1954 Canadian “Devils Face” banknotes

In 1954 Bank of Canada issued $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, and $1000 banknotes following the accession of Elizabeth II to the throne after the demise of her father George VI. All the 1954 banknotes featured a portrait of Elizabeth II engraved by George Gunderson based on a photograph taken by the Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh.

The new multi-color 1954 banknotes were the third series of banknotes issued by the Bank of Canada. The new design was announced in June 1954 by the Bank of Canada Governor, Graham Towers and released to the public in September 1954.

The issue began in 1954 as people seeing the face of the Devil in Queens’s hair. The Media picked up this story and the conspiracy spread that an insider had infiltrated the banknote printing firms. British politician named H. L. Hogg wrote a letter to the High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom about the “Devils Face” note conspiracy and he enclosed an actual “ Devils Face “ note in the envelope too.

1954 Devils Face Banknote

The bank of Canada step forward and worked with the printing company – British American Bank Note Company (BABN) to resolve the issue. In 1956 the BARN engraver Yves Baril darkened the highlights on queen’s hair and the new “modified design” banknotes released to circulation in late 1956. The 1954 banknotes became known as the “Devil’s Head” among the collector’s community.

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