Who is on our bank notes?

The current series features four former prime ministers and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. On the $5 note is Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister from 1896 to 1911; on the $10, Sir John A. Macdonald, Prime Minister from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891; on the $50, William Lyon Mackenzie King, Prime Minister from 1921 to 1930 and from 1935 to 1948; and finally, on the $100 bill, Sir Robert Laird Borden, Prime Minister from 1911 to 1920. Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, is shown on the $20.

The selection criterion for the prime ministers was based on their number of years of service as head of government. Thus, the choices were Mackenzie King (22 years in power), Macdonald (18 and a half years), Laurier (15 years), and Borden (9 years).

The monarch and prime ministers have also been depicted in previous series. The first issue, in 1935, used the portraits of various members of the Royal Family, as well as images of Canadian statesmen. This series featured the young Princess Elizabeth on the $20 note. The $500 note (the 1935 series was the only series with that denomination) depicted Sir John A. Macdonald and a $1,000 note featured Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

The next series, in 1937, featured the portrait of King George VI on all denominations except the $100 (Macdonald) and the $1,000 (Laurier). In the 1954 series, the Queen appeared on all denominations, and in 1969, the portraits that we are familiar with today were first used.

To see the various Bank of Canada series, you can visit the Bank’s Web site at:
http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/bank notes/general/character/bns.htm