canadian private bank of this period.