# Bank of Canada urges ‘Star Trek’ fans to stop ‘Spocking’ their fivers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302 "2015-03-05T20:14:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/1 "2015-03-05T20:14:41Z")
> **[Bank of Canada urges ‘Star Trek’ fans to stop ‘Spocking’ their fivers](https://dangerousminds.net/comments/bank_of_canada_urges_star_trek_fans_to_stop_spocking_their_fivers)** > >   > Bank of Canada is pleading with Star Trek fans to stop “Spocking” its five dollar bills. Since Leonard Nimoy’s death, Canadian folks have been “Spocking” the hell out of the five dollar bill that features a portrait of Canada’s seventh prime... > [@](#): > > Bank of Canada is pleading with Star Trek fans to stop “Spocking” its five dollar bills. Since Leonard Nimoy’s death, Canadian folks have been “Spocking” the hell out of the five dollar bill that features a portrait of Canada’s seventh prime minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. > > Sir Wilfrid now sports, on certain bills at least, pointy ears, the signature Vulcan haircut and eyebrows and Spock’s mantra “Live long and prosper.” > > According to Bank of Canada it’s not illegal to do this but: > > ``` > “...However, there are important reasons why it should not be done. Writing on a bank note may interfere with the security features and reduces its lifespan. Markings on a note may also prevent it from being accepted in a transaction. Furthermore, the Bank of Canada feels that writing and markings on bank notes are inappropriate as they are a symbol of our country and a source of national pride.” > > ``` There’s a picture of a “Spocked bill at the link”. There are better examples elsewhere. The one at the top of this page in particular: [Jordan Poole +300 To Win NBA Sixth Man Of The Year - yournewswire](http://yournewswire.com/the-bank-of-canada-asks-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-five-dollar-bills/) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/2 "2015-03-05T20:26:09Z")
Stupid question: how did this trend start? I didn’t find an explanation in your link, and a quick search shows that Mr. Nimoy was American. It is funny, though. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/3 "2015-03-05T20:36:16Z")
I assume someone noticed a resemblance between Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Nimoy and thought it would be funny to do this, and then it caught on. Canada gets a lot of the same TV as the US, plus the movies were shown worldwide (I think), so it’s not surprising that Spock would have fans there. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/4 "2015-03-05T20:46:44Z")
Those crazy Canadians. What will they think of next? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/5 "2015-03-05T20:52:29Z")
I hadn’t heard about this practice, until this five-year-old thread popped up (apparently in response to Nimoy’s death): [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=550971&highlight=Spock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=550971&highlight=Spock) I assume Canada brought it up again because people have been doing this (or perhaps just noticing it more) since Nimoy’s death. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/6 "2015-03-05T21:03:29Z")
In the US we have the Five Dollar Bill Murray. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KGkhqZoPwg8/maxresdefault.jpg "5 Dollar Bill Murray by GINOZKO") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGkhqZoPwg8) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/7 "2015-03-05T21:12:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Writing on a bank note… reduces its lifespan. I’ve had a couple of Canadian fivers in my wallet for at least five years, and they’re still as good as new! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/8 "2015-03-06T00:35:54Z")
Those bills wouldn’t be circulating long anyways as they’re the old version. The new polymer ones have a different portrait of Sir Wilfred. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/9 "2015-03-06T00:50:38Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Those crazy Canadians. What will they think of next? I’ve been saving my fives… so I can give them to your mom! OOOOOUUUUUU!! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-of-canada-urges-star-trek-fans-to-stop-spocking-their-fivers/714302/10 "2015-03-06T00:55:12Z")
I live about an hour away from Vulcan. {Preens}