2010 Canada 5 oz Fine Silver $50 Coin - 75th Anniversary of the First Bank Notes Issued by the Bank of Canada

2010 Canada 5 oz Fine Silver $50 Coin - 75th Anniversary of the First Bank Notes Issued by the Bank of Canada

Face Value: $50
Mintage: 2,000
Composition: 99.99% Silver
Weight (g): 157.6
Diameter (mm): 65.25
Finish: Proof

Design: The Bank of Canada began operating 75 years ago in 1935 and was given responsibility to regulate the country's money supply and to promote the economic and financial welfare of Canada. Accordingly, it was given the exclusive right to issue Canada's bank notes. On March 11, 1935, the Bank of Canada issued its first series of bank notes.

The inaugural series of 1935 included denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000. (A $25 note was issued later in 1935 to commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V).

The front of the notes featured a portrait of a member of the royal family or of a former Canadian prime minister while allegorical figures representing Canada's growing agricultural, industrial and commercial prosperity appeared on the back. Each denomination was available in English or French, a practice that ended with the introduction of bilingual notes in 1937.