Catalog
2 Dollars
| Issuer | Quebec Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1858-date) |
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| Obverse description | Green and black intaglio-printed note with the bank title THE QUEBEC BANK in bold lettering across the upper centre. A central vignette shows two allegorical figures flanking a provincial coat of arms, with the motto ORA ET LABORA below. Large ornate TWO counters appear at left and right, each within an elaborate guilloche surround. A sailing ship vignette occupies the lower left corner and a second sailing vessel the lower right, while the denomination TWO DOLLARS is inscribed in a bold panel across the lower centre. The border carries a continuous TWO microlettering pattern, and the note bears a manuscript date of 5 February 1863. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is largely plain, printed on white cotton paper with no vignette or decorative elements. A handwritten notation reading 'plate proof' and 'for' appears in ink at the upper right portion of the note, suggesting this example is a plate proof rather than a fully issued note. Four alignment dots are visible along the lower edge. |
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| Comments |
The Quebec Bank was a relatively short-lived chartered institution, established in 1818 and absorbed into the Royal Bank of Canada in 1917. By 1863, when this note was issued, the American Bank Note Company had consolidated its dominant position in Canadian chartered bank printing following the merger of several New York security printers in 1858 — a consolidation that effectively standardized the visual grammar of mid-Victorian Canadian paper currency for the next two decades.
Quebec Bank notes from this period are scarce. The bank operated primarily in the Quebec City market, limiting circulation volume compared to Montreal-based rivals.