WINNIPEG, Man. – A historic Hudson’s Bay Company promissory note issued at Fort Garry during the Red River period led the opening session of The Canadian Numismatic Company (TCNC)’s official 2026 Royal Canadian Numismatic Association Convention auction on Thursday, realizing $11,950, including buyer’s premium.
The 1870 £1 sterling promissory note, offered as Lot 1, sold well above its pre-sale estimate of more than $3,000 after attracting strong interest from collectors attending the convention and bidding online.
Numbered 903, the note bears manuscript signatures, period endorsements and a Fort Garry transit handstamp dated May 1870. Issued during the transfer of Rupert’s Land to Canada and the events surrounding the Red River period, it provides a tangible link to Winnipeg’s earliest commercial and political history, making it a fitting opening lot for the convention auction.
Another noteworthy result from the opening session came with Lot 344, an 1836 Commercial Bank $10 (50-shilling) note, which realized $5,676, including buyer’s premium.
The chartered banknote carried a pre-sale estimate of more than $5,000. According to TCNC, it represents an unlisted variety not recorded in the current Charlton catalogue and was the first example of the type the auction firm has handled.
The three-session sale, which opened Thursday at the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg, features more than 1,300 lots drawn from four major collections – the Douglas Collection of Hudson’s Bay Company banknotes and historical material, the Western Collection of Canadian banknotes, the Dengin Collection of Canadian and Newfoundland coins and the Rob Charland Collection of error banknotes – along with consignments from more than 75 collectors across North America.
While the opening session featured several important banknotes and historical items, many of the sale’s most anticipated Canadian coin rarities remain to cross the auction block.
Among the highlights is Lot 710, an 1870 “No LCW” 50-cent piece certified PCGS MS-63. Missing the engraver’s initials normally found beneath Queen Victoria’s portrait, the famous Victorian rarity is the only example graded MS-63 by PCGS, with just one finer specimen recorded. It carries a pre-sale estimate exceeding $125,000.
Another marquee offering is Lot 744, a 1921 50-cent piece graded ICCS AU-50. Widely regarded as the “King of Canadian Coins,” the celebrated key date is expected to attract significant bidding when it crosses the block. The coin, displaying attractive natural toning over remaining mint lustre, is estimated at more than $100,000.
Other notable offerings include a 1948 silver dollar graded ICCS MS-65 (Lot 823), estimated at more than $17,000, an 1858 large cent certified ICCS MS-64 Red (Lot 464), and a 2000-P Community 25-cent coin graded ICCS MS-63 (Lot 411), one of only five certified examples cited by TCNC and estimated at more than $15,000.
The sale also features Hudson’s Bay Company material, Dominion and chartered banknotes, Newfoundland coins, Canadian tokens, fancy serial number notes and the Rob Charland Collection of Canadian error banknotes.
The auction continues Friday, with a third and final session scheduled for Sunday, July 19. The RCNA Convention continues through July 18 at the Delta Hotels Winnipeg and RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg.