Bank Notes

Holographic Stripe

Tilt the note, and brightly coloured numerals (5) and maple leaves will "move" within the shiny metallic stripe on the front of the note. Colours will change through the various shades of the rainbow. There is a colour-split within each maple leaf. If you look carefully, smaller numerals (5) appear in the background of the three-dimensional stripe. The stripe has curved edges.

Watermark Portrait

Hold the note to the light, and a small, ghost-like image of the portrait appears to the left of the large numeral (5). A smaller numeral (5) is also evident. This watermark is embedded in the paper and can be seen from both sides of the note. If the note is not backlit, the watermark is not visible.

Windowed Security Thread

Hold the note to the light and a continuous solid vertical line appears. From the back of the note, this security feature resembles a series of exposed metallic dashes (windows) that shift from gold to green when the note is tilted. Small characters (CAN5) are printed on this security thread, which is woven into the paper.

See-Through Number

Hold the note to the light and, just like two pieces of jigsaw puzzle, the irregular marks on the front and back will form a complete and perfectly aligned numeral 5. Look for this feature between the watermark and the large numeral (5).

Raised Ink (Intaglio)

Run your finger over the words BANK OF CANADA - BANQUE DU CANADA and the large numeral 5; the ink feels thicker to the touch. You can also feel the raised ink on the portrait and the Coat of Arms.

Microprinting

Look at the diagonal lines to the left of the portrait. The text FIVE 5 CINQ is printed in clear, small characters. Text to the right of the West Block of Parliament gradually becomes smaller but remains clear and sharp.

Fine-Line Patterns

Observe the sharp, well-defined lines that make up the facial features of the portrait, the circles within the eyes, and the background patterns of the note.

Serial Number

A three-letter prefix followed by a seven-digit number is printed twice on the back of each note.

Fluorescence

Place the note under UV light. Look for the following elements, which are not visible in normal light:

• the Coat of Arms, the words FIVE • CINQ, and BANK OF CANADA - BANQUE DU CANADA glow blue over the portrait;
• fibres that appear randomly on both sides of the note glow red. (Note: Blue fibres, visible in normal light, do not glow).

Colours

Look at the colours on a genuine note; special inks create unique colours that are difficult to reproduce.

Iridescent Maple Leaves

Tilt the note. The three maple leaves will change from a faint image to a shiny gold colour. The outline of the leaves is clearly defined, and there are no detectable raised edges. (on the original Canadian Journey series $5 note only)

Hidden Number

Hold and tilt the note at eye level. The number 5 will become visible. (on the original Canadian Journey series $5 note only)