Catalog
2 Dollars
| Issuer | Quebec Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863 |
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| Printer | American Bank Note Company |
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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. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE QUEBEC BANK TWO DOLLARS CHARTERED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT ORA ET LABORA FOR VALUE RECEIVED American Bank Note Co. New York |
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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.