Bank of Canada unveils new vertical $20 bill featuring King Charles
The Bank of Canada has unveiled a new vertical $20 bill featuring King Charles III, marking the first change in monarch on Canadian currency in over 70 years. The note includes advanced security features and designs inspired by the King's environmental advocacy.
Why it matters
This update reflects Canada's constitutional ties to the British monarchy and showcases advancements in currency security technology.
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem unveiled the new, vertical bill featuring a portrait of King Charles on Thursday in Ottawa. It's the first Canadian bank note to feature Charles , whose image replaces that of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
In a news conference, Macklem called the unveiling "historic." It's been more than 70 years since a new monarch appeared on a Canadian bank note. The late Queen Elizabeth II first appeared on the Bank’s inaugural $20 note in 1935 as a young princess, Macklem added.
Two years later, in 1937, the bank's bilingual series featured King George on most of its bills. By 1954, with its landscape series , every note carried the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, until now.
The new bill is also historic because it "features security technologies never before used on a Canadian bank note," he said.
Also covering this story
4 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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