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4 Dollars
| Issuer | Union Bank of Lower Canada / Banque d'Union de Bas Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1866 |
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| Reference(s) | P#S1521C |
| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by a large red overprint of the numeral "4" across the centre, overlying the bank title inscription. A central vignette at the top depicts two allegorical figures flanking a coat of arms, with denomination numerals "4" in quatrefoil panels at each upper corner. To the lower left, a small vignette of a seated figure at work is visible, while to the lower right appears an engraved portrait of a bearded gentleman. A bottom border carries a repeated letterpress legend reading "FOUR" across the full width. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | The Union Bank of Lower Canada Four Dollars QUEBEC Will pay to the bearer on demand FOUR DOLLARS FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR FOUR |
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| Comments |
The Union Bank of Lower Canada was chartered in 1865 and this note comes from the very earliest years of its operation — just one year before Confederation reshaped the political and financial geography of British North America entirely. Whether the bank anticipated the disruption that 1867 would bring is unclear, but the institution did survive it, continuing under the same name well into the twentieth century.
The $4 denomination was a peculiarly Canadian habit, persisting well after American banks abandoned it. It mapped neatly onto the Spanish milled dollar arithmetic that still haunted everyday commerce in the colonies — four dollars equalling one pound currency at the rate then common in Lower Canada.
ABNC's New York plant held the contract for much of this series.