"Devil's Hair Dollar" Receives Outstanding Rating by PCGS

They say that the devil is in the details. This popular phrase rings true with a 1954 Canadian $1 replacement bank note depicting Queen Elizabeth II. At first sight of this note, which dates two years after the start of the British monarch's reign, the center appears like a standard portrait. However, upon closer inspection, a devilish figure can be seen in the curl pattern of Queen Elizabeth's perfectly coifed hair. "This is one of the quirkiest, dare I say most infamous, of all numismatic pieces from Canada," explains Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) President Stephanie Sabin.

An outstanding example of this note recently arrived at the grading desk of PCGS via a submission by the Stack's Bowers Galleries Vancouver office. What was found was a quality as excellent as the story behind the note. "A Gem Uncirculated 66PPQ like this is almost unheard of," says Sabin.

Although some could interpret the design as an artistic comment against the British royal family, the note, nicknamed "Queen Elizabeth II Devil's Hair Dollar," was far from a political statement. Instead, it was an unintended result by engraver George Gunderson of the British American Bank Note Company, who recreated the design from an image by photographer Dorothy Wilding. According to Stack's Bowers Galleries Consignment Director Adem Karisik, the queen was placed to the right to ensure minimal damage to the note's face from folding.

This "Devil's Hair Dollar" was issued in 1954 by the Bank of Canada in colorful denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, and $1,000. But by the mid-1950s, the public noticed and complained about the devilish face. It was then redesigned with a "saintlier" hairdo, and thus the grimacing hair curl was phased out of circulation. Despite the Bank of Canada wanting the public to forget this mistake, the opposite reaction has been achieved. Karisik says this note is "one of the most popular and coveted items in Canadian paper money collecting."