Canadian fifty-dollar note

Last updated

Fifty dollars
(Canada)
Value50 Canadian dollars
Width152.4 mm
Height69.85 mm
Security featuresTransparent windows, metallic portrait, watermark, EURion constellation, tactile marks, registration device, raised printing, UV printing
Material used Polymer
Obverse
Canadian $50 note specimen - face.png
Design William Lyon Mackenzie King
Reverse
Canadian $50 note specimen - back.png
Design CCGS Amundsen; arctic in Inuktitut; map of the northern regions of Canada

The Canadian fifty-dollar note is one of the most common banknotes of the Canadian dollar. It is sometimes dispensed by ATMs but not as commonly as the $20 note.

From the Frontier (2011–present) series. The current 50-dollar note is predominantly red in colour and is printed on polymer (plastic), not paper. In addition to being more durable than the cotton-based paper they replaced, the new notes are also more secure. It was introduced into circulation on March 26, 2012 and is part of the new Polymer Series (2011). The front features a portrait of William Lyon Mackenzie King. A large clear window runs vertically on the right hand side of the face of the note. There is a second metallic hologram image of King on the top of the window, and a hologram image of the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament buildings on the bottom of the window. [1] A ribbon made of multiple number 50s weaves between the duplicate King portrait and the Centre Block. The top left corner of the note's face has a metallic maple leaf surrounded by a transparent border.

The reverse side depicts the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Amundsen, a research icebreaker. Because the note is plastic, the same clear windows and metallic images that are seen on the front are seen on the reverse. As well as textured printing, this design incorporates a special tactile feature similar to Braille dots for the blind indicating the denomination.

From the Canadian Journey (2004) series. It features, on the front, a portrait of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the coat of arms, and a picture of the Peace Tower of the Parliament buildings. Security features visible from the front include a hologram strip along the left side, depicting the number 50 alternated with maple leaves; a watermark of King's portrait; and a broken-up number 50, which resolves itself when backlit. The reverse side depicts themes in Canadian human rights history, such as the Famous Five celebrating the Persons case, and a volunteer medal commemorating Thérèse Casgrain; it also has a quotation from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The reverse also has a visible security feature: an interleaved metallic strip, reading '50 CAN' repeatedly along its length.

From the Birds of Canada (1988) series. It features, on the front, a portrait of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the coat of arms, and a picture of the Centre Block of Parliament. On the reverse side is a wilderness scene with a snowy owl. It also had a holographic sticker showing the amount in the top left side, which changes from gold to green when tilted. The front has a wavy background of extremely small but still clear numeral 50s. This "micro-printed" background is very hard to copy. Some of the printing is textured, and the raised ink can be felt.

All Canadian banknotes underwent a major redesign, beginning in 1986, partially to incorporate some of the latest anti-forgery methods. Notes continued to be improved, with the design placed into circulation on November 17, 2004. Notes were printed on paper composed of pure cotton at two Ottawa companies contracted for the purpose: the Canadian Bank Note Company and BA International Inc., a part of the Giesecke & Devrient GmbH group of companies.

Each $50 banknote in the 1988 series was sprinkled with special green ink dots that glow when exposed to ultraviolet light. The ink can be scraped off, so worn notes tend to have fewer, if any, glowing dots. These were replaced with more permanent ultraviolet-detected threads in the new notes, as well as an ink imprint of the coat of arms.

As with all modern Canadian banknotes, all text is in both English and French.

SeriesMain colourObverseReverseSeries YearIssuedWithdrawn
1935 Series Brown Prince Albert, Duke of York Modern Inventions allegory193511 March 1935
1937 Series Orange George VI Modern Inventions allegory193719 July 1937
1954 Series Orange Elizabeth II Lockeport Beach, Nova Scotia 19549 September 1954
Scenes of Canada Red William Lyon Mackenzie King Musical Ride of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police 197531 March 19751 December 1989
Birds of Canada   Red William Lyon Mackenzie King Snowy owl 19881 December 198917 November 2004
Canadian Journey Series   Red William Lyon Mackenzie King The Famous Five and Thérèse Casgrain; quotation from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 200417 November 200426 March 2012
Frontier Series   Red William Lyon Mackenzie King CCGS Amundsen in arctic waters, a map of Canada's North, and the word 'Arctic' in Inuktitut (ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ, ukiuqtaqtuq)201226 March 2012

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References

  1. ↑ "The Design of Canada's $50 Polymer Note" (PDF). Bank of Canada. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 January 2023.
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