Dominion of Canada $4 Notes

In 1880, the Dominion of Canada government assumed the right to issue $4 notes, restricting the banks whose charters were coming up for renewal to the issue of denominations of $5 and its multiples. The first $4 notes entered circulation in October 1882. Of the total quantity of Dominion notes in circulation, $4 notes made up only a small component.

The original issue of 1882 contained 1,200,000 notes. Stocks of these $4 notes lasted until 1900 when almost 1,000,000 more were printed. The last notes from the first group were delivered to the Finance Department in 1903. No more $4 notes were printed until 1911 when an urgent demand for notes arose. At that time, over 1,600,000 more $4 notes were printed and issued. These were the last $4 notes to ever be issued by the Canadian government.

By 1912, the $4 denomination was being actively withdrawn from circulation and notes were being replaced with the new $5 Dominion notes. By 1950, only $29,000 worth of $4 notes remained outstanding. It is surmised that most of these notes have been lost by fire or decay. Very few are seen today and they continue to command high prices.

Contributor: Anonymous

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