Jan 17th:
Weekend coin hunt…

I picked up some rolled coins and was hoping to find silver.  The reality of this activity is that you will not find anything 99% of the time.

At one bank, the friendly teller gave me two US quarters for free because he said that they “can’t do anything with US coins”.

Out of all of these coin rolls, I managed to find some US coins and one 12 sided nickel.  There was also a coin from the East Caribbean Territories in the dime rolls, but that’s it.

Enjoy!
Dean

Thanks Breanna72 for the compliment!

A week later after the find of 1937 $2 banknote, I went to the same bank branch between X-mas and New Years Eve and, it appears that Santa Claus was there.  I received the following banknotes which included 3 1954 banknotes where the $5 banknote with the A/S prefix was the start of the 2nd range for the $5 banknotes after first range of prefixes of A/C to Z/C (including the Devil's Face notes) was completed.  Based on the Charlton Catalogue, this $5 note was probably issued sometime in the calendar year of 1962 as the Rasminsky become Governor, Bank of Canada in 1961.  No doubt, this note was sitting around for quite some time.

More interesting, the 1954 $1 banknote with the prefix Z/Z was at the end of range of 2 letter prefixes for all banknotes being issued by the Bank of Canada.  I can recall back in 1970, that there was speculation that multicoloured $1 banknote would make its debut as the multicoloured $20 banknotes were starting to appear in great abundance in 1970.  The first of the multicoloured $20 banknotes started with the prefix EA which is consistent with the BoC practice.  However, the Bank of Canada fooled us by starting the prefix of A/F for the 1954 $1 notes and then A/I which is interesting as the standard practice of the Bank of Canada was to use a low alphabet letter for the start of a new series of banknotes.

For example, A for $1, B for $2, C for $5, D for $10, E for $20, H for $50, J for $100 and lastly K for the $1000 banknote as this was the standard for starting a new series of banknotes for the 1937. 1954 issues and for the multicoloured series.  The letters F, G and I were skipped and became dormant.  Does anyone know how the Bank of Canada decided this?

This type of sequencing continued but became slightly modified with the introduction of 3 letter prefixes during the multicoloured series.  Even with the polymer series, there is a continuation of this concept where for example, the second letter of the prefix for the $50 and $100 banknotes still use the letters H and J, respectively.

Lastly, I should mention that there were some Bird $2 and $5 banknotes for the taking.  I always find the Bird series to be the most attractive Bank of Canada banknotes ever issued.

Anyways, enjoy the pictures and please comment if you have any further insight into the sequencing of prefixes.

Best regards, Whitenite

As a lifelong collector, I began as many of us did by collecting pocket change when I was a kid.

Occasionally, I would find the odd silver dime or 12 sided nickel and I would set it aside.  Back in the 1980s, I didn't have enough money to collect paper money, although I did put aside the occasional multicolour $1 and $2 because they were being phased out.

When I went to the bank with my mom, the friendly teller would bring me behind the counter and let me pick through the loose change in the drawer.  Occasionally, I would find a silver dime, quarter or if I was really lucky, a silver 50c piece or silver dollar along with the nickel version of these coins.

With today's rush to cash in on the rising price of silver, many people are selling their circulated silver coins for scrap.  The selling frenzy has caused people to break up uncirculated sets, to smash open acrylic decorative pieces, and to raid the family silverware in search of a quick buck.  People are failing to see beyond the dollar signs in their eyes.

I have heard reports that many people are scrapping silver coins from 1935-1968 in not only the lower grades, but up to and including AU58 to MS60.  This development is alarming because if this continues, the amount of entry level silver coinage will be greatly diminished.

As a country, we risk losing little pieces of history because Newfoundland silver coinage, as well as Canadian silver coins dating all the way back to the reign of Queen Victoria is all on the chopping block, headed for the smelter as are family heirlooms.

As collectors, where will the next generation get their start if most of the coins on the market are MS60 or better?

Some will see the cull as good for the market since most lower grade coins will be gone but I believe that we also have a duty to preserve silver coins in all grade ranges for the future.

I know that I will always have a stash of circulated silver to pass down to my family since I have no intention of selling it.

Fellow collectors:  What do you think?  Should silver coins of all grades be preserved for posterity?

Dean

Photos of Repeaters Found over the Holidays

Here are the photos of the radars I found over the holidays.  Does anyone else hunt branches for special serial numbers?

Cheers, B

You are correct AZ ... my error will fix it.  From BOC site .... "the new $5 note will enter circulation only after the issuance of the next $20 note in early 2027. In the meantime, our current $5 note featuring Canada’s first francophone prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, will continue to circulate. Eventually, Sir Wilfrid Laurier will appear on the next version of the $50 note."  In that case, I predict that the $20 may be issued on March 9, 2027,  Commonwealth Day, when the King typically delivers an annual address to the 56 member nations of the Commonwealth, so that the $5 Terry Fox can be issued on April 12th,2027 the anniversary of the day Terry Fox started his historic "Marathon of Hope".  Just my predictions.

I read over the holidays that the BOC is supposed to be moving Laurier from the $5 note to the $50 note.  Perhaps that is causing a delay in the issuance of new?  Don't want 2 Lauriers in circulation at once?   Also, they are supposed to issue $5 Terry Fox "early in 2026" and I wonder if they will do on April 12th, the day Terry Fox started his historic "Marathon of Hope", AND they are supposed to issue the new $20 Charles III "shortly after" that.  I don't think we are going to see new $50 Lauriers until until after they stop issuing the current $5 Lauriers.

I believe the KCIII $20 notes will be issued in early 2027 and Terry Fox $5 notes soon after, possibly in 2027 as well. Updated $50 or $100 should follow 1-2 years after that.

Edited out due to errors in info.  Thank AZ for pointing them out.  Reposted below.

Nice find!  I've never gotten beyond 1954 with notes from a bank.

I have noticed that, for a few years now, we saw no new $50 prefixes beyond HHA. It gets me wondering if (nearly) all of the Journey $50s are fully replaced now, and with the life cycle of $50s being much greater than the smaller denominations, maybe there is no need to print any more new $50s for quite a while.

New $100s are still being printed, and it makes me wonder if demand for $50 notes dropped, and some of the $50 notes are being replaced with $100s to meet a higher demand?

I realize also that new banknotes are being trickled out in Atlantic Canada.  It seems like we no longer see new bills in bundles or bricks anymore.  I have a feeling that only one new prefix for $5s is released to Newfoundland once a year (and it's likely still Lane-Macklem signatures at this point).  However, I did discover two INT $5s in the 7-million range reported somewhere in Newfoundland - could it be possible that the Rogers-Macklem signatures may finally have arrived in Newfoundland three years after being first reported to the SNDB?

Having said that, it seems as if three years is how long Newfoundlanders have to wait to see new prefixes between the first reporting on the SNDB and when they arrive to Newfoundland.  If this holds true, I expect the Lane-Macklem $20s will finally appear in Newfoundland as early as spring.  But 2026 may be do or die for the Lane-Macklem $20s in my province, as the King Charles $20s are being released early next year.  I don't know if I will ever see L-M $20s, or if the W-P $20s will stop at FZS later this year, and after that they may jump to the King Charles $20s?