Collection

1994.pl

Before nationwide currency existed, Canada relied on a network of chartered banks that issued their own notes under federal approval. From Halifax to Victoria, each institution commissioned engraved designs that reflected regional identity — maritime commerce in Nova Scotia, agriculture and transport in Ontario, and emerging west-coast industry. These pre-Confederation and early post-Confederation notes functioned as both circulating money and corporate branding in a young and rapidly expanding country.

The American Bank Note Company of New York dominated Canadian printing through the late 19th century. ABNC’s intaglio proofs preserve the original artistic intent behind many designs that later circulated heavily as worn banknotes. Proofs from this era show the fine detail of maritime allegories, trade scenes, portrait medallions, and guilloché work — imagery chosen to signal stability, reliability and commercial ambition at a time when trust in paper money depended heavily on the issuing bank’s reputation.

These archival pieces form a direct window into Canada’s financial development: the rise of chartered banking, the spread of ABNC’s engraving style, and the transition from regional note-issuing rights to the centralized Dominion and later Bank of Canada systems. The selections below highlight proof material rather than circulated notes, offering a clean record of plates that defined Canadian paper-money aesthetics before national unification.

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Canada 1896 20 Dollars Bank of Nova Scotia front and back proof pair, PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated, American Bank Note Company

Canada 1896 — Bank of Nova Scotia 20 Dollars Front and Back Proofs (PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated)

Matched front and back proof pair of the 20 Dollars note issued by the Bank of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, dated 22 July 1896. Engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Company, New York, these proofs represent the artistic and technical pinnacle of Canadian chartered banknote design in the late 19th century. The front proof, executed in black and white, features the seated allegorical figure of Commerce holding a trident, flanked by maritime motifs referencing Halifax’s seafaring economy. ... Read more →

CanadaProof Pair (Front & Back)189620 DollarsPMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (Front and Back Proof Pair) CanadaBank of Nova ScotiaProof PairFront ProofBack ProofAmerican Bank Note CompanyABNCoHalifaxNova ScotiaChartered BanksVictorian Era19th CenturyEngraved ProofsEducationalNumismatic History20 Dollars

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