Catalog
20 Dollars / Piastres
| Issuer | Montreal Bank |
|---|---|
| Year | 1817 |
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| Composition | Cotton paper |
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| Obverse description | The obverse presents a central vignette of a harbour townscape with sailing vessels at anchor, set within a finely engraved frame. Oval counters bearing the numeral "20" appear at upper left and upper right, with vertical panel inscriptions reading "TWENTY" and "& PIASTRES" flanking the design. The promissory text in letterpress reads "The President Directors and Company of the MONTREAL BANK Promise to pay to Bearer Twenty Dollars on demand out of the Joint Funds of the Association" with manuscript date and number lines, and a small oval vignette between the two signature lines. |
|---|---|
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| Signature(s) | A. Griffin and John Gray |
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| Comments |
The Montreal Bank — later renamed the Bank of Montreal in 1822 — was one of Canada's first chartered banks, and this 1817 note predates that charter entirely. It was issued under private articles of association, meaning the bank had no formal legal standing when these notes circulated. Quebec merchants accepted them on reputation alone.
The dual English/French denomination wording was a commercial necessity in a city split between anglophone merchants and francophone traders, not a regulatory requirement. Griffin and Gray were among the original founding partners.