I have the following unique error - termed
"Wet Trap Error". What occurred with the note (scan below) was the printing plates/cylinders had too much ink for the screen printing of Laurier. Thus, when the (dark blue) intaglio printing of: Laurier, the Coat of Arms, and the words of "Bank of Canada" was printed, the paper had an excessive amount of wet (dark blue) ink. The moisture from the ink was not cured (dry) on the paper.
As a result, you have a
Vincent Van Gogh, abstract portrait of Prime Minister Laurier.
I had the opportunity to speak to Pierre Duguay of the Bank of Canada - who is in charge of the Currency Operation. He informed me what I had was a
"rare" error - and that you do not see this kind of error all that often. One of the reason was that the orange highlighted line that you see scrolling down from top to bottom of the note is the
'cancellation' mark from the Bank of Canada - which the error sheet was caught during the printing process and then printed with the cancellation mark - this is done by machine and not by hand. As well, 'wet trap error' notes are easily caught because the paper is not flat, since the wet ink causes the paper to be very wavy and stiff when the sheet eventually dries.
The note had been found/detected for destruction by the Bank, but for some reason or another, it got through the quality control inspection and into the regular brick instead of an insert note replacing this error.
What I have is a
one of kind Bank of Canada Vicent Van Gogh art work. My note is an 'original' uncirculated note.
