Catalog
5 Piastres/Dollars
| Issuer | Banque de Ottawa, Montreal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1837 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE DE OTTAWA CANADA 5 FIVE Cinq Piastres FIVE DOLLARS Montreal |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in a pale blue-green tint and displays a large central allegorical vignette of a reclining female figure, likely representing Commerce or Canada, surrounded by four ornate circular guilloche medallions positioned at the corners. The word 'FIVE' appears in the lower centre within a further decorative panel, with the overall design executed in a geometric lathe-work underprint typical of early North American bank note engraving. |
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| Comments |
The Banque d'Ottawa is a misattribution that has caused persistent confusion in catalogs — there was no such institution in 1837. This note was almost certainly issued by one of the Montreal-based free banking concerns operating under Lower Canada's loosely regulated pre-Confederation environment, where plural currency denominations quoting both piastres and dollars on the same face were common practice, reflecting the parallel circulation of Spanish, American, and British currency in the colony.
The Pick reference P#1909 places this in the broader Canadian provincial scrip category. Treat the issuer name with caution until primary charter documentation is confirmed.