About the note
This is Canada’s last $2 bank note. The original photograph of Queen Elizabeth II was supplied by Anthony Buckley & Constantine, photographers to the Royal Family at that time, and the engraving was done by Stanley Doubtfire of the De La Rue Company. Beside the Queen is a view of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, rising beyond the East Block. There was no $1 note in this series or in any subsequent series, and the $2 note was later replaced by the toonie.
Like all the notes of this series, the $2 note features birds on the reverse. In this case, the American robin. The original artwork was created by renowned Canadian nature artist John Crosby. Yves Baril of the Canadian Bank Note Company prepared the image for lithography, reproducing it in gouache and coloured pencil. This was the first series to have entirely lithographed backs. All the birds featured in the series were chosen for their pan‑Canadian habitats. Robins are found in every province and territory in Canada and is the most common land bird in North America. It generally requires a mix of open ground, shrubs and trees, where it feeds on grubs, worms and beetles. It is also one of the earliest birds to sing, beginning just before sunrise.
At a glance
- Portrait: Queen Elizabeth II
- Date of issue: September 2, 1986
- Last day of issue: February 16, 1996
- Signatures:
- Deputy Governors John W. Crow, Gordon G. Thiessen and Bernard Bonin
- Governors Gerald K. Bouey, John W. Crow and Gordon G. Thiessen
- Dimensions: 15.2 cm x 7 cm
- Design: De La Rue Company Ltd.
- Printer: British American Bank Note Company Ltd., Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd.
- Status: not legal tender
