Collections Corner
Did you know that the Scotiabank Archives contains more than just documents? While documents are great, many other items can help us tell the story of the Bank, from photographs to physical objects. Here are a few of our favourites, along with their stories.
1. Act of Incorporation
On March 30, 1832, royal assent was given to the bill incorporating “the President, Directors, and Company of the Bank of Nova Scotia”.
2. Hollis Coin Bank
188-190 Hollis Street was the Bank’s first custom built building. It served as the Head Office and Halifax Main Branch from 1838 to 1931.
3. Jamaican Currency
Five-pound bank note from the first issue of bank notes by The Bank of Nova Scotia in Jamaica, dated January 2, 1900.
4. Protectograph
This machine adds the dollar value to cheques. It simultaneously prints the value in ink and punches the paper, making it virtually impossible to alter the amount.
5. Bank of Nova Scotia Calendar (1933)
This calendar features a painting by L.F. Nicolet which depicts the first visit of the Cunard ship S.S. Britannia to Halifax in 1840.
6. Inandout Register Board
With this low-tech tool, one glance is enough to tell you which staff are currently in the office.
7. Intercom Telephone
Intercom systems facilitated direct communication between a limited number of people without the need to go through a switchboard.
8. Corporate Flag
Introduced in 1957, after receiving approval from the College of Arms in London, England, the flag features the Bank’s coat of arms.
9. Door Pull with Coat of Arms
Many branches opened or renovated in the 1950s and 1960s featured this stylized version of the Bank’s coat of arms as a decorative element.
10. Kiosk Lighter
Scotiabank installed a kiosk dressed in specially designed, brightly coloured posters in various locations to advertise its international operations.