Reporting new prefixes

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Thanks for offering, but I will pass.

I did check out a page on the Bank of Canada's website about the longevity of Polymer $5 bills, and it said that it lasts approximately eight years before they get replaced.  I do remember seeing new $5 bills in 2015 and 2017 respectively, and in 2023 and 2025 - when they were due to be replaced - I ended up seeing no new $5 bills, but I did see a vast number of new $10 bills - in the prefixes of FFL and FFM in 2023, and FFN last summer (different ranges for each prefix).  I do not recall there being any new $5 bills available in my province in 2018 nor 2019, but I do recall seeing several new $5s as early as spring or summer 2020, so it looks probable that the next chance for Newfoundland to possibly see new $5 bills in that province will likely not be until 2028. And maybe then it could be the Terry Fox vertical series.

Hi Everyone,

I created a new thread regarding new Prefixes under the section of Serial Number Database.  You can read about my recent observations the prefixes for the $100 banknotes.

Best regards, Whitenite

Hi Everyone,

I created a new thread regarding new Prefixes under the section of Serial Number Database.  You can read about my recent observations the prefixes for the $100 banknotes.

Best regards, Whitenite

Just found the topic on the "Highs and Lows" board: https://cdnpapermoney.com/index.php?board=49.0

Discovered on the SNDB that IOD has been reported from Ontario recently.

I realized something regarding the slow rationing out of certain banknotes in a bank branch's inventory. It may have to do with the upcoming new vertical banknotes. Banks are probably not even bothering ordering new banknotes at this time, and may likely not replenish its inventory until the vertical series is officially released, which explains the stretching out of existing inventory.  The $10s were the only denomination that saw a faster release (the current signature combo first appeared in my province six months after they were first reported to the SNDB), perhaps that was because the banks know there won't be a new $10 banknote for quite some time.

The stretching out of banknote inventory is not restricted to this period.  It has happened before. This dates back to the period of 2009 through 2013. There were $20 notes printed in 2009 and 2010. Banks in Newfoundland had mass inventories of "Printed in 2008" $20s and realizing the Polymer series was coming, the banks had decided to stretch out their "Printed in 2008" supply and expected to have depleted their supply by 2012 when the Polymer series finally got released.  As a result, the "Printed in 2009" and "Printed in 2010" $20 notes were fully skipped in Atlantic Canada, and that region of Canada never got to see any of the AU* and maybe EU* series of $20s. The $20s may have ended in Newfoundland in the ER* series - possibly a few prefixes shy of finishing up the ER* run.

There was also a rationing out of Journey $5s as well between 2009 and 2013, but at least Atlantic Canada did get to finish up the "Printed in 2008" run two years before the Polymer version got released. When the "Printed in 2009" $5s finally appeared in my province possibly in the summer of 2011, it appeared that all of the 2009-printed $5s were depleted except for a small range of AAT - the last prefix printed in 2009. The "Printed in 2010" prefixes appeared several months later, but only two prefixes - HPZ and HAD - were seen abundantly in Newfoundland (the latter prefix in released 2011). In 2011, the economy stabilized and Newfoundland had caught up in terms of new prefixes when the "Printed in 2011" run started, as HAF was seen in my province. However, after that, there were no more new $5 notes in my province until the Polymer series in November 2013.

I feel as if this may be the year that the Wilkins/Poloz $20s could reach the end, as I remember seeing a fresh $20 with FZP sometime last year, and considering that only two new prefixes for $20s gets released in a typical year in this day and age in my province, it is likely possible that FZR and/or FZS could finally appear in Newfoundland this year, and when they exhaust the Wilkins/Poloz $20s, they will be able to replenish their inventory when the King Charles III $20s gets released into circulation.

Also, I wonder why there hasn't been a press release about the new $20 yet.  One would expect to see an unveiling of the new banknote between six months to a year in advance.  Could the so-called release date actually have been an error on their part, and that date could actually be the unveiling date?

Never thought I would actually be the first to find a new prefix among everyone else here, living in Thunder Bay and not a larger city. Got a FLC today in change when I broke a fifty buying some imported Korean snacks at Miniso at the mall.

Got a FLC today in change when I broke a fifty buying some imported Korean snacks at Miniso at the mall.

That's cool. I'm in the GTA, where one would expect to see some new prefixes, but I haven't seen anything past FZZ for the $20. Can you please tell us if it still has the "Lane Macklem" signatures? TIA.

That's cool. I'm in the GTA, where one would expect to see some new prefixes, but I haven't seen anything past FZZ for the $20. Can you please tell us if it still has the "Lane Macklem" signatures? TIA.

Yes, still Lane-Macklem.

Funny you should mention that, because I just got back from a 2 week trip hopping around Toronto, Montreal, etc and it sparked my desire to come back to going big into bills. (I am former user "Beatrix" who was active 2016-2020, but I've lost the login for that account.) I couldn't help myself from grabbing bundles of fives in most cities I visited and I somehow was able to snag a $20 6900069 in change when I broke a fifty buying a souvenir t-shirt at Byward Market in Ottawa. So perhaps you may see me around for a little longer - I'm getting back into doing some weekly bank orders.

I have a feeling that, for there to be more FL* series prefixes, implies that it will probably take about five years for the King Charles $20s to finally arrive in Newfoundland, and if true I will likely be 60 when I finally seem them all over my province, and this further proves that the $20s with the Queen on it will still be distributed for many years to come, but mostly to Atlantic Canada during that stretch.

That, or maybe the Bank of Canada is now starting to clear out their outstanding supply of Lane-Macklem $20s before the King Charles $20s gets released, and by the end of the year the clear-out may be more aggressive.

One user initially speculated that the Lane-Macklem $20s go all the way to FLH - and it looks like it may be true after all.

If I do see any Lane-Macklem $20s, it probably may start in my province next year - though I expect that FZZ won't make it to Newfoundland, and FZY is questionable since there is a vast range in the Highs/Lows table.  FZU and FZV are likely to appear in my province.

Got a bundle of 20s from the bank today (an unusual choice for me, I rarely choose 20s but it made sense today) and I found eight FLC, all in the 285-287 range which is far from the 690 I snagged a few weeks ago. Some of them have standard wear marks and folds that would tell me it's been around for a little bit, which makes it very interesting to me that no one else on these forums has found one yet. Still no FLA or FLB here.

Got a bundle of 20s from the bank today (an unusual choice for me, I rarely choose 20s but it made sense today) and I found eight FLC, all in the 285-287 range which is far from the 690 I snagged a few weeks ago. Some of them have standard wear marks and folds that would tell me it's been around for a little bit, which makes it very interesting to me that no one else on these forums has found one yet. Still no FLA or FLB here.

I’m from Toronto, ON and I rarely find any Lane-Macklem $20s in my area despite being the largest city in Canada. The only time I find Lane-Macklem $20s are every few months and they’re often FZY and FZZ prefixes I found. According to the SNDB I’ve only found 9 Lane-Macklem $20s. My guess is Toronto, ON doesn’t get any Lane-Macklem $20s wasn’t distributed in Toronto and most likely came from neighbouring cities/provinces that received new batches of Lane-Macklem $20s.

I noticed that FLB and now FLD are reported to the SNDB now. I have a feeling that the Bank of Canada is now starting to aggressively clear out their existing supply of L/M $20s since the King Charles $20s are supposedly seven to eight months away.  FZU still has only one reported, and will likely be obscure until the current $20's final two or three weeks of issue - in a similar fashion to the Journey $5s with HAK.

I still have seen no L/M $20s in St. John's at all, but my region may be very close to exhausting the remaining outstanding Wilkins/Poloz $20s, as I remember coming across a fresh FZP in the 7 million range possibly last fall, and considering that Newfoundland rarely sees any changeover notes these days, I am thinking that FZS may likely be the finale for the Queen Elizabeth $20 series for Newfoundland, and after that will likely be the King Charles version which will likely start at FLJ or FLK for my region in March or April (I am thinking most likely FLK, since past new $20 notes since 2004 started in my province with the second printed prefix - AYS in 2004, and BIF in 2012).

I’m from Toronto, ON and I rarely find any Lane-Macklem $20s in my area despite being the largest city in Canada. The only time I find Lane-Macklem $20s are every few months and they’re often FZY and FZZ prefixes I found. According to the SNDB I’ve only found 9 Lane-Macklem $20s. My guess is Toronto, ON doesn’t get any Lane-Macklem $20s wasn’t distributed in Toronto and most likely came from neighbouring cities/provinces that received new batches of Lane-Macklem $20s.

It's probably because banks in bigger cities have massive stockpiles of banknotes that have yet to be issued. I get a feeling that new banknotes are only being delivered to rural bank branches as they would likely run out first before bank branches in bigger cities.

I received a fresh $5 note in my change today, and it was an INT in the low 7M range. Two other INTs in the low 7M range were found elsewhere in Newfoundland by another user.  Having said that, it appears that the Rogers/Macklem $5s have (most likely) finally arrived to my province about 3 1/2 years after first being reported in Canada.

Now the real mystery is what could be causing the lag in releasing Lane/Macklem $20s, and whether the banks in Newfoundland may be stretching out the remaining supply of Wilkins/Poloz $20s in the final years leading up to the official release of the King Charles $20, and whether or not the banks outside Atlantic Canada will aggressively clear out their inventory of Lane/Macklem $20s since the release of the new $20 is just months away.

Rollout of the Desmond $10s was slow possibly because of the denomination's incredibly low demand at the time of release, and banks having stockpiles of MacDonald $10s in their inventory and not going through them fast enough, resulting in no real rush to order any of the first Desmond $10s upon release.  They were very hard to find in my province until August 2023.

I also learned in the news in recent weeks that there is a strike at the Bank of Canada happening, in which security guards are involved. Replacement workers were being used, in violation of the federal ban on replacement workers. The Bank of Canada was busted twice by the federal government - and if they continue, they face at least one million dollars in fines - and counting.  I wonder if the BoC is violating the legislation because they fear that compliance to such law could cause severe financial harm or bankruptcy for the company?

Could the strike possibly have resulted in new prefix activity being paused after FLD was reported, and I wonder if that could result in a delayed launch of the King Charles $20?

It is now reported that the BoC is now having workers work from home.  The intent of the ban is to do a full stop on work - and it appears that the BoC is testing the boundaries of the replacement worker ban.

Looks like someone reported a FLH last week, interesting.

I received my first FLD as change at the store, starts with 174.