Catalog
3 Dollars = 15 Shillings
| Issuer | Niagara Suspension Bridge Bank, Queenston |
|---|---|
| Year | 1840 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Black letterpress and intaglio note on aged cotton paper, with a central vignette of the Niagara River and Suspension Bridge flanked by a large numeral '3' on each side. A standing female allegorical figure appears at the left margin, while a seated figure with a globe or sphere occupies the right vignette. The bank title 'THE NIAGARA Suspension Bridge' is set in bold display type across the centre, with 'THREE' in large letters below and the place and date 'QUEENSTON 13 Oct. 1840' inscribed in manuscript. |
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| Obverse lettering | THE NIAGARA Suspension Bridge THREE Bank will pay THREE Dollars or Fifteen Shillings QUEENSTON 3 15 DOLLARS 15 SHILLINGS |
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| Comments |
The Niagara Suspension Bridge Bank was never actually a functioning bank. It was incorporated by the Province of Upper Canada in 1836 but never received authorization to begin operations, meaning no legitimate note issue ever took place under its charter. Notes bearing its name are considered spurious or fantasy issues — printed speculatively, likely to exploit the cachet of the Niagara crossing at a moment when Upper Canadian banking regulation was weak and enforcement weaker.
The dual denomination — dollars and shillings simultaneously — reflects the currency confusion of pre-Confederation Canada, where American dollars and British sterling circulated alongside each other and issuers hedged accordingly.