1.000 Dollars CAN Banknote (1954 Devils Face Issue) 1954

1.000 Dollars Canadian Dollar (Issued 1954)

Few banknotes in Canadian monetary history provoke as immediate a reaction from currency experts as the 1954 “Devil’s Face” issue, where the engraved hair shading surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait was widely perceived to contain a demonic visage — a detail so controversial that the Bank of Canada was compelled to modify the portrait in subsequent printings. The $1,000 denomination is among the highest-value notes ever produced under the Bank of Canada series, making it one of the most striking pieces from this remarkable printing run. A specialist examining this note would notice at once the combination of deep intaglio engraving, the distinctive bicolour layout, and the serial prefix configuration that immediately identifies it as an early 1954 production. The note was printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company Limited, whose imprint appears at the foot of the obverse, and it represents the apex denomination of this celebrated and contentious series.

On the front, the central design is dominated by a finely engraved portrait of Queen Elizabeth II positioned to the right of centre, rendered in rich intaglio with the intricate hair detailing that gave the issue its infamous nickname. The Queen is depicted in a youthful likeness, wearing what appears to be a jewelled necklace and an off-the-shoulder gown, the engraving capturing fine tonal gradation across the face, neck, and clothing. The overall colour palette of the obverse is a deep pinkish-rose combined with dark slate-grey or near-black geometric border elements, producing a high-contrast and visually commanding composition. The word “CANADA” is printed in large, bold serif capitals across the upper centre of the note, flanked by the serial number A/K 0026827 appearing twice — once in the upper left field and once in the upper right — in matching typeset characters. Below the central lettering, the denomination is expressed as “ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS” in English and “MILLE DOLLARS” in French, with the numeral “1000” printed prominently in a large typeface at centre. The issuing authority is identified in a bold banner reading “BANK OF CANADA — BANQUE DU CANADA,” reflecting the note’s fully bilingual character. Two facsimile signatures appear beneath this banner: on the left, the Deputy Governor’s signature above the printed title “SOUS-GOUVERNEUR,” and on the right, the Governor’s signature above “GOUVERNEUR,” with the date 1954 visible between them. Vertical side panels carry the denominations “ONE THOUSAND” and “MILLE” in upright text, while fine guilloché lathe-work fills the background fields with intricate, repeating geometric patterns providing anti-counterfeiting texture. At the very foot of the note, the printer’s imprint “Canadian Bank Note Company Limited” is present in small but legible type. The top border carries the inscription “WILL PAY TO THE BEARER ON DEMAND” in English and “PAIERA AU PORTEUR SUR DEMANDE” in French, with “OTTAWA” centred between these two clauses.

The reverse is printed entirely in a deep crimson-rose hue and features a sweeping, finely engraved pastoral and landscape vignette that occupies the full width of the central panel. The scene depicts a broad rural valley viewed from an elevated perspective, with rolling fields, farmsteads, and what appear to be agricultural buildings in the middle ground, including what looks like a long barn or warehouse structure with a pitched roof. A winding road or track leads through the composition, bordered by a fence line to the right. In the background, a wide body of water — likely a river or lake — stretches across the horizon, with rounded hills or low mountains rising beyond it beneath an open sky suggested by fine engraved cloud work. Trees dot the landscape at intervals, and the overall engraving achieves considerable depth and tonal range through closely worked line work. The denomination “1000” appears in large numerals at the lower left and upper right corners of the reverse, while the text “ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS — MILLE DOLLARS” runs along the top edge and “BANK OF CANADA — BANQUE DU CANADA” is printed in a bold banner along the bottom. The vertical side margins repeat “MILLE DOLLARS” and “ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS” in upright orientation, consistent with the bilingual formatting carried throughout the series. The border is formed by a layered series of fine-line engraved frames that echo the guilloché detailing of the obverse, completing a note of considerable technical accomplishment on both sides.

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