Canadian ten-dollar bill
Encyclopedia
The Canadian ten-dollar bill is one of the most common banknotes of the Canadian dollar. It was the first bill printed when Canada changed its banknotes in 2001.
The current ten-dollar
bill is dominantly purple in colour. The front features a portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald
, the coat of arms
, and a picture of the Library of Parliament
. A security feature visible from the front consists of three shiny maple
leaves. The reverse side depicts images related to warfare and remembrance
; this is accompanied by a quotation from John McCrae
's poem "In Flanders Fields
". Yellow dots representing the EURion constellation
can be found on both sides (and on all 2001 series notes). As well as textured printing, this design includes Braille
dots for the blind
indicating the denomination as a new tactile feature
.
An updated version of the bill began circulation on May 18, 2005, with new security features. On the front, these include a holographic stripe along the left side, depicting the number 10 alternated with maple leaves; a watermark
of Macdonald's portrait; and a broken-up number 10, which resolves itself when backlit (the latter two which replaced the shiny-leaf feature). On the back, it has an interleaved metallic strip, reading '10 CAN' repeatedly along its length.
The version of the bill issued in 1971 depicted the operations of Polymer Corporation
on its back.
Less-visible security features include ultraviolet
-detected threads in the paper, as well as an ink imprint of the coat of arms.
As with all modern Canadian banknotes, all text is in both English and French.
The current ten-dollar
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
bill is dominantly purple in colour. The front features a portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald
John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, PC , QC was the first Prime Minister of Canada. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, his political career spanned almost half a century...
, the coat of arms
Coat of arms of Canada
The Arms of Canada is, since 1921, the official coat of arms of the Canadian monarch, and thus also of Canada...
, and a picture of the Library of Parliament
Library of Parliament
The Library of Parliament is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada...
. A security feature visible from the front consists of three shiny maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
leaves. The reverse side depicts images related to warfare and remembrance
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
; this is accompanied by a quotation from John McCrae
John McCrae
Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres...
's poem "In Flanders Fields
In Flanders Fields
"In Flanders Fields" is one of the most notable poems written during World War I, created in the form of a French rondeau. It has been called "the most popular poem" produced during that period...
". Yellow dots representing the EURion constellation
EURion constellation
The EURion constellation is a pattern of symbols found on a number of banknote designs worldwide since about 1996. It is added to help software detect the presence of a banknote in a digital image. Such software can then block the user from reproducing banknotes to prevent counterfeiting using...
can be found on both sides (and on all 2001 series notes). As well as textured printing, this design includes Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
dots for the blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
indicating the denomination as a new tactile feature
Canadian currency tactile feature
The Canadian currency tactile feature is a feature on the current "Canadian Journey" series of Canadian banknotes. The feature indicates the banknote denomination in the upper right corner of the face side of the bill using a series of raised dots. It was suggested by Bruno Thériault, an...
.
An updated version of the bill began circulation on May 18, 2005, with new security features. On the front, these include a holographic stripe along the left side, depicting the number 10 alternated with maple leaves; a watermark
Watermark
A watermark is a recognizable image or pattern in paper that appears as various shades of lightness/darkness when viewed by transmitted light , caused by thickness or density variations in the paper...
of Macdonald's portrait; and a broken-up number 10, which resolves itself when backlit (the latter two which replaced the shiny-leaf feature). On the back, it has an interleaved metallic strip, reading '10 CAN' repeatedly along its length.
The version of the bill issued in 1971 depicted the operations of Polymer Corporation
Polymer corporation
Polymer Corporation was a Canadian federal crown corporation established in 1942 to produce artificial rubber to substitute for overseas supply cut off by World War II. A factory was established in Sarnia, Ontario where, using German patents from an American licensee, Polymer produced 5000 tons of...
on its back.
Less-visible security features include ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
-detected threads in the paper, as well as an ink imprint of the coat of arms.
As with all modern Canadian banknotes, all text is in both English and French.