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50 Dollars
| Issuer | Bank of Hamilton |
|---|---|
| Year | 1904 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#S459 |
| Obverse description | Steel-blue and black intaglio-printed note with a light blue guilloche underprint. To the right, a large allegorical vignette presents a seated female figure, classically robed, surrounded by cherubs in a sculptural composition. The bank title 'Bank of Hamilton' is rendered in bold serif lettering across the upper portion, beneath the arched inscription 'DOMINION OF CANADA'. The denomination 'FIFTY DOLLARS' appears in a central panel flanked by ornate lathe work, with the numeral '50' repeated in the corners; the date 'Hamilton 2nd Jan. 1904' is handwritten in the promise line, and a red 'SPECIMEN' overprint is applied diagonally across the lower centre. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in dark steel-blue intaglio, the reverse is dominated by a symmetrical geometric design of dense guilloche lacework and lathe-work interlocking patterns. The central medallion carries the inscription 'DOMINION OF CANADA' surrounding the numeral '50', with the words 'FIFTY' above and diagonal diagonal lettering 'FIFTY DOLLARS' radiating through the field. 'BANK OF HAMILTON' is boldly inscribed in large serif capitals across the middle register, and the denomination '50' appears in each corner within ornate frames; a red 'SPECIMEN' overprint is applied diagonally across the centre. |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Hamilton was one of Ontario's longer-lived chartered banks, operating from 1872 until its absorption by the Canadian Bank of Commerce in 1924. By 1904, Canadian chartered bank notes still circulated as a legitimate medium of exchange under the Bank Act, competing directly with Dominion of Canada government currency — a dual-circulation arrangement that persisted until the Bank of Canada's formation in 1935.
The choice of Western Bank Note and Engraving Company in Chicago for printing is worth noting. Several smaller Canadian chartered banks turned to American security printers when the established firms — primarily the British American Bank Note Company in Ottawa and Montreal — were at capacity or when cost pressures favored alternatives. The $50 face value placed this note firmly in commercial and inter-bank transaction use rather than retail circulation.