# Canada to move to plastic banknotes **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 4, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344 "2010-03-04T23:21:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/21 "2010-03-05T03:25:20Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Can they be folded? Yes ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/22 "2010-03-05T04:46:52Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Yes Great! I’d heard that the Australian notes were weakened when folded, and then could be ripped easily. Being rather far from Australia, I’ve never tried this. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/23 "2010-03-05T04:56:07Z")
A polymer note that been in circulation for a few years is much harder to rip than a brand new paper note. I’ve seen one $5 note go through a lawn mower and remain legal tender. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/24 "2010-03-05T04:59:15Z")
So in the interests of science and international understanding, I’ve just spent the last 5 minutes trying to destroy my own money. I folded a five back and forth, obtaining as sharp a crease as possible, scoring the fold each time using my desk and a fingernail. I did this twenty times back and forth on one line (ie forty times in total). At the end of this, there was a slight undulation (I’d hesitate to call it a wrinkle) at the point I had been folding. I then tried tearing the note at the point where the “wrinkle” met the edge of the note. By applying considerable force I was able to get the note to stretch very very slightly at the point of maximum pressure. I couldn’t induce a tear. Edited to add: I suppose if I \*had \*actually damaged the note, I would have committed a crime, in which case I would have had to refrain from posting about it. You’ll just have to trust me that this didn’t occur. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/25 "2010-03-05T05:09:33Z")
I was able to start a tiny rip in a [Canadian $20](http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/banknotes/general/character/2001-04_20.html) with no problem. And I’ve occaisionally gotten notes mangled, ripped, held together with tape… if the plastic ones are as tough as you say, it’ll be an improvement. I should go out and buy something now. The Canadian $20 is one of my favourite designs, especially the back. It has Haida art! How cool is that! ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/26 "2010-03-05T07:07:13Z")
Whole lotta love for the polymer notes, here. The huge advantage they bring is that they are practically unforgeable - there is a clear window in the body of them which would be almost impossible to duplicate with anything else. Even if you are given the note in a difficult environment like a nightclub, where you can’t pick up all the other clever anti-forgery stuff like microprinting and cunning alignments and so on, the clear window is unmistakeable, and the feel of the things is unique - I’ve never felt anything else that could credibly pass itself off as a note. The downside is that they can be a bit, err, colourful. But that too is deliberate so as to make forgery harder. When we changed to polymer, it was a very substantial improvement. IIRC, there was a small initial glitch with some of the coatings too readily wearing off, but that is well fixed now. The only slight problem is getting used to counting out multiple notes from a stack. You have to get used to the feel and the slipperiness - it’s a bit different from paper. And if they are wet, the process is a little more difficult still. But that’s a tiny problem against the advantages. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/27 "2010-03-05T07:16:43Z")
I had a fiver from Australia that I used to shock and awe people over here in Japan who didn’t know about our polymer currency. I’d challenge them to rip it down the middle. It lasted 3 years before succumbing to some high-school kid. It probably went through around 4000 or so solid attempts before doing so though. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/28 "2010-03-05T09:52:11Z")
I still have a heap of the old paper money. The plastic stuff may be better but it doesn’t feel the same. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/29 "2010-03-05T09:52:56Z")
Oh good , then we no longer need the loonie and toonie. Declan ---
**Author:** ![mecaenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@mecaenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mecaenas)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/30 "2010-03-05T11:15:46Z")
Congrats Canada, once you go polymer you don’t want to go back! Time for [colourful](http://www.business.vic.gov.au/busvicwr/_assets/main/lib60089/img_money.jpg), highly durable and dependable currency. I love our polymer notes and would be horrified by the idea of moving back to paper. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/31 "2010-03-05T15:23:01Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > The **Loonie** is the one dollar coin, 'cause it has a loon on it. > > The two dollar coin is the one with the gold circle and the silver outer ring. It’s called a **Toonie**. It is sometimes called a **Moonie** , because it has the Queen on the front, _[with a bear behind](http://www.globalclassroom.org/2004/spicer/loonie_toonie2013.jpg)_. > . Thank you! My knowledge of Canadian currency is not what it should be. ( samples for Labs freely accepted & greatly appreciated) _slight hijack_ Also, might you tell me about ‘Ontorio’? I’ve heard great things about the amazing province of [‘Ontario’](http://www.ontariotravel.net/), but surprisingly little about the economically thriving center that is ‘Ontorio’. Evidently, I have job skills that they need there: > [@](#): > > " Hi, > Hope you are doing good!! > > If you are an exact match for the below requirement please send me the most updated resume along with contact details to discuss ASAP… > > Job Title : Payroll Administrator > Location : Ontorio, Canada > Duration : 3-6 Months > " _/slight hijack_ ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/32 "2010-03-05T15:47:27Z")
Ont **o** rio is a small town in northern Saskatewan. It has a gas station and three houses, plus the ruins of a general store. It was the centre of a failed farming experiment by Icelanders, most of whom subsequently left, complaining of the cold. Its town mascot is the tundra mosquito (Aedes gigasangivoris), which has been known to suck a chihuahua dry in under two minutes. ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/33 "2010-03-05T18:53:44Z")
> [@mecaenas](#): > > Congrats Canada, once you go polymer you don’t want to go back! Time for [colourful](http://www.business.vic.gov.au/busvicwr/_assets/main/lib60089/img_money.jpg), highly durable and dependable currency. I love our polymer notes and would be horrified by the idea of moving back to paper. [Colour](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canadian_bills2.jpg) we already got. The colours in your link appear to be a little more vibrant. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/34 "2010-03-05T19:45:55Z")
Sigh. I wish we had cool Monopoly money in America. Granted, there’s a certain sobriety we like in our money that isn’t so present in those Lisa Frank-looking Australian things, but wouldn’t it be fun? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/35 "2010-03-05T19:56:09Z")
There was a time, in the not too distant past, where the whole world wanted for nothing else but to get their hands on greenbacks. Alas it seems now that getting any other country’s currrency is where the smart money is, and the fact that they use “cool Monopoly money” as legal tender is just a bonus. Whether this is a fashion or a phase of financial evolution is currently be determined. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/36 "2010-03-05T21:21:51Z")
A commenter on the Globe article points out something odd: the article says the notes will be made by an Australian company, but when s/he was in Guatemala and got plastic currency there, it was made by the Canadian Bank Note Co! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/37 "2010-03-05T21:47:08Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > I still have a heap of the old paper money. Do you keep it under your mattress, buried in jars in the back yard, folded into empty soup cans in the pantry? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/38 "2010-03-05T22:14:02Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > One thing though - don’t microwave them. Rumour is, they end up as a fairly expensive keychain thingy. Your money is made of [Shrinky Dinks](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrinky_Dinks)! ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/39 "2010-03-06T02:21:51Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Its town mascot is the tundra mosquito (Aedes gigasangivoris), which has been known to suck a chihuahua dry in under two minutes. A pet-bordello? Staffed totally by insects? That’s brilliant! That’s insane! That’s both brilliant and insane! You deserve a [Razzles](http://www.kandkkandies.com/images/razzles-sm.jpg) T-shirt… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344/40 "2010-03-08T16:59:42Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > A commenter on the Globe article points out something odd: the article says the notes will be made by an Australian company, but when s/he was in Guatemala and got plastic currency there, it was made by the Canadian Bank Note Co! I believe that the Australian company makes the polymer film used as a substrate, but that the Canadian company knows how to print on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-to-move-to-plastic-banknotes/531344.md?page=3)