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    Photo, a tabletop with several printed paper forms and hand-written documents plus a bank card.  

    A checkup on cheques

    With the continuing rise of e-transfers and electronic payments, people have been predicting the death of the humble cheque for decades. But it hasn’t happened yet.

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Repairing Steel Dies

June 27, 2016
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Damaged printing plates made whole

By Stephanie Shank, Conservator and Collections Manager

In May 2013, the National Currency Collection acquired over 650 engraved steel dies (printing plates) from the British American Bank Note Company. After careful selection by our Chief Curator Paul Berry, the dies were delivered to the Bank of Canada Museum’s collection facility, each wrapped in kraft paper. There were labels to be detached and then each die was wiped clean with mineral spirits and soft cotton swabs to remove a dark, greasy substance covering the surface—evidence of their past use as security printing plates. During this cleaning process, we discovered that eight dies were broken in half, likely from past printing activity. Before they were to be placed in collection storage, these broken dies were evaluated for further conservation treatment. Ultimately, the decision was made to repair the breaks.


Prior to treatment, the plate shows a clean break.



This engraving is of an early coat of arms for the City of Ottawa.


In heritage conservation, broken metal objects can be reassembled with an adhesive most commonly used for repairing glass and ceramics. This adhesive, known as HXTAL, is a two‑part epoxy resin which, through a chemical reaction, hardens after mixing. It works well with dense materials as it creates strong, tight bonds and has the added benefit of neither swelling nor discolouring over time.


HXTL is called “hextall” by conservators.



No, the plates weren’t taped together; just held together while the adhesive cured.


Each die was reassembled and held together with thin strips of painter’s tape, then placed upright in clamps. Small drops of HXTAL were then applied along the break with the tip of a wooden stick. When it is freshly prepared, HXTAL is a very thin liquid and through capillary action, it can penetrate into narrow cracks and join pieces together using very little material. The next day, any remaining adhesive was removed with swabs and wooden sticks lightly dampened with acetone. This is important because after 24 hours, HXTAL will become too hard to be removed without potentially damaging the object. The dies were then left in the clamps for an additional week until the adhesive had fully cured.


The beaver plate after reassembly with epoxy.



The Ottawa coat of arms put back together.


Now that they have been repaired, the final step is to create custom mounts for each die to ensure they are properly supported while in collection storage.

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Content type(s): Blog posts

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The Museum Blog

September 12, 2023

A checkup on cheques

By: David Bergeron


Photo, a tabletop with several printed paper forms and hand-written documents plus a bank card.  
With the continuing rise of e-transfers and electronic payments, people have been predicting the death of the humble cheque for decades. But it hasn’t happened yet.
Content type(s): Blog posts
July 31, 2023

The Scenes of Canada series $100 bill

By: Graham Iddon


Few of us ever get a chance to see a Scenes of Canada $100 bill. Which is a pity, because it is an example of great bank note design with even greater imagery by a master engraver.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): History
July 13, 2023

Caring for your bank notes

By: Graham Iddon


Collecting paper money seems simple enough. But, paper is delicate stuff and demands a gentle touch.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Arts
May 3, 2023

Teaching math using money

By: Jonathan Jerome


From skip counting to making change, working with money is a great way for students to practice math skills.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Financial literacy, Math Grade level(s): Early childhood / Kindergarten, Grade 01, Grade 02
April 4, 2023

Caring for your coins

By: Graham Iddon


Coin collecting can be a fun and fascinating hobby. But there are a few things you should know to keep your collection safe and in good condition. Because coins aren’t as robust as you might imagine.
Content type(s): Blog posts
March 22, 2023

Security is in the bank note

By: Graham Iddon


Collage, photo of wild west street, old bank notes, old counterfeiting brochure.
Security printing is a game of anticipating and responding to criminal threats. Counterfeiting is a game of anticipating and responding to bank note design. This cat and mouse relationship affects every aspect of a bank note.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Financial literacy Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP

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