In the early 1950s, the Bank of Canada contracted noted Canadian artist Charles Comfort to design its next set of bank notes. For the first time, a single lead designer shaped the entire series. Its modern simplicity was an enormous departure from the long-outdated offerings of the printing companies.
Officials at the Bank wanted the notes to feature images of Canadian landscapes that showed little or no evidence of human activity. They chose the final eight images from over 3,000 photographs drawn from the collections of railways, archives and news agencies. What resulted was an extended portrait of Canada with some notes highlighting its unspoiled, wild beauty. The vision may have been idealized, but it served as the natural starting point for an evolving expression of official identity that would play out on all future bank notes.
Design highlights included moving the portrait to the right, simplifying the line work and integrating Canada’s coat of arms into the background pattern. No Canadian prime ministers appeared on these notes; every note carried the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
The first release of this series is known as the “Devil’s Head” notes owing to the illusion of a horned face that some saw behind the Queen’s ear. The portraits were altered for future issues.
Most of the front and back side of each note were intaglio printed, creating raised ink, and the paper had a scattering of green dots called planchettes. The first use of lithography in Bank of Canada notes provided a third colour for each note, seen in the tiny print on the face sides.
Explore each note
Canadian Landscape Series $1 Note
Initially printed by Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd. and later by British American Bank Note Company as well, the face of the $1 note features an engraving of Queen Elizabeth II based on a Karsh portrait that appears on all denominations in the series.
Canadian Landscape Series $2 Note
The $2 note was printed by British American Bank Note Company. Note that the same border design is used on the front and back of the notes in this series.
Canadian Landscape Series $5 Note
Until 1959, the $5 bank note was printed exclusively by British American Bank Note Company. The back of the note was engraved by C. Gordon Yorke of British American Bank Note Company and depicts Otter Falls on the Aishihik River, Mile 996 Alaska Highway, in southwestern Yukon.
Canadian Landscape Series $10 Note
The back of the $10 note features Emerald Lake and Mount Burgess in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, and was engraved by Harry Dawson.
Canadian Landscape Series $20 Note
The $20 note was printed by Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd. The face of the note, except for the portrait, was engraved by Andrew McMillen of American Bank Note Company.
Canadian Landscape Series $50 Note
The seascape on the back of the $50 note was engraved by Warrell Alfred Hauk of American Bank Note Company from a photograph taken at Crescent Beach in Lockeport on Nova Scotia’s south shore.
Canadian Landscape Series $100 Note
The $100 bank note, printed by Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd., features Okanagan Lake in British Columbia on the back.
Canadian Landscape Series $1000 Note
The $1,000 note was printed by Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd. The back of the note shows the covered bridge in the village of L’Anse-Saint-Jean, Quebec, and, in the background, the Saguenay River fjord.
Commemorative Notes
Canadian Landscape Series $1 Commemorative Note
This special note was issued in 1967 to celebrate the centennial of Canadian Confederation. It is a variant of the $1 bill from the Canadian Landscape series of 1954.
