Canadian dollar

The Canadian dollar, CAD or C$, is the unit of currency of Canada. 100 cents (¢) add up to one dollar.

Contents

1 History 2 Canadian currency 2.1 Creating Currency: Then and Now 2.2 Special Editions 2.3 Recent Changes In Canadian Currency 2.4 Specifications 3 Canadian currency rumours 4 Value 5 Current CAD exchange rates 6 External links

History

Canada decided to use the dollar instead of a pound sterling system because of the prevalence of Spanish dollars in North America in the 18th century and early 19th century and because of the standardization of the American dollar. The Canadas, in particular, favoured the dollar — the Bank of Montreal issued bank notes in dollars in 1817 — whereas the Atlantic colonies, with stronger ties to Britain and weaker ones to the United States, preferred the £.s.d. system. The Province of Canada declared that all accounts would be kept in dollars as of January 1, 1858, and ordered the issue of the first official Canadian dollars in the same year. The colonies that would come together in Canadian Confederation progressively adopted a decimal system over the next few years.

Finally, the government passed the Uniform Currency Act in April 1871, tying up loose ends as to the currencies of the various provinces and replacing them with a common Canadian dollar. The gold standard was temporarily abandoned during World War I, and definitively abolished on April 10, 1933.

Canadian currency

Canadians use coins and bills (called "bank notes" officially, but not in ordinary usage) of similar denominations to money in the United States. The historical sizes of the coins less than 50¢ are identical to those of U.S. coins due to both nations using the Spanish dollar as the basis of their money. Quantities of U.S. coinage circulate in Canada at par, and some Canadian coins (generally less than one-dollar) circulate in some places in the United States as well, though recent changes to the appearance and composition of Canadian coinage have made it more difficult for these coins to be used in the United States. In Canada, it is common to find U.S. 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, and 25¢ coins in circulation (just as there are Australian 5, 10, 20, and 50 cent coins in New Zealand and vice versa) this interchangeability led to some concern when the United States Mint decided that the new Sacagawea dollar coin would have the same colouring as the Canadian $1 coin, the "loonie", although this proved to be a non-issue.

Canadian English, like American English, uses the slang term "buck" for a dollar; the word "loonie" is also used to distinguish the Canadian dollar from other currencies, as in "The loonie performed well today on currency markets."

In French, the currency is also called le dollar; Canadian French slang terms include piastre or piasse (equivalent to "buck," but the original word used in eighteenth-century French to translate "dollar") and huard (equivalent to "loonie").

Creating Currency: Then and Now

Canadian coins are issued by the Royal Canadian Mint and struck at their facilities in Winnipeg. Bills are issued by the Bank of Canada with the production of the bills being outsourced to the British American Bank Note Company Ltd and the Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd in accordance with the specifications and requirements of the Bank of Canada. All wording on bills appears in both Canada's official languages, English and French. The same applies to special wording on commemorative coins. All of the standard wording on the reverse sides of coins is identical in both languages. On the obverse sides, however, the name and title of Canada's monarch appear in an abbreviated-Latin circumscription. Currently, this reads "ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA". The initials stand for "DEI GRATIĀ"; the entire phrase means, "Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen".

Canadian coins were originally issued in bronze (1¢) and silver (5¢ up). Gold coins for circulation were issued from 1912 to 1914 only. In 1922, copying an earlier change in the United States, the 5¢ coin was enlarged and changed to nickel; unlike the United States, pure nickel was used except during World War II and the Korean War. A silver dollar coin similar to that issued in the United States was first proposed in 1911 and a few trial pieces exist (one of which is in a museum in Ottawa and the other sold to a private collector a few years ago for $1.1 million Cdn.), but a proper dollar coin did not arrive until 1935. The percentage of silver in silver coins was reduced in 1919 and 1967, and in 1968 they were all replaced by pure nickel coins of the same size or nearly so. The rising price of nickel eventually forced the 5¢ coin (commonly called the "nickel") to be changed to cupro-nickel in 1982. At about the same time the 1¢ coin was twice made smaller, and in 1997 it was changed to copper-plated zinc. Finally, in 2000 all coins below $1 were changed to steel with copper or nickel plating. Unfortunately, there have been some problems with compatibility between the new coins and coin-operated devices like vending machines and public telephones. The 50¢ piece is regularly minted, but not in large quantities; it is very rare to come across this coin in circulation, although an unsuccessful attempt was made by the Mint to promote the use of the coin when a special edition was released in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II ascending the throne.

Special Editions

In recent years, the Mint has issued several series of coins with special reverses. Most of them have been 25¢ coins, particularly in the years 1999–2001. There were also versions of the $2 coin comemmorating the founding of Nunavut, and another with a family of polar bears; there have been several variants of the $1 coin, one of which featured the Canadian peacekeepers' monument in Ottawa to commemorate the award of the Nobel Peace Prize. A commemorative Terry Fox $1 coin began circulating on April 4, 2005.

On October 21, 2004, the Royal Canadian Mint unveiled a "25¢ poppy coin" (http://www.mint.ca/poppy/default.asp). This coin features a red-coloured poppy embedded in the centre of a maple leaf above a banner reading "Remember - Souvenir". While some countries' mints have produced colourized coins for market to collectors, this is the first colourized coin in general circulation in the world.

The Mint states that, with normal wear and tear, the colour should remain for a number of years, although this claim was quickly disproven. The colouration compounds are attached to the metal on a specially prepared 'dimpled' section of the coin, and seem to come off easily if deliberately rubbed. The coin will retain its full value even if the red poppy has worn off or been removed; however it is now expected that fully coloured specimens will become collectable in the future.

On May 4, 2005 the Mint unveiled a new "Victory nickel". Originally issued from 1943 to 1945, the original Victory nickel was designed to promote the Canadian war effort. The new coin commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II. Up to 60 million Victory nickels will be produced and treated as regular circulation coins.

Recent Changes In Canadian Currency

As of fall 2004, the highest denomination coin minted in Canada is a $350 gold coin produced for the collector market, though the bullion values make its market value much higher than its face value.

The most significant recent developments in Canadian currency were the withdrawal of the $1 and $2 bills in 1989 and 1996, respectively, and their replacement with coins of new design. The new $1 coin, first issued in 1987, is colloquially called the "loonie," for the loon on its reverse, and the name is frequently applied to the currency unit as well. It is made of nickel plated with "aureate bronze". The $2 coin, carrying a polar bear, is called by analogy the "toonie" (also spelled "twonie", making the etymology clearer), and has two sections differing in colour. Unlike several U.S. attempts to introduce a dollar coin, the new coins were quickly accepted by the public, owing largely to the fact that the mint and government made it a "cold turkey" switch by removing the $1 and $2 bills from circulation.

Beginning in 2001, the Bank of Canada introduced a new series of bills: the new $10 was first issued on 17 January, 2001; the new $5 on 27 March, 2002; the new $100 bill on 17 March, 2004, the new $20 on 29 September, 2004, and the new $50 on 17 November, 2004. Called "Canadian Journey", this series features elements of Canadian heritage and excerpts from Canadian literature. The $20, $50, and $100 notes introduce watermark security features for the first time on Canadian currency; they also boast significantly expanded holographic security features. A reprint of the $10 note with these new security features will begin circulation May 18, 2005. All 2001 series notes also include the EURion constellation, on both sides of the bill. The new bills have a "tactile feature", which is a series of raised dots (but not in Braille) in the upper right corner on the obverse of each bill to aid the visually impaired in identifying currency denominations.

The Canadian government has occasionally considered the possibility of eliminating the 1¢ coin from circulation, though as of early 2005 no serious discussion has been undertaken about dropping the coin. Likewise reports, in the wake of the $2 coin's success, that Ottawa was considering a $5 coin to replace the bill have yet to be realized.

Specifications

Canadian coins
Value	Common name	Composition	Obverse	Reverse	Mass	Diameter	Thickness
1¢	penny (Fr. cent noir)	94% steel, 1.5% nickel, 4.5% copper plating	Queen Elizabeth II	Maple leaf	2.35 g	19.05 mm	1.45 mm
5¢	nickel	94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel plating	Queen Elizabeth II	Beaver	3.95 g	21.2 mm	1.76 mm
10¢	dime	92% steel, 5.5% copper, 2.5% nickel plating	Queen Elizabeth II	The Bluenose (a famous schooner)	1.75 g	18.03 mm	1.22 mm
25¢	quarter	94% steel, 3.8% copper, 2.2% nickel plating	Queen Elizabeth II	Caribou	4.4 g	23.88 mm	1.58 mm
50¢	50¢ piece	93.15% steel, 4.75% copper, 2.1% nickel plating	Queen Elizabeth II	Canadian coat of arms	6.9 g	27,13 mm	1.95 mm
$1	loonie (Fr. dollar huard)	91.5% nickel 8.5% bronze plating	Queen Elizabeth II	Common loon	7 g	26.5 mm	1.75 mm
$2	toonie	Rim — 99% nickel; core — 92% copper, 6% aluminum, 2% nickel	Queen Elizabeth II	Polar bear	7.3 g	28 mm	1.8 mm

Canadian Bills (Bank Notes) - An Exhaustive List
2001 ("Canadian Journey") series (pictured top right)
Value	Colour	Obverse	Reverse
$5	Blue	Wilfrid Laurier	Children playing hockey and other winter sports; excerpt from "The Hockey Sweater" by Roch Carrier
$10	Purple	John A. Macdonald	Peacekeeping forces and war memorial; excerpt from "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae
$20	Green	Queen Elizabeth II	Artwork of Bill Reid; excerpt from Gabrielle Roy's novel, The Hidden Mountain.
$50	Red	William Lyon Mackenzie King	The Famous Five and Thérèse Casgrain; quotation from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
$100	Brown	Robert Borden	Maps of Canada, historic and modern; excerpt from Miriam Waddington's poem, "Jacques Cartier in Toronto"
1986 ("Birds of Canada") series
$2‡	Terra cotta	Queen Elizabeth II	American robins
$5‡	Blue	Wilfrid Laurier	Belted kingfisher
$10‡	Purple	John A. Macdonald	Osprey
$20	Green	Queen Elizabeth II	Common loon
$50	Red	William Lyon Mackenzie King	Snowy owl
$100	Brown	Robert Borden	Canada goose
$1000‡	Reddish purple	Queen Elizabeth II	Pine grosbeak
1969-1979 ("Scenes of Canada") series
$1‡	Dark green	Queen Elizabeth II	The parliament buildings from the Ottawa River, Ontario
$2‡	Terra cotta	Queen Elizabeth II	Inuit hunting on Baffin Island, Northwest Territories
$5‡	Blue	Wilfrid Laurier	Salmon seiner BCP 45 in Johnstone Straits, British Columbia
$10‡	Purple	John A. Macdonald	Oil refinery in Sarnia, Ontario
$20‡	Green	Queen Elizabeth II	Moraine Lake and the Rocky Mountains, Alberta
$50‡	Red	William Lyon Mackenzie King	The RCMP Musical Ride
$100‡	Brown	Robert Borden	Lunenburg Harbour, Nova Scotia
1954 series
$1‡	Green	Queen Elizabeth II	Saskatchewan prairie
$2‡	Terra cotta	Queen Elizabeth II	A country scene, Richmond, Quebec
$5‡	Blue	Queen Elizabeth II	Otter Falls, Yukon
$10‡	Purple	Queen Elizabeth II	Mount Burgess, British Columbia
$20‡	Olive Green	Queen Elizabeth II	Winter landscape, Laurentian Mountains, Quebec
$50‡	Orange	Queen Elizabeth II	Lockeport Beach, Nova Scotia
$100‡	Brown	Queen Elizabeth II	Okanagan Lake, British Columbia
$1000‡	Rose Pink	Queen Elizabeth II	Anse-Sainte-Jean, Quebec
1937 Series
$1‡	Green	King George VI	Agriculture allegory
$2‡	Terra cotta	King George VI	Harvest allegory
$5‡	Blue	King George VI	Electric power allegory
$10‡	Purple	King George VI	Transportation allegory
$20‡	Olive Green	King George VI	Fertility allegory
$50‡	Orange	King George VI	Modern Inventions allegory
$100‡	Brown	John A. Macdonald	Industry allegory
$1000‡	Rose Pink	Wilfrid Laurier	Security allegory
1935 Series
$1‡	Green	King George V	Agriculture allegory
$2‡	Blue	Queen Mary	Transportation allegory
$5‡	Orange	Edward, Prince of Wales	Electric power allegory
$10‡	Purple	Princess Mary	Harvest allegory
$20‡	Rose Pink	Princess Elizabeth	Agriculture allegory
$50‡	Brown	Prince Albert	Modern Inventions allegory
$100‡	Dark Brown	Prince Henry	Industry allegory
$500‡	Sepia	John A. Macdonald	Fertility allegory
$1000‡	Dark Green	Wilfred Laurier	Security allegory
Commemorative Issues
1935
$25‡	Purple	King George V and Queen Mary	Windsor Castle
1967
$1‡	Dark Green	Elizabeth II	Old parliament buildings in Ottawa - destroyed by fire in 1916

‡ Withdrawn from circulation. Currency withdrawn from circulation is still legal tender. As of early 2005, the 1986-series $5 and $10 bills are still occasionally encountered, but they are rapidly disappearing from regular use. Despite the introduction of new notes, the 1986 $20, $50, and $100 are still common. $1,000 bills are no longer printed, but are still used by banks and casinos occasionally.

All 1986 and 2001 series bills measure 152.4 mm by 69.85 mm (6 by 2¾ inches).

See also Withdrawn Canadian banknotes.

Canadian currency rumours

A number of urban legends have circulated regarding Canadian currency.

• An American flag is flying over the Parliament buildings on Canadian paper money. This is not the case. The Birds series bills depict a Union Jack flying over Parliament on the $100; a Canadian Red Ensign (a former Canadian flag) on the $5, $10, and $50; and the modern maple-leaf flag was on the $2 and $1000 bills. (The $20 depicts the Library of Parliament, with no flag visible.) When a bill depicts a past Prime Minister, the Parliament buildings behind him are flying whichever flag Canada was using at the time of his tenure; Borden is depicted with the Union Jack because of his wartime government. Where a bill depicts the Queen, the current flag is used. Those "taken" by the rumour were likely fooled by the bills with the Red Ensign, as the flags are not shown in full colour and the contrasting upper-hoist corner somewhat resembles the American flag.

• The new series $10 bill is being recalled because there is a misprint in the poem In Flanders Fields. The first line as printed, "In Flanders fields the poppies blow," startled many people, who believed the last word should be "grow". John McCrae wrote two versions which were both published, but his original manuscript, the one used by the government and widely used for Remembrance Day ceremonies, reads "blow", meaning to bloom. (The last two lines are, "We shall not sleep, though poppies grow/In Flanders fields.")

• You can pop the centre out of a toonie. This is (or was) in fact true. Many toonies in the first shipment of the coins were defective, and could separate if struck hard or frozen, as the centre piece would shrink more than the outside. This problem was quickly corrected, and the initial wave of "toonie popping" blew over a few months after the coin's introduction.

• The 50¢ piece is no longer minted and/or has been withdrawn from circulation. The 50¢ coin is indeed so rare that many people have never personally seen or handled one. Shop proprietors have been known to refuse to accept them as payment because they do not recognize them as Canadian currency. However, the mint continues to produce the 50¢ coin annually in small numbers; most of them are purchased by coin collectors. The remainder go to banks, though most do not give them out unless the customer specifically requests so. Given enough notice, any bank should be able to obtain them in a significant quantity for their customers.

• The crown is wrong in the Queen's portrait. When the new coin portrait was first issued in 1990 (see above), a legend surfaced that the artist had simply added the image of a crown to a portrait of the Queen, and that she was never meant to be seen wearing that headgear. This is patently false; she posed personally for the portrait wearing one of her usual crowns.

• Canadian coins are minted in Regina, Saskatchewan. As mentioned, the Royal Canadian Mint is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The expression D.G. Regina on the obverse of Canadian coins is Latin for by the grace of God, Queen, referring to the effigy of Elizabeth II.

Value

Inflation in the value of the Canadian dollar has been fairly low since the 1990s, but had been severe for some decades before that.

Because about 85 per cent of their external trade is with the United States, Canadians are concerned primarily with the value of their currency against the United States dollar (USD). The Canadian dollar was more valuable than the USD for part of the 1970s, but has never regained that status. Since flirting with depths as low as US$0.62 (January 18, 2002), the dollar rallied through 2003 and 2004, reaching US$0.85 on November 26, 2004; it entered a decline from that point, however, and was back to the low .80s by year's end. Economic predictions for 2005 vary; some say that if interest rates on opposite sides of the border continue to diverge, the loonie could continue to drop. Through May 2005, however, the Canadian dollar had stabilised, and traded at around US$0.80.

On world markets, the Canadian dollar tends to move in the same direction as the U.S. dollar, but less dramatically. A consequence is that an apparently rising Canadian dollar is often falling against most of the world's currencies, and vice versa. For example, the recent "rise" in the value of the Canadian dollar (as widely reported in the Canadian media) has more to do with weakness in the American dollar than the Canadian dollar itself. The Canadian dollar has recently lost value against the euro, trading in February 2004 at €0.60 to the dollar, although by October 2004 this rate had risen to €0.64.

Although there was a great deal of domestic concern when the Canadian dollar was trading much lower than the U.S. dollar, there is also concern among exporters when the dollar appreciates quickly. The rapid rise in the value of the Canadian dollar increases the price of Canadian exports to the United States, which make up a large part of the economy. On the other hand, Canadian industry enjoys advantages from a rising dollar, primarily in that it is cheaper to purchase foreign material and businesses.

Current CAD exchange rates

AUD (http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=AUD&to=CAD&submit=Convert) | EUR (http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=EUR&to=CAD&submit=Convert) | GBP (http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=GBP&to=CAD&submit=Convert) | INR (http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=INR&to=CAD&submit=Convert) | NZD (http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=NZD&to=CAD&submit=Convert) | USD (http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=CAD&submit=Convert)

External links

• A graph of the Canadian dollar's value in U.S. dollars over the past two years (http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=CADUSD=X&t=2y&l=on&z=l&q=l&c=)
• History of the earliest forms currency in Canada (http://www.currencymuseum.ca/eng/collection/index.php)
• A History of the Canadian dollar (http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/dollar_book/index.htm)
• Bank of Canada — bank notes (http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/banknotes/index.html)
• Royal Canadian Mint  (http://www.mint.ca)
• The Where's Willy? Currency Tracking Project (http://www.whereswilly.com/)

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