Catalog
5 Dollars
| Issuer | Imperial Bank of Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
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| Value | 5 Dollars |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is executed in fine intaglio engraving with a central vignette of the Imperial Bank of Canada arms — a heraldic composition with lions and a horse — framed by ornate guilloche work and the large numeral 5 in each upper corner. Oval portrait vignettes occupy the lower left and lower right corners, presenting two distinguished gentlemen in formal Victorian dress, flanking the central promise text "TO BEARER WILL PAY ON DEMAND FIVE DOLLARS". The issuer title "IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA" arches across the top, with the place of issue "TORONTO" and date "3rd JAN 1916" inscribed at centre, alongside two matching serial numbers. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in a single dark olive-green tone, dominated by an elaborate engine-turned guilloche pattern composed of multiple large rosette medallions arranged symmetrically across the face of the note. The central cartouche bears the issuer name "IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA" in bold serif lettering, while large numeral 5s appear at the left and right sides within their own guilloche frames. Rows of smaller interlocking geometric rosettes fill the remaining field, with a decorative border enclosing the entire design. |
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| Comments |
The Imperial Bank of Canada was a Toronto-based chartered bank that operated independently until its 1961 merger with the Canadian Bank of Commerce to form the CIBC. In 1916, Canadian chartered banks still retained the legal right to issue their own currency — a privilege that would survive until the Bank of Canada Act of 1934 gradually extinguished it. The American Bank Note Company in New York handled a significant share of Canadian chartered bank printing during this period, as domestic facilities couldn't match ABNC's intaglio quality.
Imperial Bank notes from the First World War years are moderately scarce in collectable grades; wartime financial disruptions affected redemption patterns across the chartered banking system, and many surviving examples show heavy circulation wear.