What is your favourite note & why?

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I'm pretty sure that the majority of us have a few notes in our collections that we hang on to more so for the intrinsic value than anything else. I would like to know what note do you have in your collection that you favour and for what reason.

For me just getting back into this hobbie, it was picking up a DC-24c  (CUNC) it was my first Dominion note, my first fractional note, and first TPG note all in one. When I came across this note it was what sparked me to get back into the hobby.

What are one or two in your collection that you are fond of .... and why?

These are two of my recent pickups and its my favorite notes. The artwork and detail found this series of very early US notes is just soo beautiful and alluring. The amount of time and effort to even create those engraved plates just brings more awe and amazement to my mind. You just don't see full frame beauties like these any more.

Here's mine

{http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8396/dscn9205.jpg:http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/8396/dscn9205.th.jpg} {http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/2300/dscn9305xa.jpg:http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/2300/dscn9305xa.th.jpg}

Here's what it looks like in good shape. I just can't afford it in such nice condition.

These notes are AMAZING...Why can't our modern notes look like this?
The new polymer series is so plain and boring when you compare it to the artistry in the engraving of these old notes...

My personal Canadian favourites are:

1897 Dominion of Canada $1
1935 Bank of Canada $25 (I like the WHOLE series)
1937 $1000 (but I like the WHOLE series)
1954 $5
1972 $5
1975 $50
2002 $5
2004 $20

It is impossible to choose just one... 

Dean

PS:  I DISLIKE the polymer series  Plain and boring...YUCK!

Of all BOC issues, my favourite is the multi-colour $5. The overall colours and design just really appeal to me. My second favourite is the multicolour $50. What can I say. I have always loved the back of those notes. The Musical Ride IMHO is the best design we've ever had on the back of any of our notes.

Contrast that with the polymer $50. I think it's a horrible note. The colour is too dull and not red enough. At a glance the colour could almost be confused with the dull colour or the $100.

Wizard.. thanks for including the scan on that one... I totally agree with you.. a stunning note for the artistry!

Dean.. I agree... it's hard to choose just one... and for each person the reason will be different. Some it will be b/c of the art work, some it will be the reward of finally getting a note they've been looking for, and some it may be the valuation of the note. There's probably a 1000 other reasons that could make a certain note someone's favourite. But being rather new to the hobby I like seeing so many different types of notes and I also like hearing the stories behind some of them. Hence why I started this string... just to create a bit of discussion about the one thing we like.. NOTES

Thank you for sharing.. and I have to say I too like both the 37 and 35 series... I'm in the process of finishing off my collection for the 37's and then will move on to the '35.. (although I don't think I will be collecting the 1000's)

Once again.. thank you for sharing... hopefully other members will share as well.

Contrast that with the polymer $50. I think it's a horrible note. The colour is too dull and not red enough.

I agree. I have red-green colour blindness and find the colours of the polymer $20s and $50s to be difficult to distinguish. The darker tint of the Journey $20 made for a much better contrast between it and the Journey $50 for us deuteranopic folks.

I think the Journey $20 was one of the BoC's best ever notes.

Up until the Polymer series, my favorite Bank of Canada banknote used to be the $50.  But so far, it turns out that the $20 bill is the prettiest banknote of the Polymer series.  I also will likely enjoy the Polymer $20 more than any other bill of this series because of more frequency of prefixes, and new prefixes for up to 2 years.

The upcoming Polymer $10 bill, it doesn't seem promising at all - it's not fun to look forward to unless it's printed on paper.  If it was printed on paper, new prefixes would happen more frequently.  Sadly, it won't be the case anymore when 2013 rolls around.  They'll probably have a vast majority of my region's $10 bills replaced within 3 months, most likely.  Not to mention I probably won't care for the new $10 bill much if we end up seeing FEW through the FT*'s - mainly because the BT* prefixes happened not that long ago, and words cannot express how much I hated the overkill of BEW from 2005 to 2007.  Plus I'd rather see the CD* prefixes more than anything else.   BG* prefixes, if they were to appear on the $10's, it will be dull and boring because of the overkill of those prefixes when they were on the $2 bill in the early 1990s.  But I have a feeling that CD* and BG* prefixes are not going to happen.

So yeah, it looks like my interest in money, as a whole, is starting to fade away.

From what I see and from what I own in my collection (1935-today), Journey series is one of the most beautiful. The 5$ and 20$ are very beautiful. The 5$ represent something good, kids playing hockey on ice. In canada, this is a stereotype.

However, I am someone who work in website design and I love what is modern looking. Polymer series, with the texture and the modern design are also beautiful. I look forward to see the 5$ and 10$. The 20$ is very beautiful, but the queen's face is weird in the middle (like all polymer, but the 20$ is more intense). The 50$ and 100$ are good, but not that beautiful. They are modern but they are not so wow like the 20$, 10$ and 5$.

If I were to allow myself to indulge outside of the BOC issued notes (& had a limitless budget) I would definitely have my eye on the 1924 Dominion $5.00 "Queen Mary" note because I love the colours, design and rarity of this beauty.

However, back to reality (& my self-imposed limits) I would have to say that my favourite note would come from either 1935 or 1937 series.  I love the allegorical art work of both series so I would love to own an UNC 1937 Osborne $50 or $5 note (for rarity & design).  I've stopped collecting the $50 denomination so I would have to settle for the $5 (which are becoming my favourite denomination). 

Given my ultimate trophy dream note: that would be the 1935 $25 Commemorative which IMO has beautiful colours and another dazzling design but rather than the typical allegory- an image of Windsor Castle on the reverse. Plus its not only unique for its two portraits it is also the only $25 denomination we'll likely ever see.  Either French or English issue would satisfy me of course (but the French edition would be a little "sweeter" to own since its the rarer of the two). 

For now, I have to settle for 1935 $2.00 & $5.00 which I can afford & show off for their unusual colours & cool designs.

Walktothewater: ... I hear ya on the issue with finding a good '37 $50.. I've been working on finding good "reasonably priced" '37's ... and at this point I have the 2 through 100 in AU (53) missing the $50..... Keeping my eyes open though...