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5 Dollars
| Issuer | Bank of Canada / Banque du Canada |
|---|---|
| Year | 1954 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1858-date) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in blue and black intaglio on a fine guilloche underprint, with the large word 'CANADA' across the upper centre and bilingual denomination inscriptions 'FIVE DOLLARS / CINQ DOLLARS' flanking the numeral '5'. A right-facing portrait of Queen Elizabeth II occupies the right field, rendered in fine intaglio engraving. The issuer legend 'BANK OF CANADA – BANQUE DU CANADA' appears in a banner across the lower centre, with Ottawa and the year 1954 noted below alongside the promise-to-pay clause in both English and French. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | FIVE DOLLARS 5 CINQ DOLLARS BANK OF CANADA – BANQUE DU CANADA FIVE DOLLARS CINQ DOLLARS |
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| Comments |
The 1954 series is best known for the so-called "Devil's Face" controversy: in the original engraving of the Queen's portrait, shadows in her hair were read by the public as the profile of a horned demon. The outcry was genuine enough that BABN modified the hair engraving — the corrected version is sometimes called the "modified portrait" issue — making the original printing a sought-after variant despite identical catalogue references in some listings.
Coyne resigned as Bank of Canada Governor in 1961 under political pressure from the Diefenbaker government, which gives the Beattie-Coyne signature combination a certain historical weight beyond its face value.