The U.K’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has passed at the age of 96. She’s been a part of our lives in more ways than one. And for Canadians, besides being one of the most notable figures, we would regularly see the Queen in our day-to-day lives – depicted on our currency.

For as long as we can remember, the Queen has graced the Canadian $20 bill for years, and for many, more than our lifetimes. It would be odd to see another figure on our currency as she has been the face of our bill notes for what seems like forever.

Believe it or not, Queen Elizabeth II was depicted in Canadian currency since she was a little girl, years prior to her taking the throne.

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According to Bank of Canada, the 1935 series of our currency is the only one to feature non-reigning members of the royal family. This is where she first made an appearance at eight years old as Princess Elizabeth. It was first issued on March 11, 1935.

“It is the only portrait of the future queen as a young girl to appear on a bank note,” states the website.

queen elizabeth
Photo via Bank of Canada

“The engraving, produced by Edwin Gunn of the American Bank Note Company, was based on a photograph of the princess by Marcus Adams, a royal photographer who captured many images of the future queen when she was a child. He used a “toy cabinet camera” to capture this type of candid shot of children at his London studio.”

The Queen continued to be the face of the $20 for years to follow including a commemorative dollar bill in 1967. There’s a total of six bank note engravings of the Queen, ranging from eight-years-old to 80.

For the full timeline, check out the Bank of Canada’s website.

Curiocity Staff

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