50 Dollars CAN Banknote (1954 Devils Face Issue) 1954

50 Dollars Canadian Dollar (Issued 1954)

In 1954, fifty Canadian dollars represented a substantial sum for the average working family — roughly equivalent to a week’s wages for many industrial and clerical workers across the country. A note of this denomination would have been used for significant household purchases, rent payments, or business transactions rather than everyday shopping, making it a note that passed through careful hands rather than casual pockets. Its withdrawal from circulation has since placed it firmly in the category of old Canadian currency that holders across the world now seek to convert through specialist exchange services. For those in the United Kingdom holding withdrawn Canadian banknotes, understanding what this note is and where it came from is the first step toward exchanging it.

On the front, the dominant feature is the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, rendered in finely detailed intaglio engraving to the right-hand side of the note. This is the original 1954 portrait of the young Queen, the version that became known as the “Devil’s Face” issue due to the shadows cast in the hair behind her ear, which some observers interpreted as a sinister face — a feature that led the Bank of Canada to later modify the portrait. The Queen is depicted with short, neatly styled dark hair, wearing what appears to be a pearl necklace and a formal dress, her likeness executed with exceptional tonal depth against a lightly shaded background. The central portion of the note carries the bold, large-serif word “CANADA” in prominent capital lettering, printed in deep black ink, flanked by the bilingual denomination text reading “FIFTY DOLLARS” to the left and “CINQUANTE DOLLARS” to the right, with the numeral “50” rendered in a large, open typeface at the centre. The serial number A/H 2038279 appears twice in red ink across the upper portion of the note, printed in a clear sans-serif typeface. Below the central denomination area, a horizontal band carries the issuing authority legend “BANK OF CANADA — BANQUE DU CANADA” in bold capital lettering, reflecting the institution’s bilingual mandate. Beneath this, a promise-to-pay clause is printed in both English and French, reading “WILL PAY TO THE BEARER ON DEMAND” and “PAIERA AU PORTEUR SUR DEMANDE”, with the place and date “OTTAWA 1954” positioned at the centre of this band. Two facsimile signatures appear below this text, attributed to the Deputy Governor on the left — reading W. Beattie — and the Governor on the right — reading J. Coyne. The lower border of the note carries the printer’s imprint identifying the Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited. The overall colour palette of the front is predominantly black and grey with warm cream and pale orange tones in the background, complemented by intricate guilloché patterning and fine geometric lathe work forming the borders and frames throughout. The denomination numeral “50” appears repeatedly in the corner panels and along the vertical margins, with “FIFTY” printed vertically on the lower left and “CINQUANTE” on the lower right.

The reverse is printed in a warm salmon and burnt-orange palette, centred on a finely engraved scenic vignette depicting a dramatic coastal landscape. Rocky outcroppings rise from churning water in the foreground, with waves breaking forcefully against the stone, and a further stretch of rugged coastline and low hills receding into the mid-ground under a pale, lightly etched sky. The engraving captures considerable tonal variation, with the rocks rendered in deep hatching and the water shown with expressive diagonal linework that conveys movement and energy. This coastal scene — believed to represent the coastline of Atlantic Canada — fills the majority of the central panel. Above the vignette, the bilingual denomination text “FIFTY DOLLARS 50 CINQUANTE DOLLARS” is printed in clean capital lettering. Along the left vertical margin the words “FIFTY DOLLARS” appear, and along the right vertical margin “CINQUANTE DOLLARS” is repeated, both in upright serif type. The lower border carries the institution name once more: “BANK OF CANADA — BANQUE DU CANADA” in matching bold capitals. The numeral “50” appears in each of the four corner positions, and the overall border treatment features the same fine-line geometric framework seen on the front, consistent with the security printing standards of the era.

Sell foreign coins and banknotes the simple way: this 1954 Devils Face 50 Canadian Dollar banknote can be exchanged through Webuyallcurrency.com together with other old or withdrawn Canadian Dollars banknotes, all settled in a single transaction.

• Indicate the quantity of 50 Dollars Canadian Dollar banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Wondering who buys foreign coins and banknotes? Webuyallcurrency.com does — bring your Canadian Dollars banknotes together with any other old or withdrawn currency and exchange it all for cash in one place.