Canada 1 Dollar Elizabeth II 1973 Pick 85c UNC Banknote
The Canada 1 Dollar 1973 Pick 85c belongs to the Bank of Canada’s iconic Scenes of Canada banknote series, a family that combined portraits of Canadian political figures and the monarch with detailed scenes representing the country’s landscapes and economic life.
Dated 1973 and issued beginning in 1974, the $1 note is predominantly green and features Queen Elizabeth II alongside the Canadian Coat of Arms. Its reverse offers an atmospheric view of Ottawa’s Parliament buildings from across the Ottawa River, with a logging scene in the foreground. Numista
The P-85c variety can be identified specifically by its Crow–Bouey signature combination, distinguishing it from the earlier Lawson–Bouey varieties. PMG Notes
Historical Background
Canada’s Scenes of Canada series was introduced during the late 1960s and 1970s and represented an important chapter in the development of modern Canadian paper money.
The 1 Dollar note bears the engraved date 1973, although the Bank of Canada Museum records its initial issuing date as 3 June 1974. The denomination remained in use for many years, with the Bank of Canada recording 30 June 1989 as its last day of issue. bankofcanadamuseum.ca
The disappearance of the Canadian $1 banknote was closely associated with the introduction of the one-dollar coin—the famous “loonie”—in 1987, making these paper dollars an attractive reminder of the era before Canada’s familiar $1 coin became standard.
Technical Specifications
- Country: Canada
- Denomination: 1 Dollar
- Year: 1973
- Pick Number: P-85c
- Condition: Uncirculated (UNC)
- Issuer: Bank of Canada / Banque du Canada
- Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD)
- Material: Paper
- Dimensions: approximately 153 × 70 mm
- Dominant Colour: Green / black over multicolour
- Issue Date: 3 June 1974
- Series: Scenes of Canada
- Portrait: Queen Elizabeth II
- Signatures: John William Crow / Gerald Keith Bouey
- Type: Standard circulation banknote
Obverse
The obverse features:
- Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
- Coat of Arms of Canada
- Bank of Canada / Banque du Canada titles
- One Dollar / Un Dollar denomination
- Date 1973
- Serial numbers
- Signatures of John W. Crow and Gerald K. Bouey
- Intricate geometric security patterns
Queen Elizabeth II appears on the right side of the composition, while Canada’s Coat of Arms balances the design on the left. As expected for Canadian currency, the inscriptions appear in both English and French.
Reverse
The reverse depicts:
- Parliament Hill in Ottawa
- Ottawa River
- Logging activity on the river
- Tugboat Missinaibi
- Floating logs
- Large 1 / ONE / UN denomination elements
The detailed scene shows Parliament Hill and Ottawa from across the river, while the foreground depicts the tugboat Missinaibi among a broken log boom. The composition therefore combines Canada’s political capital with imagery representing the country’s historic timber industry.
Security Features
The 1973 $1 incorporates security and printing techniques characteristic of Canadian banknotes of its era, including:
- Detailed engraved portrait
- Complex guilloché patterns
- Fine-line background printing
- Multicoloured security underprint
- Serial numbers printed in contrasting colours
- Highly detailed engraved reverse
- Intricate bilingual typography
The left serial number is printed in red, while the serial number on the right is blue, providing one of the most immediately visible identification features of the note.
Why Add This Banknote to Your Collection?
The Canada 1 Dollar Elizabeth II 1973 Pick 85c UNC banknote combines an iconic royal portrait with one of the classic engraved landscapes of Canadian paper money.
It is particularly suitable for collectors of Canadian banknotes, Queen Elizabeth II currency, Commonwealth notes, vintage paper dollars, transport and logging themes, and historic UNC world banknotes.
Collector’s Note
The Pick 85c designation is important, because several varieties exist for the 1973 Canadian $1.
The easiest way to distinguish P-85c is by its signatures: John William Crow, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada from 1984, and Gerald Keith Bouey, Governor from 1973 to 1987. Earlier P-85a and P-85b notes instead carry the Lawson–Bouey signature combination.
There are also interesting prefix varieties within P-85c. Standard notes are accompanied by scarcer replacement and test issues, including AAX, BAX and EAX replacement prefixes and the EXA test prefix. Numista
This means two apparently identical 1973 Canadian $1 notes can have significantly different collector classifications depending on their signatures and serial-number prefix.
