Catalog
50 Dollars
| Issuer | Bank of Montreal |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914 |
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| Value | 50 Dollars |
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| Obverse description | Black intaglio print on white paper with a central guilloche underprint bearing the denomination numeral '50' and the inscription 'FIFTY DOLLARS'. Two engraved portrait vignettes flank the central panel — a bearded male figure at left and a clean-shaven male figure at right, both in formal attire facing inward. The upper portion carries the bank name 'THE BANK OF MONTREAL' in bold serif lettering, with 'WILL PAY TO BEARER ON DEMAND' below, the date 'MONTREAL, NOV. 3RD 1914', serial numbers, and prefix letter 'C' at either side of the central vignette. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE BANK OF MONTREAL WILL PAY TO BEARER ON DEMAND 50 FIFTY DOLLARS 50 MONTREAL, NOV. 3RD 1914 COUNTERSIGNED PRESIDENT |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Montreal's 1914 $50 note arrives at a moment when Canadian chartered bank currency was entering its final decades of relevance — the 1914 Finance Act and subsequent Dominion of Canada legislative pressure would steadily erode the chartered banks' note-issuing role over the following generation. At $50, this was a high-denomination instrument by any practical measure; working-class wages in Canada at the time rarely exceeded $10 a week, meaning most recipients of this note would have been merchants, railway contractors, or financial intermediaries.
The American Bank Note Company's Ottawa facility handled production — worth noting because ABNC operated its Canadian plant largely to satisfy chartered bank clients wary of having their plates and paper cross the border unnecessarily.