2 dollars 1974

Common. This note is a regular issue from a major denomination (1974 $2 note) with substantial print run. eBay market data confirms common status, with UNC specimens consistently selling in the $4-$9 range in recent years, well below $20 threshold. The 2019 catalogue value for UNC is $12.50, indicating healthy supply in the market. While some exceptional specimens (PMG 67) command premium prices ($50-$125), this reflects grading premiums rather than scarcity of the underlying note type.

Issued in 1974, this $2 note reflects Canada's multicultural identity during the post-Confederation era, with the reverse design explicitly celebrating Inuit heritage and Arctic survival traditions. The depiction of indigenous peoples preparing for a hunt represents a deliberate effort by the Bank of Canada to acknowledge and honor the country's First Peoples during a period of growing national identity and reconciliation awareness. The bilingual inscriptions (English and French) reinforce Canada's official commitment to linguistic duality established in the Official Languages Act of 1969.

The obverse features a formal portrait of Queen Elizabeth II shown in profile facing left, adorned with pearls and formal regalia, positioned on the right side of the note. The Canadian coat of arms dominates the left portion, showcasing heraldic lion supporters flanking a shield bearing maple leaf imagery, topped with a crown symbol. Security features include intricate guilloche patterns, fine-line mesh designs in the corners, and decorative geometric borders. The reverse presents an historically significant engraved scene depicting multiple Inuit figures in various poses engaged in hunting or fishing activities near a body of water, with a dramatic mountain range and rugged Arctic terrain in the background. Large decorative numerals '2' appear in circular designs at multiple corners, and complex security patterns frame the entire composition.

FRONT SIDE: 'BANQUE DU CANADA—BANK OF CANADA' (Bank of Canada in both official languages) | 'TWO 2 DEUX' (denomination in English and French) | 'DOLLARS' (English) | 'CANADA' | 'CE BILLET À COURS LÉGAL' (French: 'This note is legal tender') | 'THIS NOTE IS LEGAL TENDER' (English) | 'OTTAWA' (location of issue) | '1974' (year of issue) | 'GOUVERNEUR GOVERNOR' and 'SOUS-GOUVERNEUR DEPUTY GOVERNOR' (bilingual titles for signatories) | Serial number 'RT0617063' (appears twice). BACK SIDE: 'DEUX' (French: 'Two') | 'TWO' (English) | 'BANK OF CANADA—BANQUE DU CANADA' (Bank of Canada in both languages).

Intaglio engraving (line engraving), the standard high-security currency printing method employed by the Bank of Canada. The detailed landscape scene, fine security mesh patterns, and intricate portraiture are characteristic of intaglio work. The note was produced by the British American Bank Note Company, the primary security printer for the Bank of Canada during this period, utilizing multi-color intaglio printing to achieve the burgundy, purple, white, gold, and blue color palette.

Pick catalog P-86a designation indicates this is the primary variety of the 1974 $2 issue. The visible serial number prefix 'RT' represents one of several letter combinations used during this period. Signature varieties exist depending on which Bank of Canada Governor and Deputy Governor signed the note during the 1974 production period (this would have been under Governor Gerald Bouey). No major known varieties such as overprints, color variations, or printing errors are evident from the visual analysis, indicating this is a standard circulation issue without notable variety distinctions.