Old Money from The Imperial Bank of Canada in Toronto

The Imperial Bank of Canada operated under that title from 1873 until 1961.  The bank was very successful and had hundreds of branch locations throughout Canada.  It purchased other banks over the years and in 1961 it merged with The Canadian Bank of Commerce.  The Imperial Bank of Canada issued bank notes from 1875 until 1939.  Our guide below has lots more information about its paper money.

Bank Notes from 1875 – 1896:

These were the first bank notes issued by The Imperial Bank of Canada.  The British American Bank Note Co. in Montreal and Ottawa printed the money for The Imperial Bank’s use.  Four, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred dollar bills were issued.  There are fifteen different varieties.  Most of the types are determined by the engraved date on each bank note.  Those dates include March 1st 1875, 1st March 1875, 1st November 1876, 1st Nov 1876, Aug. 2nd 1886, Aug. 2nd 1890, Oct. 1 1895, Oct. 1st 1896, and 1st May 1906.  We are showing the four lower denominations below.  Your five dollar bill could have a slightly different design.  W.H. Merritt and H.S. Howland are featured on these bank notes either together or individually.  Howland signed some bank notes, as did D.R. Wilkie.  A general rule of thumb is that $20, $50, and $100 bills are extremely rare.  The lower denominations can be more common; however, each $4, $5, and $10 has some rare varieties.  So if you have any bank note from this time period then we would strongly suggest that you send us a picture of it.  We can tell you what it is worth and how much we can offer for it.

Bank Notes from 1902 – 1910:

These bank notes are grouped together because they were all printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd., London Wall, London.  The Imperial Bank of Canada issued $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills for this series.  The actual engraved dates of issue are 1st Octr 1902, 1st May 1906, Jan. 2 1907, and 1st Jan 1910.  The thing you probably notice here is the the $20, $50, and $100 bills are very large.  Those three denominations are also very rare.  The five and ten dollar bills are much more available.  They feature portraits of Edward VIII as a boy and Queen Alexandra.  The higher denominations are also royal themed; they show George V Duke of York, Queen Alexandra, and the $100 bill shows King Edward VII and Thomas R Merritt.  Prices for the common variety $5 and $10 bills sell for about $500 in heavily circulated condition.  Nice examples and scarce varieties are worth a lot more.  Please contact us if you would like a free appraisal.  (We should mention that lots of 1910 $10 counterfeits exist.)

Bank Notes from 1915 – 1920:

The Imperial Bank of Canada reused its previous 1875 – 1896 designs for bank notes dated between 1915 and 1920.  This time around $4 bills were not printed.  All denominations from this time period are collectible.  High denominations and high grade bank notes are still scarce though.  Exact dates are 1st Oct 1915, October 1st 1915, Oct 1st 1915, 3rd Jan 1916, 2nd January 1917, 2nd Jany 1917, and 2nd Jan 1920.  All bank notes have the engraved signature of Peleg Howland.  Please keep in mind that counterfeits do exist from this series.  Please send us pictures of what you have and we can tell you if it is real and what it is worth.

Bank Notes from 1923:

Records indicate that the Imperial Bank of Canada issued the following quantities of sheets of currency for 1923 bank notes:  $5 Sheets – 375,500.  $10 Sheets – 415,000.  $20 Sheets – 91,250.  $50 Sheets – 20,000.  $100 Sheets – 10,000.  You can take the sheet number and multiply it by 4 to get the total number of bank notes issued for each denomination.  The Canadian Bank Note Company Limited printed $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills from The Imperial Bank.  Each note is dated as Nov. 1st 1923.  One hundred dollar bills are very rare, as are $20 bills with the Rolph signature.  Each note is signed by A.E. Phipps.  The left hand signor can be Peleg Howland or F.A. Rolph.  Sometimes the signature variety affects the value.  Please contact us for details.

Bank Notes from 1933:

1933 marks the last year that The Imperial Bank of Canada issued large size currency.  Each note is dated as Nov. 1st 1933.  Five, ten, and twenty dollar bills were printed.  Each note is signed by and features a portrait of A.E. Phipps and F.A. Rolph.  There are no varieties here; values are based purely on condition.  Prices start at about $150 and go up from there based on condition.

Bank Notes from 1934:

The Imperial Bank of Canada issued $5 and $10 bills dated as 1st Nov. 1934.  These are called small size notes.  F.A. Rolph signed on the right hand side of each bank note.  The signature on the left hand side of the note could be A.E. Phipps or H.T. Jaffray.  Prices start at $50 and go up from there based condition.  Values top out at around $500.

Bank Notes from 1939:

The Imperial Bank of Canada issued paper money for the last time in 1939.  These notes are dated as 3rd Jan 1939.  There are no type varieties other than the denomination differences.  Prices range from $50 to $500.  Please contact us if you would like a free appraisal.  We are also always buyers.

GOT SOMETHING TO SELL?

We buy all types of Canadian currency.  We are especially interested in bank notes from The Imperial Bank of Canada in Toronto.  You might be surprised at how much money we can offer for some currency.  Some notes are only worth $50, others can be worth thousands.  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 Imperial Bank of Canada in Toronto could look similar to the one seen below.  It is one of the more common varieties.  Dozens of other years, denominations, and varieties exist; so don’t worry if yours is different.  Contact us for more value information.