Catalog
50 Dollars
| Issuer | Province of Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1866 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Dollars |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in black on green-tinted paper, with an ornate guilloche border framing the entire composition. A central intaglio vignette portrays a classical female allegory seated beside a globe and anchor, rendered in fine line engraving. The denomination FIFTY DOLLARS appears in large bold letters on both the left and right sides, with the issuer's title PROVINCE OF CANADA arched across the upper centre and the payable location MONTREAL inscribed below. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in green, with a central oval panel bearing the large numeral 50 in bold letterpress type, flanked symmetrically by two elaborate guilloche rosette clusters on either side. An outer cartouche carries the inscription PROVINCE OF CANADA divided between an upper and lower ribbon banner. The overall design is geometric and lathe-work in character, relying entirely on engine-turned ornamental patterns without pictorial vignettes. |
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| Comments |
The Province of Canada ceased to exist in 1867 when Confederation created the Dominion. Notes of this issue were therefore stranded in an administrative no-man's-land almost immediately after printing — the new federal government inherited outstanding provincial paper liabilities without a clean redemption framework in place, which complicated withdrawal from circulation for years.
The British American Bank Note Company had only recently been formed through the merger of two competing firms, and this 1866 issue was among the earliest high-denomination work produced under the consolidated operation running across both its Montreal and Ottawa facilities.