Stay Tuned For the Upgraded $5 NoteOttawa — As part of its ongoing effort to improve the security of Canadian bank notes and combat counterfeiting, the Bank of Canada will issue a $5 note with upgraded security features beginning on 15 November 2006.
New Security Features, Familiar DesignThe upgraded $5 note will be the last to include the quick and easy-to-use security features found on the rest of the denominations from the Canadian Journey series. In 2004 and 2005, the Bank of Canada introduced advanced security features such as the holographic stripe, watermark portrait, windowed colour-shifting thread woven into the paper, and see-through number. These features were incorporated into the designs for the Canadian Journey series $100, $50, $20, and $10 notes. The $5 note will soon have these same security features, making it easier for consumers and cash handlers to detect counterfeits. The design, colour, and theme (“Children at Play”) of the upgraded $5 note will not change.
Putting the Most Recent and More Secure Notes in Your HandsIn collaboration with financial institutions across Canada, the Bank of Canada will ensure that most Canadians have access to the upgraded note within about two weeks of the issue date. The Bank will also work closely with financial institutions to replace older $5 notes in circulation with the upgraded $5 note within approximately one year of the issue date so Canadians have the most recent and more secure notes in their hands.
It’s in Your Hands to Help Keep Counterfeit Notes Out of CirculationCounterfeiting is a crime of opportunity. Even the most advanced security features are effective only if people use them. Counterfeiters take advantage of people who don’t know how to check their bank notes or who don’t take the time to do so. Counterfeit notes are found in all denominations. Therefore, it’s a good habit to routinely check all bank notes, regardless of the denomination or series. By doing so, you can protect yourself from inadvertently getting stuck with a counterfeit note and help eliminate opportunities for counterfeiters.
You Work Hard to Earn Your Money – Invest the Few Seconds Needed to Check Your Cash
Verifying bank notes is quick and easy to do.- Feel the raised surfaces of the large numeral, the portrait, Canada’s coat of arms, and the words Bank of Canada – Banque du Canada.
- Tilt the note and look for the changing colours and images within the holographic stripe and the windowed colour-shifting thread.
- Hold the note to the light and look through it for a watermark portrait, a security thread, and a see-through number.
- Look at the note for fine-line printing in the portrait and background patterns.
For more information on Canadian bank notes or to order free education materials, visit
www.bankofcanada.ca/en/banknotes, or call the Bank of Canada’s toll-free information line at
1-888-513-8212.
