Canadian Bank of Commerce $5 1935, Chartered Bank Note Face Proof

This $5 1935 is a genuine proof chartered bank note from the archives of the Canadian Banknote Company.  

Design:
Allegorical Group: Mercury with "Architecture" at left and Invention to the right  

Before the 1940's, most of Canada's bank notes in denominations of $5 and higher were issued by the chartered banks. The Canadian Banknote Company (Ottawa) and the American Banknote Company (Ottawa) printed most of the banknotes for Canada's Chartered banks. Both of these banknote companies kept proofs of some of the chartered bank notes they have printed over the last 150 years. Until very recently, the only place one could generally find a proof note was in a museum such as the National Currency Collection.

As many collectors know, the highest grade for paper money is usually "uncirculated." However, a very small number of "printer's proofs" were sometimes prepared by the bank note companies when they were preparing to print new chartered bank notes. These "test" or "sample" notes were used to check the quality and to send to the client (the bank) for approval. They were usually single sided without signatures or serial numbers.  

Includes:    
• Canadian Bank of Commerce $5 1935, Chartered Bank Note Face Proof