Is There a Hidden Devil on an Old Canadian Banknote?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- This time on Note Nook, I look at a one dollar note issued in Canada in 1954. This one is particularly fascinating because of what some people thought they saw in the design. Their impression led to the nickname 'devil's head note' for this particular issue and caused the Canadian government to order new plates for the series only two years later. Join me to find out more!
A banknote always tells a story from a particular point of view, attempting to unite its users and inspire faith and confidence in the country and its banking system. Currency only works when users will accept it in exchange and have faith that other users will do the same. It also needs to be difficult to copy so as to discourage counterfeit, and the security measures embedded within a note are always interesting to examine.
Note Nook is researched and presented by me, W.B. Hafford, archaeologist and economic anthropologist. It is a sub-set of a more conceptual series of money lectures, called Money Talks. The banknotes featured come from my personal collection and many are heavily worn. But circulation of a note means it has fulfilled its purpose, and wear patterns can tell us a great deal. Pristine notes may be valuable for most collectors, but for an anthropologist interested in usage and history, somewhat worn notes are often more interesting. Supplementary imagery is drawn from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons license.
Fun fact... the first Canadian dollar was a value in piastre.The piastre was a Spanish currency that seemed to have wide adoption in New-France (not the French livre it appears). I come to this from a linguistic perspective. The word piastre is still used informally for the word dollar in Québec today.
The use of the piastre instead of the pound, in a newly conquered British territory, would appear to be an attempt to adopt a currency value that was already largely used in the local population, mainly French speaking, from the New-France period. A bit like the holes used in currency minted in Africa that resembled "stringable currency" you mentioned in another video.
Great videos! I enjoy them tremendously.
Very interesting! And piastre was also a sub-unit currency name in many French influenced or formerly controlled areas, such as Lebanon and French Indo-China (much of which is now Cambodia and Vietnam).
@@artifactuallyspeaking Oh? There is more to this then, I'll have to find out more! Regards!
@@jfjoubertquebec Piastres, sols or sous, livres. Like the old British pence, shillings, pounds. Same breakdown too.
I just found this series and love it. I have a $50 Devils Face in very good condition. I also have bills from 1937 and coins from 1917.
The reverse image is oddly foreboding, especially in contrast to a lot of the landscapes and buildings we see on more modern forms.
Very interesting; indeed, a walk down memory lane for me. I wish we still had all our paper money. Another Canadian bill you should look at is the $20 note from the 60's. The folds in the Queen's gown look like her bra strap has slipped out. Once you see it you can't un-see it! Regards from Canada 🇨🇦
I have 3 of these devils face bills ;) :D
That’s not tradition. Not tradition at all.
It’s not just the Devil… it’s the Canadian Devil! Beelzeboooot!
It’s a sad day for Canada and therefore the rest of the world.
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I just found this series and love it. I have a $50 Devils Face in very good condition. I also have bills from 1937 and coins from 1917.
Me too. All these years up until a few years ago, I never knew that other countries actually have dollar bills ('banknotes') like we do in the United States. It's something I never even thought about. I like that their bills have different colors.