About the note
The $100 note features Sir Robert Borden, Canada’s prime minister through the First World War. His term ran from 1911 until 1920. The source image for the engraving is from the Montréal studio of Dupras & Colas, and the engraving was done by Yves Baril of the Canadian Bank Note Company. As in rest of this series, the image of Parliament Hill reflects the era of the portrait subject. In Borden’s case, however, this presented a complication: the original 1862 Centre Block was destroyed by fire in 1916, during his time in office. Although the building was largely rebuilt during his tenure, the Peace Tower had not yet been completed. The note therefore shows the new Centre Block, but with a historical compromise: the British Union Jack flies from the tower. During the First World War, the Union Jack was only raised over the original tower as a symbol of solidarity. It has never actually flown from the newer Peace Tower.
Like every note in this series, the reverse features a bird chosen for its pan-Canadian habitat. The $100 note features the Canada goose. The original artwork was created by renowned nature artist John Crosby and prepared for lithography by Yves Baril of the Canadian Bank Note Company, who reproduced it in gouache and coloured pencil. This was the first series with backs printed entirely by lithography. The $100 is one of four notes in this series to carry a colour‑shifting patch, a small gold rectangle that changes colour as it is tilted. This feature cannot be duplicated by photocopier or colour printer.
Canada geese can be found in every province and territory and into the far North. Although they prefer wetlands and grasslands, they are highly adaptable and are now common in many urban centres, sometimes ignoring Nature’s call to migrate south in the autumn.
At a glance
- Portrait: Sir Robert Borden
- Date of issue: December 3, 1990
- Last day of issue: March 16, 2004
- Signatures:
- Deputy Governors Gordon G. Thiessen, Bernard Bonin and Malcolm D. Knight
- Governors John W. Crow, Gordon G. Thiessen and David A. Dodge
- Dimensions: 15.2 cm x 7 cm
- Design: De La Rue Company Ltd.
- Printer: British American Bank Note Company Ltd.
- Status: legal tender
