50 Dollars

The 1954 series is best known for an engraving controversy that forced a mid-run plate alteration. In the original printing, shadows behind the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II were read by the public — and widely reported in the press — as forming the profile of a devil's face in her hair. The Bank of Canada and Canadian Bank Note Company modified the engraving, producing what collectors now distinguish as the "Devil's Face" and "Modified Hair" varieties. On the $50, the Devil's Face issue is considerably scarcer than its lower-denomination counterparts, as fewer were printed before the correction.

The series ran unusually long, with four distinct signature combinations spanning nearly two decades of governors and senior deputy governors.