A newly discovered 1890 Molsons Bank $5 note, described as an extraordinary Canadian chartered banknote rarity, headlines The Canadian Numismatic Company’s (TCNC) upcoming Prominence XV sale. The three-day auction, scheduled for Nov. 13-15, is featured in the latest issue of Canadian Coin News (Vol. 61, No. 17).
The Quebec-based auction house will offer 1,009 lots of Canadian coins, banknotes, tokens and historical medals, including material from two major collections and 85 additional consignors across North America. The St. George Collection of Canadian coins and banknotes and the Laval Collection of Canadian paper money are among the sale’s major attractions.
Leading the banknote offerings is the newly discovered Molsons Bank $5 note, graded Legacy Choice Very Fine-25 PPQ. Offered as Lot 921, the 1890 note carries an estimate of $45,000 and up. According to TCNC, the Charlton catalogue previously recorded the issue only in an institutional collection, making this newly discovered example particularly significant.
Collectors of Canadian decimal coins will also find several important Victorian silver pieces, including an 1889 ten-cent piece graded PCGS MS-63 and estimated at $45,000 and up. Other highlights include an 1892 Small 9 ten-cent piece graded PCGS MS-66+, along with an 1890-H fifty-cent piece described by TCNC as among the finest known examples.
Canadian paper money is another major focus, with a 1937 Bank of Canada $1,000 note graded PMG Gem Uncirculated-66 EPQ carrying an estimate of $45,000 and up. The Laval Collection also features two 1878 Dominion of Canada $2 notes, one payable at Montreal and the other at Toronto, both representing scarce varieties sought by collectors.
Another interesting feature is an 88-piece collection assembled by a young New Brunswick coin dealer and collector who placed particular emphasis on eye appeal, originality and exceptional surfaces. Now approaching 30, the collector has decided to sell the collection as he works toward completing a master’s degree in engineering and purchasing his first home. The sale also includes unusual mint errors and three historic silver medals associated with Indigenous leaders.
The complete article examines the major collections, individual auction highlights, catalogue estimates and historical significance of several featured lots. Prominence XV takes place online Nov. 13-15, with bidding beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern each evening.