New or current tests

News: Welcome to the Canadian Paper Money Forum.

Does any of the members know of any tests done for some of the newer security features?
I am sure that at least some of them were tested before being use on all notes, however since the BoC will be mum on that, we could try and find out.
And have it confirmed by the BoC in 20 years or so, maybe.

According to Charlton 16th edition, neither of them were out in 1988.
The $50 was the first : December 1, 1989
Then the $100 : December 3, 1990.

The $50 came out first.  I don't know about any tests involving complete notes, but I recall a news segment addressing the worries of some parents group.

In response to concerns that the new $50 might be eaten by children, the Bank of Canada carried out a study in which it determined that it would be safe to eat at least 100 OSD's.  The segment concluded with a gag scene of someone cooking the notes as a new delicacy.

Well, I've recently acquired an interesting note. (See attachment).

This is allegedly a BoC internal test note for what the $1 notes might have looked like if they were continued.

It is interesting for several reasons:

• There is absolutely no ink on this note except for the serial numbers and the barcodes.
  
• The note was pressed by the engraved plates of a 1973 $1 Crow/Bouey note. If you hold this note at an angle to the light, the embossed details create sharp shadows that appear quite easily. You can clearly see that it is a 1973 $1, with the signatures of Crow and Bouey.
  
• The prefix (ACM) should have appeared on a 1973 $1 Lawson/Bouey note.
  
• The serial numbers are placed where they would be if the note was part of the Birds Series.
  
• The barcodes are identical to those of a Birds $2 note.
  
• The planchettes function normally, as one would expect for any multicoloured or Birds note.

(This note is in the best UNC available, and is not even lightly pressed. The embossing from the engraved $1 plates is strong and crisp. The SPECIMEN overprint was added to the graphic using PhotoShop and is not present on the actual note.)

As well, there is no Charlton number for this note. For my website, I require one, so I have tentatively assigned BC-46bT-i. Final assignment of Charlton numbers rests with The Charlton Press.

There are three of these notes known to exist. Mine is one of them. The other two are privately owned and have different serial numbers than the one shown below.

I would be very interested in the thoughts of the collective group here.

Very interesting!

I don't think that this note qualifies as a "test note."  Test notes were intended to circulate to see how some new feature (ink, paper) holds up in circulation.  Examples are the S/R 1954 notes, the RS multicoloured notes, and the "33" 1979 $5 notes.

This note was never intended to circulate.  It seems to be in the same category as the recent JHS and JPH notes that we know about.  They were produced internally, with no intention of them ever entering circulation.

A more fitting description for these kinds of notes might be "experimental notes" or "production trials".  Let's keep the "test note" moniker reserved for real test notes.

Test, experimental, trials... they all essentially mean the same thing. I do agree with you however in that this note is not unlike its JHS and JPH counterparts and was never intended to enter circulation, or even so much as leave the printing company or Bank of Canada.

I am attaching a digital picture of the note taken under a regular lamp so that it can show the clear embossing of the Crow/Bouey $1 plate.

Very nice image Brent!!



Tom