BoC Notes Outstanding

News: Registration is free here at the CPMF!

I believe it was on the Wiki site I saw a very interesting chart summarizing outstanding notes from the BoC.

What was easily apparent was the $500 denomination, and that got me thinking....

Would it not be helpful to dealers and collectors alike if this information was expanded to include series and possibly prefixes. I am quite sure the BoC has this information through their internal audits. How can our group put pressure to obtain this info....?

Possibly through the freedom of information act. BoC internal audits could be public after say 50,75 years. Lobbying could be done through CNS and/or known MP numismatics.

Of course this information can not account for destroyed notes which will never be accounted for, but it does make the picture clearer.

Just a thought  
Doug
P.S.  Ole/Young Don, Where would the current definition of Charlton's UNC fit into your proposed numerical scale? I'm guessing UNC63.

Actually, I had already enquired about this, and without having the email handy to quote the reply, the BoC basically said they don't keep track of that information.

Actually, I had already enquired about this, and without having the email handy to quote the reply, the BoC basically said they don't keep track of that information.

Very strange how they can release official numbers of outstanding denominations, NOT even approximate numbers!!, and than say they do not keep track of this info. That statement contradicts their data!

I would give more credibility to their response if stated "we have only kept track of this data since 19XX".

They do not track series or serial number data, merely totals outstanding by denomination.

To track the cumulative denomination outstanding, one would HAVE to know numbers outstanding in each series. A whole is made up from the parts.

Department of Finance past present and future would want to know the cumulative totals of money supply in the system as a means of monitering inflationary trends. This data was/is useful to Finance.

Forget the prefix stuff, I was stretching it  

Now I see where your coming from. So it would be safe to assume when a bank returns a $1 note to BoC for destruction, BoC only reduces their ledger outstanding irregardless of the series where this note came from.
Does the US fed operate this way or as I was first implying?

I am somewhat surprised the BoC did not keep a closer tab in years past.

The BoC doesn't keep track of it for the tediousness of the work required. I will look up the email later when I have a chance.

As for the BEP, I don't know what they do or do not do.

If you can't find the e-mail Brent, I remember it this way.

The BoC of course knows what denoms and series of notes have been released.  But when notes are sent back to them for destruction, they only take note (pardon the pun) of the denomination.  They don't record the series of any incoming notes that get destroyed.  So there's no way to know the exact number of outstanding notes by year of issue.

Seth's comments make perfect sense, when one considers that the Bank of Canada issues paper money for common currency, it matters little to them that some paper money people would like more information on what has been returned for destruction.

The cost to record information on returns is not warranted by the BofC, in greater detail than now.

Rick

The combined points from Seth and Rick are precisely the correct explanation for the status quo.