5 Dollars CAN Banknote (1979 Modified Design Issue) 1979

5 Dollars Canadian Dollar (Issued 1979)

Canada in 1979 was navigating a period of pronounced political turbulence, with Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal government losing power to Joe Clark’s Progressive Conservatives in the May federal election — the first change of government in over a decade. The note was produced against a backdrop of rising inflation, energy price shocks following the second oil crisis, and lively national debate about Canadian identity and bilingualism. It was the Bank of Canada’s modified continuation of the 1972 Scenes of Canada series, updated with enhanced security characteristics. The bilingual nature of the note — bearing text in both English and French throughout — reflects the Official Languages Act that had become central to Canadian public life.

On the front, the dominant portrait to the right depicts Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada and the first French-Canadian to hold that office, rendered in fine intaglio engraving with considerable tonal depth. His face and jacket are executed with closely worked parallel lines that give dimensionality to the portrait, set against a pale blue-green background field that deepens toward the edges with intricate guilloché rosette patterning. To the left of centre sits the Canadian coat of arms, featuring the quartered shield with the three golden lions of England, the red lion of Scotland, the golden harp of Ireland, and the golden fleurs-de-lis of France, topped by a crowned lion and flanked by the lion and unicorn supporters — all rendered with precise engraved detail. The central denomination text reads “CINQ 5 FIVE DOLLARS” in bold, layered typography, with the word “CANADA” printed prominently beneath in deep blue block lettering. At the top of the note, the bilingual bank name “BANK OF CANADA · BANQUE DU CANADA” stretches across the full width. Below the coat of arms, the legal tender declaration appears in both languages: “CE BILLET A COURS LÉGAL” and “THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER”, with “OTTAWA 1979” centred between them. Two facsimile signatures appear at the bottom — that of the Deputy Governor (G.W. Lawson) to the left and the Governor (G.K. Bouey) to the right — with their titles printed beneath in bilingual form. The numeral “5” appears in each corner, and the overall colour palette is a soft blue-grey with olive-green tonal undertones throughout the background tint.

The reverse is dominated by a large, detailed intaglio engraving of a fishing vessel at sea, depicted hauling in nets with crew members visible working on deck. The boat sits centrally on calm water, with mountainous, rocky coastline receding into the background and additional sailing vessels visible in the mid-distance, evoking Canada’s Atlantic or Pacific commercial fishing heritage. The engraving is executed with exceptional line work, capturing the texture of the water’s surface, the rigging of the vessel, and the bulk of the nets being drawn alongside the hull. The overall colour scheme of the reverse is a steel blue, consistent with the front palette, with the denomination numeral “5” appearing in the upper right and lower left corners. The words “FIVE” and “CINQ” appear in the upper left and lower right respectively, each flanked by elaborate guilloché scroll-work patterns that form decorative panels at both ends of the note. The serial number “30417358329” is printed twice along the lower portion of the reverse in dark ink, providing a dual-print reference consistent with the Bank of Canada’s production standards for this series.

Have a 1979 Canadian five-dollar banknote you no longer need? Webuyallcurrency.com lets you sell foreign coins and banknotes for cash, taking your Canadian Dollars banknotes and other leftover currency in one simple exchange.

• Indicate the quantity of 5 Dollars Canadian Dollar banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com buys and exchanges foreign currency of every kind, so your Canadian Dollars banknotes — withdrawn or current — can be sold for cash together with the rest of your leftover coins and notes.