1972 $5 XA

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Hi everyone! I was just wondering if anyone knows where this prefix came from? XA doesn't follow suit with any other prefix, and as far as I know is not a test note. Was XA the last prefix for this series?

No. XA Is the prefix used in the 1972 $5 issue. Its a short run prefix with only 5,520,000 printed.  The final prefix issued within that issue.
Check p.290 of the book
Beattie-Rasminsky CA-CP
Lawson-Bouey CP-CZ
Lawson-Bouey SA-SZ
Lawson-Bouey XA... then 1979 $5 issued with prefix 30 then came the 3 letter prefix in the 80's

They used XA why? Its simple... TA-TZ and VA-VX was used for the 1971 $10 issue, UA-UG was used by the 2$ issue and WA-WZ and YA-YH was used by the 1969 $20.  So whats left... XA-XZ, ZA-ZZ

Precisely correct, JB. Same story, different denomination, as the PA $1 notes.

A/X to V/X were also $5 notes in the '54 series.... so "X" was already assigned to the fivers as they went forward to the multicoloured notes.

A/X to V/X were also $5 notes in the '54 series.... so "X" was already assigned to the fivers as they went forward to the multicoloured notes.

Yes but X/A was issued on the 1937 series $1 note. Now that would be a set a 1937 $1 and a 1972 $5 both with the same prefix and serial number.

but i dont think X/A and XA are the same. I think X/A =AX. Im probably wrong!  

Once again JB, you are correct.

In the 1937 and 1954 series, the top letter is the series letter, and the bottom letter is the denominational letter.

In the multicoloured series, the first letter is the denominational letter, and the second letter is the series letter.

The three-letter prefixes prepend a printer letter in front of the denominational letter, but otherwise the system is identical.

So... Obviously, A/A ~= AA ~= AAA. But, A/J ~= JA ~= AJA. (~= means is comparable to, since technically they are different series of notes entirely).

Similarly, A/X (1937: did not exist, 1954: Beattie/Rasminsky $5) is comparable to XA (1972 Lawson/Bouey $5). The denominational letter X was then retired to later be reused as a test note indicator.

Here's PA:
1937: (A/P) Did not exist
1954: (A/P) Beattie/Rasminsky $1
1973: (PA) Lawson/Bouey $1
EPA: 1986 Birds Crow/Bouey $5
FPA: 1986 Birds Thiessen/Crow $5
GPA: 1986 Birds Bonin/Thiessen $5
HPA: 2002 Journey Jenkins/Dodge $5
Aside: APA will theorhetically be a future 2006 Journey $5 prefix.

The Bank of Canada's system of prefixes is a very meticulous thing, and once you take some time to wrap your head around it, it's pretty easy to know it inside out. Trivia like the association between A/P and PA come as second nature.