
On January 28, Stack’s Bowers Galleries will hold its auction of the January 2025 World Collectors Choice Auction: The Canadian Banknote Sale. Featuring nearly 500 lots of Canada and Canada-related paper money, the sale offers a variety of items, ranging from an early 18th century piece of card money, to a previously unknown variety from the Dominion of Canada to modern prefix rarities from the Bank of Canada. If you are a collector of Canadian Paper Money this is a sale to check out carefully, as it is an unprecedented offering and should have something for everyone. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the highlights of sale, but be sure to check out the entire online catalog.
The sale starts with Chartered and related banknotes. Lot 70071 is a PCGS Choice Uncirculated 63 PPQ 1928 20 Dollars from the Banque Provinciale du Canada. A deceptively difficult type to find at the uncirculated level, the note offers bright colors and an exceptional appearance for the technical grade. Another Chartered highlight is found in lot 70089 – a 1920-dated 50 Dollars from the Bank of Toronto, graded Very Fine 20 by PMG. The note is pedigreed to a 1970 sale and is a wholesome example of this rare denomination, the highest issued by this institution. A type surely missing from even the most advanced collections of the Bank of Toronto, specialists now have the chance to acquire this sought-after and seldom-offered issue.
After the Chartered banknote section comes a very extensive grouping of Government issues, starting with lot 70096, an extremely rare piece of card money issued by the French Administration in Quebec City in 1733. This 24 Livres is graded PMG Very Fine 25. It is from an issue authorized by the King of France (something not the case for the earliest issue of card money), who realized that lack of circulating coinage in his North American domains was a consistent and everlasting problem. These cards proved a popular solution and large quantities were issued. However, after the fall of New France in 1763 the cards were redeemed on a large scale and as a result, any kind of card money is extremely rare and infrequently offered.
The Dominion of Canada section of the sale is highlighted by a unique note previously unpublished. Lot 70102 is an 1870 2 Dollars payable at Victoria (DC-3e). Graded PMG Choice Very Fine 35, it is not only the first and only example known to exist (missing from even the National Currency Collection), but is also the sole finest graded example of the type in the PMG population report. We previously published a blog about this note where we cover the history of the issue as well as that of Victoria, British Columbia (your author’s favorite Canadian city). A tremendous rarity and one of only a handful of government issues that have never appeared at public auction, this note will allow one collector or institution to come one step closer to a complete set of Canadian Government paper money.
Collectors of the Bank of Canada will find a comprehensive selection. Featured highlights include both English (lot 70135) and French (lot 70136) language versions of the popular 1935 25 Dollars Commemorative. Collectors of low serial numbers will find the ultimate number, 1, on a 1937 1 Dollar in lot 70151. If low serial numbers aren’t really your thing, but you appreciate high serial numbers instead, we’ve got that covered as well, with lot 70257 offering an extremely rare 10 million serial number on a 1954 (modified portrait) 5 Dollars. 10 million serial numbers are even rarer than serial number 1’s, as their creation required a manual process, assuring that most were kept and not released into circulation. For collectors assembling sets of modern notes most major types and many signature varieties are presented as well.
This is certainly a sale worth perusing at your leisure. For further inquiries about this sale or any lots offered please contact Adem Karisik at [email protected] or call our Vancouver office at 778-403-6677.