Bank Notes

Canadian Journey series notes

All Canadian bank notes have security features that are reliable, quick, and easy to use. By making it a habit to check two or more of these features whenever you accept cash, you can avoid being stuck with a counterfeit.

Remember that verifying the mere presence of a security feature is not enough. You need to make sure that it works as it should when you tilt or look through the note. If a note seems suspicious to you, compare it with a note that you know is genuine.

• Canadian Journey series notes
• Original Canadian Journey series $5 and $10 notes
• Birds of Canada series notes
• Other security features on all bank notes

Pass your cursor over the numbers on the bank note images to see the security features.

 

Puzzle number (see-through number). Look through bill. Hold it to light. Check: irregular marks create a perfectly aligned puzzle number matching bill's value.

Raised ink (intaglio). Touch large number, portrait, coat of arms, and text "BANK OF CANADA – BANQUE DU CANADA". Check: raised ink feels thicker.

Metallic stripe (holographic stripe). Tilt. Numbers and two-tone maple leaves in metallic stripe change colour and light up. Check: numbers match the bill's value.

Ghost image (watermark). Look through bill. Hold it to light. Check: ghost image matches portrait, number above the ghost image's shoulder matches bill's value, and dashes form a continuous solid line.

Dashes (security thread). Tilt. Check: dashes change from gold to green and tiny numbers next to "CAN" match
bill's value.

UV (fluorescence). Under UV light, check text "BANK OF CANADA – BANQUE DU CANADA" and number matching the bill's value glow in red and yellow. Check for scattered red and yellow fibres (both sides).

Touch raised ink (5).

Tilt. Colour shifts in metallic stripe (1) and dashes (3).

Look through the bill. Hold it to light. Check ghost image (2) and puzzle number (4). Make sure dashes (3) form a solid line.

Look at the appearance and action of each security feature carefully.

Other notes with the same features

NEXT: Security features, original Canadian Journey series $5 and $10 notes