Catalog
5 Dollars (1 Pound 10 Pence)
| Issuer | Royal Bank of Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938 |
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| Currency | Dollar (1858-date) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in green, the reverse is dominated by a large central vignette of the British Royal Coat of Arms with lion and unicorn supporters, crown above, and the motto DIEU ET MON DROIT on a ribbon below, all rendered in fine intaglio engraving. The dual denomination FIVE GRENADA DOLLARS THE EQUIVALENT OF £1-0-10 appears in bold letterpress at both left and right of the arms. The issuer name THE ROYAL BANK OF CANADA is set within a decorative panel at the base, and the printer's imprint CANADIAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, LIMITED appears in small type at the foot. |
| Reverse lettering | FIVE GRENADA DOLLARS THE EQUIVALENT OF £1-0-10 FIVE GRENADA DOLLARS THE EQUIVALENT OF £1-0-10 THE ROYAL BANK OF CANADA DIEU ET MON DROIT CANADIAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, LIMITED |
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| Comments |
The Royal Bank of Canada's 1938 series was among the last chartered bank notes to circulate legally in Canada before the Bank of Canada Act amendments effectively ended commercial bank note issuance. After 1944, chartered banks were prohibited from issuing notes in denominations under $5, and the gradual phase-out of all chartered bank currency followed — making this late-series note a product of an institution already aware its note-issuing days were numbered.
The dual denomination reflects sterling-decimal convertibility requirements still in force for certain Caribbean and international branch transactions. Not a clerical quirk — a genuine operational necessity at the time.