Old Money from The Canadian Bank of Commerce in Toronto

The Canadian Bank of Commerce operated from 1867 until 1961.  By 1918 it was the third largest bank in Canada (in terms of assets).  It accomplished this by buying up other competitor banks like The Gore Bank, The Bank of British Columbia, The Halifax Banking Company, The Merchants Bank of Prince Edward Island, and The Eastern Townships Bank.  In 1961 The Canadian Bank of Commerce merged with The Imperial Bank of Canada to form the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.  Of course our guide is focused on paper money.  Please read below to learn about the value of bank notes from The Canadian Bank of Commerce.

Bank Notes from 1867 – 1871:

These are the first bank notes issued by The Canadian Bank of Commerce.  The British American Bank Note Co. Montreal & Ottawa handled the printing duties.  One, two, four, five, ten, and fifty dollar bills were printed.  They can be dated as May 1st 1867, July 1st 1870, or May 1st 1871.  No date is necessarily more valuable than another.  All notes have the engraved signature of Wm. McMaster.  Ten dollar bills have a portrait of Queen Victoria; all other denominations just have generic vignettes.  Each denomination has at least one variety.  Some varieties are based on whether the text says “Capital $4,000,000” or “Capital $6,000,000.”  There are also varieties based on whether or not the note has an overprint.  Overprints include: Guelph, Hamilton, London, and St. Catherines.  The least these notes would be worth is around $1,000.  Most bank notes from this time period should be worth more than that.  Contact us for details.

Bank Notes from 1879 & 1887:

The Canadian Bank of Commerce issued five dollar bills dated as 1st Jan. 1879 and ten dollar bills dated as 3rd Jan. 1887.  Five dollar bills come in two varieties based on whether William McMaster is shown inside an oval or inside a rectangle.  Oval notes are more common; we are showing a rectangular portrait below.  Ten dollar bills are extremely rare.  Each one has a portrait of William McMaster and Henry W Darling.  At least one of their signatures should appear on every one of these bank notes.  We don’t currently have a picture of one available.  We would certainly welcome the chance to purchase either denomination.

Bank Notes from 1888 – 1912:

Bank notes from 2nd January 1888, 2nd January 1892, 3rd July 1893, 2nd January 1901, 2nd January 1906, 8th January 1907, and 1st May 1912 are grouped together because each denomination has the same design across all the different years.  This time around The American Bank Note Company in New York got the printing contract from The Canadian Bank of Commerce.  Five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred dollar bank notes were issued.  There are almost fifty different varieties split between the five denominations.  If you have a note from this time period then you definitely want an expert to check it out.  Most of these notes are at least relatively scarce.  High denominations are rare as are notes with the Dawson or Yukon overprint.  Other overprints include the letters D, E, H, or S in red ink.  We are aggressively buying all bank notes printed between 1888 and 1912, especially Dawson and Yukon overprint notes.  Please offer if you have something for sale.

Bank Notes from 1917:

We are starting to get into some slightly more common notes.  The Canadian Bank of Commerce issued $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills dated as 2nd Jany 1917.  All denominations are available in low grades.  High grade examples can be difficult to locate.  There are dozens of varieties to the 1917 series.  Once again, if you have one of these then we strongly encourage you to send us pictures of it so we can check it to see if you have a rare variety.  All of our appraisals are always free.

Bank Notes from 1935:

The Canadian Bank of Commerce issued five, ten, and twenty dollar bills dated as 2nd Jany 1935.  There are nine different varieties.  These are commonly referred to as small size notes.  The rarest notes are $5 bills signed by Wedd.  All other varieties are relatively common.  Condition is very important.  Low grade notes might only sell for $40; the same note in perfect condition could be worth $400.

Bridgetown Barbados Bank Notes:

These notes can be dated as 2nd January 1922 or 1st July 1940.  Signors include but are not limited to B.E. Walker, John Aird, S.H. Logan, and A.E. Arscott.  All of these notes have engraved text for the location of Bridgetown, Barbados.  Five dollar bills from 1922 are occasionally available.  All other notes from this series are rare.  Please contact us if you have one.  These are very high on or want/need list.

Kingston Jamaica Bank Notes:

The Canadian Bank of Commerce had branches in Kingston, Jamaica.  They issued one and five pound bank notes specifically payable at Kingston.  These can be dated as 1st March 1921 or 1st June 1938.  Both denominations were issued for each year.  1938 five pound notes are the rarest.  All other notes are scarce, but still occasionally available for sale.  Contact us for pricing details.

Port of Spain Trinidad Bank Notes:

The Canadian Bank of Commerce issued five and twenty dollar bills dated as 1st March 1921 and 1st July 1939 for use in and around Port of Spain, Trinidad.  One hundred dollar bills were also issued with the 1921 date.  Both 1921 $20 and $100 bills are rare.  All other notes should be considered at least scarce.  These are the kind of bank notes we love to buy.  They are rare and historical.  If you have any Canadian Caribbean notes then we would sure love to hear about them.  We frequently pay lots of money for them.

GOT SOMETHING TO SELL?

We buy all types of Canadian currency.  We are especially interested in bank notes from The Canadian Bank of Commerce in Toronto.  You might be surprised at how much money we can offer for some currency.  High denoms, high grade notes, overprint notes, and Caribbean notes are of particular interest.  We regularly pay thousands of dollar for notes we need.  Send us an email with pictures of the front and back of your bank note and we will respond quickly with our offer.

Manning@CanadaCurrency.com

Sample Bank Note Image:

Your piece of currency from The Canadian Bank of Commerce in Toronto could look similar to the one seen below.  Dozens of varieties are out there.  So don’t be concerned if your note looks different.  Contact us for more value information.