5 dollars 1964
About This Note
This is an exceptional uncirculated example of the 1964 Trinidad and Tobago 5 Dollar note (Pick P-27b), featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in an ornate oval frame on the obverse and the Central Bank Treasury building with a sugar cane harvesting vignette on the reverse. The note displays pristine condition with sharp, crisp printing throughout, no visible wear, folds, or circulation marks, making it an attractive acquisition for collectors of Caribbean currency and Commonwealth banknotes.
Common. The 1964 5 Dollar note (P-27b) with Bird of Paradise watermark is a standard circulation issue from the early period of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. No documented evidence of limited print runs, recalls, or short-lived issuance exists for this denomination and year. While uncirculated examples command modest premiums over circulated specimens, the note itself remains widely available in the collector market at reasonable prices, consistent with common early Caribbean banknotes.
Issued by the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago in 1964, this note reflects the nation's post-independence period (independence achieved in 1962) and features both Commonwealth imagery (Elizabeth II) and the nation's economic foundation in sugar production. The Treasury building and agricultural vignette depicted on the reverse symbolize the government's economic priorities during this formative period of the nation's modern central banking era.
The obverse features a formal portrait of Queen Elizabeth II positioned within an ornate oval frame with a pink/mauve background, flanked by the Arms of Trinidad and Tobago (depicted with two dragons or mythical creatures as heraldic supporters and a shield design). The numeral '5' appears in hexagonal frames at the top corners. The reverse depicts the Central Bank's Treasury building—a modern multi-story institutional structure with regular fenestration—as the central motif, accompanied by a circular vignette in the top right showing sugar cane harvesting with mechanical equipment and a national flag, reflecting the nation's agricultural heritage. Decorative corner frames containing the numeral '5' and dollar sign appear in all four corners, with fine geometric and rosette patterns throughout both sides providing security through intricate intaglio detailing.
Front Side: 'CENTRAL BANK OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO' (issuing authority); 'FIVE DOLLARS' (denomination in words); 'ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CENTRAL BANK ACT OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO' (legal authority statement); 'GOVERNOR' (signature line designation); Serial number 'Q910081'; Numeral '5' in hexagonal frames. Back Side: 'CENTRAL BANK OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO' (issuing authority); '5' and '$5' (denomination markers in decorative frames); 'TOGETHER WE ASPIRE TOGETHER WE ACHIEVE' (national motto).
Intaglio printing (engraved), evidenced by the fine line work, ornate geometric patterns, multi-layered background designs, and sharp detail reproduction observed throughout the note. The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago's 1964 series notes were produced by established security printers using traditional intaglio methods standard for Commonwealth banknotes of this period.
This specimen is identified as Pick P-27b, distinguished by the Bird of Paradise watermark (shared with P-27a and P-27c variants). The serial number Q910081 and the formal 'GOVERNOR' signature line are consistent with the standard 1964 issue. The PMG population report indicates four cataloged variants (P-27a, P-27b, P-27c, and P-27s), with P-27b representing a standard issue variety of the 1964 series.
