Caribbean notes

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Gentlemen and ladies:
             Is there anyone among you who specializes in or has great interest in those chartered banknotes  issued 1900-1938 for use in the branch banks in the Caribbean islands???   I have not been able to find any literature on this subject, and have located only a very few images.  My antique (1980) catalogue lists about 40 varieties and states that a dozen or so exist as SPECIMEN notes only, whereas  I have found at least one image of such a  SPECIMEN-only note with a serial number and apparently in circulated, therefore issued,  condition.
               I am trying to put together a set of images of these notes and I need a LOT of help,  both  information and images.   Thanks for any help.    
                                                                              Bernard Schaaf MD                                      

Are you looking for notes like this?

75-20-04, 15667/B, $5 Canadian Bank of Commerce, Bridgetown, Barbados, 2nd January 1922.
Private collection

Great note BWJM  

Do you have anymore of these for show?

Great note BWJM  

Do you have anymore of these for show?

That's my only caribbean note. I have a select few other chartered notes, and they are available on my website alongside the rest of my collection.

Here's a colourful one from my collection. It was issued in TRINIDAD and is dated 1st July 1939 (not 1935). The reverse design is the same as the corresponding $5 1935 Toronto issue although it's printed in a slightly more yellow shade of green.

{http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1293040/COMMERCE_TRINa.jpg}

Here's an attractive 1919 SPECIMEN note for the Kingston, JAMAICA, branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia. This 1919 date is unknown in issued form although one issued example of the corresponding 1900 date is known to exist (that note sold for $4000 plus commission and taxes at a Jeffrey Hoare auction about 10 years ago).

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Hey Ottawa

I especially like the Commerce note.  I have seen many examples of the BNS specimen floating around. I don’t know if they are really common but it seams everyone is trying to sell theirs

Here is a Bank of Nova Scotia £1 for Jamaica 1930.  I wish it hadn't been "enhanced".

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This is a Canadian Bank of Commerce £5 for Jamaica, 1921.  I love this note, ink stain and all.  It seems such a distant time now, when banking was done with pen and ink.

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And my last scan for posting, a Canadian Bank of Commerce $5 for Trinidad, 1921, and another favourite.

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Bob,

Those are incredibly beautiful banknotes  

I feel like I'm walking through the hallowed halls of the The Louvre when I see those notes.

Truly artwork !!

...Arthur

Thank you!!  I do enjoy the Commerce notes but not the Scotia so much - if only it had been left alone.  I tolerate dirt and tropic stains more easily than doctoring.

Here's a black and white image of a rare Royal Bank of Canada $5 1920 Caribbean note issued at Castries, St. Lucia. It may possibly still be in existence, but not necessarily so (no St. Lucia notes at all were listed in the Register of Surviving Notes of the Royal Bank of Canada, Southern Branches, published in the September 2005 CPMS Newsletter). This note was illustrated in the 1955 and 1963 editions of the foreign exchange reference work "Manuel Pratique du Change des Monnaies Etrangères" by J.G. de Villefaigne, published in Paris.

The Charlton catalogue only illustrates a Specimen of this particular note and states "No known issued notes". Perhaps we are looking at an image of an "extinct" banknote? Perhaps we should call these "Dodo notes"!

{http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3433819/2007/3/29/St.Lucia.jpg}

 Dear Friends:
                       My thanks to all of you for the very nice images of the Canadian-Caribbean notes.
I still need the images of several  notes,  including  the fronts and backs of the RBC $20  1920 and 1938  notes.
               If any of you should care to have copies of my images of selected rare and superrare USA notes,  please let me know.  My daughters will both be home for spring break this coming week and can show me how to do image attachments.  
               Somewhere in the Forum I once  saw a nice but very small image of the 1866 Province of Canada  $10  note  (??perhaps the one that Jack Veffer got ffom New Zealand??);  does  anyone know if there is any way I could get a higher-resolution image of that note??
                 Once again, thanks and Happy Easter to all.                               Bernard Schaaf  MD

I beleive this information is listed in the 5th edition of the chartered price guide

I do not have the book with me at the moment but I beleive these banks all had notes printed for the British West Indies.

Bank of Nova Scotia
Canadian Bank of Commerce
Royal Bank of Canada

None other pop to mind but the Royal Bank of Canada had a wide array of series and types in this category.

Barclays Bank also issued notes under its name Dominion, Colonial and Overseas Bank. Those notes are pricey.

There is one other that occurs to me - the Union Bank of Halifax, issue for Trinidad.  Sadly no issued notes are known to survive, but a few years ago I did find proof that they were in circulation.

Speaking of the Union Bank, the Union Bank of Canada has proofs from its Chinese subsidiary, the Park Union Bank. This would be like the Barclays Bank which had subsidiaries in other countries, one of which was Canada.

Dear Newbie:
                     You ask about a list of the Canada-Caribbean banknotes for the British West Indies;   the list which I use came from an old 1st edition Charlton catalog which I found at a flea market.   I have asssumed that list is complete, although I am led to believe that some of the notes which were then listed as SPECIMEN have in fact since  been found as issued notes  (with serial numbers and signatures and with evidence of circulation),  although I have no details  of specific  notes.
                      You will see from above entries that several members of this Forum have very kindly provided some images  of  notes  from  thei collections, ,  for which images I thank them.   Also I have  been ransacking ebayand google, etc. and  did iund a few more images  there.  Altogether I am now missing seven obverses  (mostly  Canadian Bank of Commerce issues and issues  for Jamaica)  and eleven reverses.
                       I am certainly a novice at this, but I have not been able to ascertain if there is any one collector who is generally  considered to be THE expert  on  this exotic area of numismatics. 
                     Thank you for your inquiry, and I hope this bit of information has been helpful to you.
                                                     Bernard Schaaf

Currently being offered in the upcoming Heritage 2007 May St. Louis, MO (CSNS) CAA Signature Auction #436

Port of Spain, Trinidad - Canadian Bank of Commerce $20 July 1, 1939 Ch. 75-30-04
This Very Good note has a couple of tears due to some skins on the back.  Estimate: $400 - $600.

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Dear 3-star Canada Banknotes:
                          I found the Trinidad $20 image and captured it for my album.  THANK YOU for directing me to it.           Bernard

I gather that you only want issued notes?

I do have images of several proofs:

630-54-02 $100 Royal Bank Kingston front and back

75-28-06Pa $100 Canadian Bank of Commerce Trinidad

75-20-15P $100 Canadian Bank of Commerce Barbados

Bernie

The upcoming April Heritage Auction seems to have a number of issued Caribbean notes from the Thomas Flynn Collection.  Bernie

Attached is a recent addition to my collection.

Thats a very nice note. Here is mine, I would like to upgrade find a better one but it is a very hard note to find.

{http://jasonkc.idweb.ca/1938%20RBC%20Trinidad%20$5%20F%20Mod4.JPG}

{http://jasonkc.idweb.ca/1938%20RBC%20Trinidad%20$5%20B%20Mod4.JPG}

That's a sweet one and I'm envious.

Iz very nice note mon, I'd give up a kilo of me island's best Ganga for 

On July 30, 2009 Stacks  http://www.stacks.com/lotdetail.aspx?lsid=AN00000706&asid=&lrid=AN00146208  will be auctioning a nice Jamaica proof: Canadian Bank of Commerce. Kingston, Jamaica. One Pound. March 1, 1921. Pick S151p. Face Proof. Uncirculated.