The mid-1970s represented a period of profound transition for the Canadian economy and its physical currency. The nation was navigating a complex macroeconomic environment characterized by stagflation—a challenging combination of stagnant economic growth and high inflation.1 Under the political leadership of Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Finance Minister Edgar Benson, Canada was asserting a distinct national identity, moving further away from British-centric iconography toward uniquely Canadian cultural and geographical representations.2 This ideological shift was directly reflected in the country’s monetary policy and currency design.

The 1974 two-dollar banknote was authorized under the Bank of Canada Act, the foundational law that granted the central bank the sole authority to issue paper money in Canada, ful ...