About the note
Sir William Lyon Mackenzie King, on the face of this note, was Canada’s longest-serving prime minister. He was in office three times between 1921 and 1948, for a total of more than 21 years. The source image for the engraving is a Yousuf Karsh photograph from 1941. The engraving is by Thomas Hipschen of the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Next to King, a view of Parliament Hill shows the Centre Block as seen from the east. The $50 is one of the first notes in the world 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.
The $50 note features a snowy owl on the reverse. The original image was created by renowned nature artist John Crosby. Yves Baril of the Canadian Bank Note Company prepared the image for lithography, reproducing it in gouache and coloured pencil. The Birds of Canada series is the first series with entirely lithographed backs. All the birds were chosen for their pan‑Canadian habitats. This note’s snowy owl can be found in most of Canada except for northwestern British Columbia. During breeding season, snowy owls are found only in the north and far north. They prefer open grasslands with few trees. Unusual for an owl, they are primarily daytime hunters.
At a glance
- Portrait: Sir William Lyon Mackenzie King
- Date of issue: December 01, 1989
- Last day of issue: November 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: Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd.
- Status: legal tender
