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Tuesday 4 December 2018

862) Viola Desmond, Civil Rights Activist and the first Canadian woman to feature on a circulation Banknote: A $10 Polymer Banknote issued by the Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018: Canada's first vertically oriented Banknote issued by the Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018:

862) Viola Desmond, Civil Rights Activist and  the first Canadian woman to feature on a circulation Banknote: A $10 Polymer Banknote issued by the Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018: Canada's first vertically oriented Banknote issued by the Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018:

The Bank of Canada has issued a $10 polymer Banknote which is Canada's first vertically oriented Banknote, which depicts Viola Desmond - the first Canadian woman to be depicted on a circulation Banknote, which has been put into general circulation on 19.11.2018. The Banknote was released at an elaborate ceremony at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

The story of Viola Desmond's appearance on the $10 Banknote dates back about two years, when the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested to the Bank of Canada to put a Canadian woman on the front of a Banknote. Desmond was selected after a consultation campaign in which Canadians were invited to nominate an iconic Canadian woman.


The Front and Back images of the $10 polymer Banknote placed against a portrait of Viola Desmond

The unveiling ceremony of the $10 Banknote which released the Banknote into circulation

As soon as the Banknote was released for circulation by Bank of Canada's Governor Stephen Poloz and museum president John Young, Viola Desmond's younger sister Wanda Robson spent the first note to purchase a book for her 12 year old grand-daughter a copy of the book that she co-authored - "Viola Desmond's Canada: A history of Blacks and Racial Segregation in the Promised Land".

Viola Desmond is often referred to as the Canadian Rosa Parks.

On 08.11.1946, while having her car repaired in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia about 100 miles from her home in Halifax, she decided to take in a movie at the Roseland Theatre. She took a seat on the ground level because she had trouble seeing but was soon told to move to the balcony. The ticket clerk he could not sell a first-floor ticket to people like her.

She was arrested after refusing to leave the whites-only section and spent 12 hours in jail. She was later convicted of defrauding the province of a 1-cent sales tax and was fined $20. This fine was imposed, even though Desmond had asked to pay the difference. She lost on appeal in the higher court.

Nova Scotia posthumously gave her an apology and a full pardon in 2010.

On the Front of the vertically oriented $10 Polymer Banknote is depicted a front-facing portrait of Viola Desmond. In addition to the portrait, this face also has a map of Hallifax's North end, one of Canada's oldest black communities and the area where Viola Desmond grew up and opened her first beauty salon.


The Back of the vertically oriented $10 Polymer Banknote depicts the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Freedoms, an excerpt from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and an eagle feather symbolising the "ongoing journey toward recognising rights and freedoms for indigenous Peoples in Canada".

This Banknote contains several new security features in cluding the colour-shifting eagle feather, which changes from gold to green, detailed metallic images in and around a large transparent window - the Library of Parliament's vaulted dome ceiling, maple leaves and Canada's Flag and Coat of Arms, as well as, raised ink on the portrait, the word "CANADA' and the large number at the bottom.

Posted on 12.05.2019:


This new Bank of Canada Banknote has won the International Banknote Society's - "Banknote of the Year Award - 2018". 

Out of more than 150 new Banknotes issued in 2018, only about 10 percent of them were considered worthy of entering the prestigious competition. The IBNS has mentioned, that this Banknote was the preferred choice of the members from the start of the voting, which is restricted to IBNS members only.

This is the fifth Banknote in a row containing polymer, which has won this Award. Although Canada switched to polymer Banknotes in 2011, this is the first Canadian Banknote printed in the vertical format.

Posted on 09.09.2022:

I have received a piece of this Banknote from my friend Jayant Biswas for my collection last week. I am placing photocopies of this Banknote here:

The Front of the $10 Banknote

The Back of the above $10 Banknote








For other interesting posts on the Coins and Banknotes of Canada, please visit the following links:




16) Viola Desmond, Civil Rights Activist and the first Canadian woman to feature on a circulation Banknote: A $10 Polymer Banknote issued bt the Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018: Canada's first vertically oriented Banknote issuedby the Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018

8 comments:

  1. Santosh Khanna has commented:
    Interesting information. Thanks for sharing."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Raj Kumar Srivastava has commented:
    "Brilliant 💐"

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kevin Day-Thorburn has commented:
    "Being from Nova Scotia, I like this post 😉"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Kevin for visiting this post. This note now has a special meaning for me.

      Delete
  4. Vinod Khurana has commented:
    "Good information."

    ReplyDelete