A complete set of Canada's first banknotes, printed in both French and English, are expected to excel at the Toronto Coin Expo's Fall Sale on September 28.
 It is almost impossible to acquired a used set of the banknotes |
The notes were first issued in 1935; just one year after the Bank of Canada was first created as a result of an Act of Parliament. It was given the power to regulate Canada's money supply by the British government, as well as the exclusive right to issue banknotes in the country.
The notes issued were all available in English or French - catering for the bilingual needs of Canada's population - while all the designs remained identical. The set at auction contains a specimen example of each denomination, ranging from $1 to $1,000 and printed in both languages. One of just nine complete sets known to exist, this is likely the finest.
Featuring both stamped "SPECIMEN" and punched "SPECIMEN" marks, the set is expected to bring $128,000-153,000.
Following this will be a Summerside Bank $4, which is the only known surviving $4 note from the chartered bank on Prince Edward Island. Dated 1866, the appealing note will make a superb centrepiece of any Canadian collection and will sell with a $25,500-30,500 estimate.
Sharing this estimate is an 1872 $5 note from the Summerside bank, which again is the only known example of its kind.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has a fantastic range of investment-grade coins currently on offer. For more news from across the numismatic community, visit our dedicated Coins & Banknotes section.
