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4 Dollars = 1 Pound
| Issuer | Bank of British North America, Kingston |
|---|---|
| Year | 1872 |
| 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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| Printer | Perkins, Bacon & Co., London |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is essentially unprinted, showing a plain white cotton paper surface with the ghost impression of the obverse design visible in mirror image through the sheet, along with a faint circular stamp impression at right. |
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| Variants | S298 - dated 06.05.1872 S298 - dated 01.05.1875 (not listed in Pick catalog) |
| Comments |
The Bank of British North America was a London-chartered institution operating branch offices across Canada, and the Kingston branch issued notes denominated in both dollars and pounds sterling simultaneously — a direct consequence of the currency confusion that persisted in Ontario well after Confederation. The dual denomination reflected real commercial need: American trade settled in dollars, while British creditors still demanded sterling accounting.
The American Bank Note Company held the contract for this series, printing in New York for Canadian colonial branch use. By 1872, the writing was already on the wall for pound-denominated Canadian notes; the 1871 Uniform Currency Act had pushed the country firmly toward an exclusively decimal system, making this issue one of the last gasps of the old dual standard.