Old Money from The Traders Bank of Canada in Toronto

The Traders Bank of Canada originally opened for business in Toronto in 1885.  It was not highly capitalized but it was soundly managed.  As time passed the bank became stronger and opened dozens of branch offices.  Its stronghold in Ontario made it a ripe acquisition target for The Royal Bank of Canada; and in 1912 The Royal Bank of Canada purchased The Traders Bank of Canada.  Because the Traders Bank was so financially sound, its bank notes were always in demand and traded hands frequently.  That means that high grade examples and high denominations are very rare today.  Our guide below has more information about its paper money issues.

Bank Notes from 1885 & 1886:

These are the first bank notes issued by The Traders Bank of Canada.  Five and ten dollar bills are dated as 2nd July 1885.  Fifty and one hundred dollar bills are dated as Mar 1st 1886.  Each note was printed by The British American Bank Note Co. Montreal.  Each denomination has a portrait of H.S. Strathy and Alex Manning.  Manning’s engraved signature is also on the right hand side of each note.  You will see that we only have specimens and proofs pictured below.  Issued bank notes with serial numbers and two signatures are very rare.  However, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t out there waiting to be found.

Bank Notes from 1890 & 1893:

The Traders Bank of Canada issued a $20 bill for the first time in 1890.  The exact engraved issue date is Jan 2 1890.  The bank reissued the previous designs of $5 bills in 1893.  Their exact date is 2nd Jan 1893.  This time Wm. Bell is pictured on and signed each note.  Both $5 and $20 bills from this time period are very rare.  Please contact us if you need an exact appraisal.

Bank Notes from 1897 & 1907:

Paper money issued by The Traders Bank of Canada in 1897 and 1907 have the same designs, so they are typically grouped together.  This is the last time portrait notes were used.  H.S. Strathy is still pictured; but these notes now show Charles D. Warren.  Warren’s signature also appears on each denomination from this time period.  Five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred dollar bills were issued.  The engraved dates can be Jan. 2 1897, 2nd July 1897, or 1st Nov 1907.  Most 1897 $5 and $10 bills are occasionally available.  All other years and denominations should be considered scarce.  For the record, there are 4 different varieties to the 1897 $5 bill based on whether it says capital of $1,000,000, $2,000,000, $3,000,000 or $4,000,000.  We would definitely welcome the chance to purchase any bank notes from this series.

Bank Notes from 1909:

It’s a shame that 1909 Traders Bank of Canada notes are so rare because they really are beautiful.  They can be dated as Jan. 2nd 1909 or 2nd January 1909.  The American Bank Co. Ottawa printed the $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills.  The British American Bank Note Co. Ottawa got the contract for the $5 bill.  Ten dollar bills are occasionally available in today’s market.  All other denominations are very rare.  These are popular because they have wonderful colors and vignettes.  Any issued bank note with signatures and serial numbers is very high on our want list.  Please contact us if you have one for sale.

1910 Five Dollar Bills:

The Traders Bank of Canada issued some $5 bills dated as 1st November 1910.  It is thought that a total of 196,000 were issued.  Very few exist today.  Their value is simply based on their condition.  The higher the grade is, the more money they are worth.  Please send us pictures of your bank note if you would like a free appraisal.

GOT SOMETHING TO SELL?

We buy all types of Canadian currency.  We are especially interested in bank notes from The Traders Bank of Canada in Toronto.  You might be surprised at how much money we can offer for some currency.  Less than 50 bank notes are known to exist.  So we always pay up when we have the chance to buy one.  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 Traders Bank of Canada in Toronto could look similar to the one seen below.  1897 $5 bills are the most common type encountered.  Of course of varieties exist, so don’t worry if yours is different.  Contact us for more value information.