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20 Dollars
| Issuer | Bank of Nova Scotia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1897 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#S627 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | DOMINION OF CANADA THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA WILL PAY TO THE BEARER ON DEMAND Twenty Dollars HALIFAX, N.S. NOV. 1ST 1897 CASHIER PRESIDENT SPECIMEN |
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| Reverse lettering | THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA INCORPORATED 1832 20 |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Nova Scotia was still a relatively young institution when this note was printed — chartered in 1832 but only beginning to expand aggressively across Canada and the Caribbean in the 1890s. The choice of the American Bank Note Company reflected both proximity and prestige; ABNC was the dominant supplier to Canadian chartered banks throughout this period, and their New York plant handled the bulk of the country's private bank note production before the Dominion government began consolidating currency authority.
Canadian chartered banks retained the legal right to issue their own notes until the Bank Act revisions of 1944 finally extinguished that privilege. A $20 denomination from 1897 would have represented a substantial sum in daily commerce — roughly a week's wages for many workers — meaning this denomination circulated less frequently and survived in better condition than lower values.