CPM Forum
General => General Forum Comments => Topic started by: AZ on June 22, 2025, 04:19:38 pm
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Does anyone have images of specimen notes for the last Canadian paper series (Journey) and the polymer series (Frontiers and “Vertical”)? Do they actually exist? Thanks.
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I haven't seen any in the flesh. Just digital mock-ups:
Polymer:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bankofcanada/albums/72157626881761575/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/bankofcanada/albums/72157626881761575/)
Journey:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bankofcanada/albums/72157626202737929/ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/bankofcanada/albums/72157626202737929/)
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There was a Journey $50 specimen note floating around a few years ago. I never got a photo but I recall seeing it at a coin show. It must have gotten out through some irregularity as these haven't been made available to the public.
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Does anyone have images of specimen notes for the last Canadian paper series (Journey) and the polymer series (Frontiers and “Vertical”)? Do they actually exist? Thanks.
Yes they do exist. See attached images of $5 Journey Specimen in a private collection.
"The angled light red "SPECIMEN" does not appear on the actual note, but the other specimen markings do."
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I can add a little more context and provenance to the Journey Specimen banknote in my previous post:
- The banknote was offered on eBay by a seller in Surrey, BC in June 2007
- The banknote was purchased by a CPMF member
- Upon physical examination the banknote was deemed authentic and showed signs of circulation
- I contacted the Bank of Canada prior to the completion of the eBay auction and received the response below to my detailed inquiry
- The banknote has never been offered for public sale probably because concerns exist that it could be confiscated as property of the Bank of Canada
Arthur,
Thank you for your inquiry concerning a specimen $5 bank note being offered for sale on eBay.
Whenever a new bank note or series is issued, the Bank of Canada provides other central banks, certain
law enforcement agencies, and various Bank of Canada employees with specimen notes for authentication
and education or training purposes. Without seeing the specimen note in question, the Bank cannot
comment on its authenticity or prevent this note from being sold on eBay. Should you bid on this item, you
do so at your own risk, as specimen notes were not intended for circulation.
Best regards,
Michael Duncan
Bank of Canada
Compliance Program Manager (Currency)
Department of Banking Operations
234 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G9
Telephone: 613 782-7057
Cell: 613 222-9054
Facsimile: 613 782-7533
Email: mduncan@bankofcanada.ca
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Well you admit the angled light red “SPECIMEN” was added to this image. It’s not too hard to believe that other changes to the image were made at the same time. It’d be foolish to accept this image as proof. But at the same time I believe you. I don’t want to blow your cover story if you are the CPMF member who purchased it but I do have a question that maybe you can answer or pass it on to the true owner. Some of the AOG’s printed for circulation were partially covered with varnish and some were fully covered with varnish to make them last longer. After thinking about it a little I doubt the BAI printed their specimens at the same time they printed all the regular AOGs. It got me wondering, did they even bother to put varnish on their specimens.
Can you check?
Oh! I mean ask? ;)
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Of interest here is that the note is lacquered in the same manner as high AOG notes.
Also, the scans don't make it obvious, but the SPECIMEN stamps are actually bilingual... one says "SPECIMEN", the other says "SPÉCIMEN" (note the É). The font of the overprints is also new. It has never before been seen on released specimen notes, although I have seen it in use on a sheet of SPECIMEN-stamped $10 notes at the BoC last summer (private tour).
Other than the serial number and red overprints, there are no discernible differences between this note and any other lacquered 2006 $5 note.
So, now that this lot is sold and the note has a new owner, I am curious to hear (if people care to share) what your thoughts are about the note... Estimated value is an obvious first question, but also about how it got out, why AOG as opposed to AOF, why nobody else bid on it, what your maximum bids would have been, etc.
Maybe I'm way too crazy, but I honestly figured the note would sell for far more than it did.
Thoughts?
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Wow a 2007 quote, good memory!
I’m a little surprised you guys back then were more worried about whether someone was going to take it from you than if it was a real specimen.