WORLD banknotes

This section covers a fraction of the notes published by the numerous nation states and banks over the past few centuries.  If you are interested in the many national currencies available, then I suggest you get your hands on a Standard Catalogue of World Paper Money (SCWPM) catalogue which has  become itself an oddity!  To learn more why this publication (by Krause) became a collector item, check out this COINS WEEKLY ARTICLE. For more interesting write ups on coins or the banknote hobby check Noteworthy Reads.

If you're absolutely (vehemently) against hard copies then you should at least familiarize yourself with the bank note museum (BNM). I turn to the BNM often for convenience & to sort out discrepancies (on Numista).  It also happens to be more accurate at times since the SCWPM tends to be dated (& peppered with periodic gaps!) See this thread for an example. I use the BNM exclusively: I often cross reference BNM info with Numista which hosts a catalogue that continues to develop.

While I am relatively new to acquiring collectible world notes, I intend to use the best practices I have acquired over the 50 years of collecting Canadian currency towards my new world acquisitions.  Primarily, I have focused on Commonwealth nations and countries I have visited. Recently, I have acquired Special Serial Numbered notes from certain Asian countries such as the Philippines.  

To learn more about collecting World currency please hit the link below.

1937 -1954

With King George's sudden death and subsequent abdication of Prince Edward, the portrait of King George VI was engraved for this new bilingual 1937 Series.   Most denominations are popular amongst banknote collectors but the most sought after happen to be the first Osborne & Towers signature "a" variety printed with a few limited prefixes.

The 1935 DESIGNS continued to be used with a reahaul in the 1937 colour conventions. The BOC chose to re-use the reverse engravings of the 1935 TEN for the back of the new TWO (& vice-versa: or the back of 1935 $2 for the 1937 $10). The reverse design of the 1935 FIVE is kept on the newer 1937 FIVE but the colour scheme returns to blue (previously established by the Chartered and Dominion series. (This was reddish orange for TWO & blue for FIVE).   The ONE HUNDRED features Canada's first Prime Minister, John A Macdonald AND the ONE THOUSAND featured Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

1954 -1969

This was Canada's longest running series and featured Queen Elizabeth II two years post coronation.   For some, it became evident that the original Karsh portrait cast a gargoyle-like image from the queen's hair.  In 1956, the plates were Modified (to eliminate this devilish shadow) so that the original series eventually became known as the "Devil's Face" intro to the 1954 Series.  While several million banknotes were issued, brisk World demand has kept the BV (Book Value) of the Devil's Face series HIGH.  

Also, significant is the fact that the portraits of both Prime Ministers Macdonald and Laurier were dropped from the two highest denominations ($100 & $1000).  What many world collectors don't realize is that there are several scarce replacements, test notes & signature change-overs on the Modified (or "1956") series!  To learn more, take the link below:

1969 - 1985:

In the wake of Canada's 1967 Centennial, this series acknowledged Canada's identity with the addition of the nation's Coat of Arms and by reinstating the two prime ministers' Laurier & Macdonald portraits onto the FIVE and TEN Dollar denominations (respectively).  In addition, William Lyon Mackenzie King and Sir Robert Borden were added to the FIFTY and ONE HUNDRED Dollar denominations.  Queen Elizabeth II portrait remained on the ONE, TWO and TWENTY Dollar banknotes. To learn more about this & the 1979 series, take the link below:

1979: 

In 1979, the BOC printers transferred the serial number to the back of the FIVE Dollar and TWENTY Dollar banknotes by revising the original 1969 & 1972 designs.  The TWENTY Dollar banknote had the greatest colour scheme change differentiating it further from the ONE Dollar note. Take the link below for further info:

1985 - 2001

The Royal Canadian Mint introduced the $1.00 coin (dubbed the "Loonie") &  the ONE Dollar banknote was formally retired by 1985. The Royal Canadian Mint started minting the $2 "Toonie" signalling the end for the TWO Dollar denomination in 1986. All the colour schemes from former BOC series were carried over to this new edition, but the designs were even more elaborate and reflective of Canadian fauna. The BOC also continued the tradition of printing the serial numbers on the back of the notes in a barcode fashion (similar to the 1979 $5 & $20).  The Birds Series surprisingly dropped the use of the Canadian Coat of Arms. Take the link below to discover what banknotes became sought after:

2001- 2004

The ONE THOUSAND Dollar denomination was silently retired (in an effort to curb money laundering). This is quite ironic as theives turned their attention to digital money laundering (which dwarfed the type of crime using cash).

In 2000, the TEN Dollar note, featuring a close-up of John A Macdonald on the left plus the Canadian Coat of Arms were being prepared for their release the following year. On the reverse, is an image of modern peace keeping soldier, doves, poppies, and the "In Flanders Fields" poem. In 2002, the FIVE Dollar note was introduced featuring Laurier (& similar design elements as on the TEN) with a scene of hockey on the reverse. Both notes had security features that lit up in ultraviolet light and three gold-tinted maple leafs which were visible under normal light.  But, alas, few Canadians seemed to notice the Journey Series security & after a slew of cheap laser-printed counterfeits flooded circulation, the designs were upgraded with a security strips by 2004. The good news, for colletors, is that this transition created some short & "Lost Prefixes."  Check the link below to learn more:

2004 - 2011

In order to curb the onslaught of bogus original Journey FIVES and TENS, the BOC updated the Canadian Journey Series featuring new TWENTY Dollar notes with additional security features (most notably- the large metallic security strip) in 2004.  The same elements (plus watermarks) were introduced on the FIFTY, ONE HUNDRED and the original FIVES and TENS. Click the link below to learn which prefixes got cut off or became tough to collect, during the transition to polymer:

2011 -  2018

The Bank of Canada turned to polymer notes in 2011 starting with the FIFTY and ONE HUNDRED Dollar denominations. The TWENTY was introduced in 2012 and the TEN and FIVE arrived the following year.  Several new security features were introduced including shifting holographic portraits on see-through windows. But the BOC didn't nail it "air tight" this time either.  To learn more about the Frontier's Series, and some very scarce prefixes, click the link below:

2015 & 2017

The BOC commissioned their printers to produce its 3rd Commemorative banknote in 2015. The TWENTY Dollar note celebrated Queen Elizabeth II as the longest reigning queen in England with a new holographic portrait of the QEII when she was first coronated in 1952.

In 2017, the BOC celebrated Canada's 150th birthday by designing a new TEN Dollar Commemorative banknote.  Use the link below to further explore these recent series:

2018

The BOC introduced a new series in November of 2018 featuring the Human Rights pioneer Viola Desmond on its vertical TEN Dollar denomination.  The new denomination's release has slowly trickled out due to the 2017 "150" Commemorative plus the longevity of the 2013 Frontiers series $10.00.  The pandemic (& general lack of cash use) contributed to the glacial pace of this recent series.

It is now 2026 and the Vertical Series continues to be a slow reveal.  Five prefixes were seen during the first two years (FTW, FTY, FTZ, FFA -FFD) but the last few prefixes took a long time to come to light.  We finally know that the Wilkins Poloz FFE change over prefix was the last of that signature combination & is short (less than 1 million) release.  In addition, we were pleasantly surprised in January 2023 by the arrival of the Rogers Macklem FFK signature change over (about 2 million).  

Will there be any "Rogers Macklem" prefixes to keep? The release of the Vertical $5 & the new King Charles $20 (2027) will keep us engaged.