Security features on 2001 to 2011 banknotes
By thecanadiannumismatist | Wednesday, July 5, 2023
On January 17, 2001, Bank of Canada launched the first note from the Canadian Journey series. The designs were choosen to reflect Canadians' views of their culture, history, and achievements.
Canada's new bank notes will display subject matter chosen with input from Canadians across the country. I am extremely proud of our newest bank note series, which is distinguished by new anti-counterfeiting features, world-class designs, and a unique durable tactile feature to assist the blind and vision-impaired. Raising public awareness of our currency is an important preventive measure against counterfeiting.
- Gordon Thiessen, Governor of the Bank of Canada, 2001
The notes contained many new security features designed to thwart counterfeiters. Since the last note series was introduced in 1986, significant technological advances in bank note production have made it possible to incorporate better security features into paper currency. This came at a time when affordable high-resolution colour copiers, inkjet printers, and computer scanners have increased the potential for counterfeiting.
A major enhancement to the series is the addition of a durable tactile feature that will greatly improve the ability of the blind and vision-impaired to recognize different denominations.
The images on the backs of the notes were chaned but the Queen and prime ministers who are featured on the front of the last series of notes remained, with new portraits. The notes were be the same size, and the existing dominant colours on each denomination were maintained.
- $5 - Children at Play - children playing hockey outdoors (Sir Wilfrid Laurier on the front)
- $10 - Remembrance and Peacekeeping - veterans, children and peacekeepers paying tribute (Sir John A. Macdonald on the front)
- $20 - Arts and Culture - the artwork of renowned Canadian artist Bill Reid (Queen Elizabeth II on the front)
- $50 - Nation Building - the accomplishments of the Famous Five and Thérèse Casgrain (William Lyon Mackenzie King on the front)
- $100- Exploring and Innovating - historic and satellite maps of Canada (Sir Robert Borden on the front)
Security features
10 dollars note used to represent the features.
Hidden number
Holding the note at eye level and tilting it at a 45° angle. The number 10 becomes visible.
Raised ink (Intaglio)
Running a finger over the words BANQUE DU CANADA-BANK OF CANADA and the large number 10; the ink feels thicker to the touch. Also, raised ink on the portrait and the Coat of Arms.
Iridescent maple leaves
Tilting the note, the three maple leaves, pale and matte in appearance, change to a reflective gold colour. Note that the edges of the leaves are smooth and well defined.
Fluorescence
A genuine note does not glow under ultraviolet light, except for the following features:
- the Coat of Arms, the words DIX-TEN and BANK OF CANADA BANQUE DU CANADA glow blue over the portrait;
- white security fibres, invisible in normal light, glow red; conversely, blue fibres, visible in normal light, do not glow.
Microprinting
Text TEN 10 DIX printed in clear, small print to the left of the portrait. Characters in the caption identifying the Library of Parliament become smaller as the text progresses.
Fine-line patterns
Sharp, well-defined lines that make up the facial features of the portrait, the circles within the eyes, and the background patterns of the note.
New features
Starting in 2004, more security features were added to the Canadian Journey series.
Holographic stripe
Tilting the note, and brightly coloured numerals (10) and maple leaves will move within the shiny metallic stripe on the front of the note. Colours will change through the various shades of the rainbow. There is a colour-split within each maple leaf. Smaller numerals (10) appear in the background of the three-dimensional stripe. The stripe has curved edges.
Windowed security thread
Holding the note to the light and a continuous solid vertical line appears. From the back of the note, this security feature resembles a series of exposed metallic dashes (windows) that shift from gold to green when the note is tilted. Small characters (CAN10) are printed on this security thread, which is woven into the paper.
Watermark portrait
Holding the note to the light, and a small, ghost-like image of the portrait appears to the left of the large numeral (10). A smaller numeral (10) is also evident. This watermark is embedded in the paper and can be seen from both sides of the note. If the note is not backlit, the watermark is not visible.
See-through number
Holding the note to the light and, just like two pieces of jigsaw puzzle, the irregular marks on the front and back will form a complete and perfectly aligned numeral 10. This feature is between the watermark and the large numeral (10).
More articles
- Canadian coins
- Canadian banknotes
- Canadian tokens and medals
- International
You can submit your own articles by contacting us.
