Catalog
20 Dollars
| Issuer | Union Bank of Canada, Winnipeg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in intaglio over a multicolour guilloche underprint in red, green, and yellow, with two oval portrait vignettes — the General Manager at left and the President at right — flanking a central large numeral "20" medallion. The bank title "UNION BANK OF CANADA" runs across the upper margin, with "WINNIPEG" and the date "JULY 1ST, 1921" inscribed below the central device. The denomination "TWENTY DOLLARS" appears in the lower panel, with repeating "20" and "TWENTY" micro-lettering forming the bottom border, and the printer's imprint "AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY OTTAWA" in the lowest margin. |
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| Obverse lettering | UNION BANK OF CANADA WINNIPEG JULY 1ST 1921 TWENTY DOLLARS 20 GENERAL MANAGER PRESIDENT AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY OTTAWA |
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| Comments |
The Union Bank of Canada had operated since 1865, but by the time this note was issued in 1921, the institution was in its final years — it was absorbed by the Royal Bank of Canada in 1925, one of the more significant consolidations in Canadian banking history. Notes from this late period circulated briefly before being called in during the merger, and surviving examples that saw genuine use are correspondingly scarce.
The American Bank Note Company maintained a production facility in Ottawa, so despite the American name, this was domestically printed work. Winnipeg as the place of payment reflects the Union Bank's strong western Canadian presence, built largely on prairie agricultural finance.