# Why do so many of my $5 bills have Spock on them instead of Wilfrid Laurier? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871 "2010-02-06T01:19:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/81 "2010-02-13T20:54:38Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > ::Goes and gets bill:: > How about right under his ear, by his collar, on the left side of the bill? Yup, it fits in there nicely. šŸ™‚ First one has been tagged and released at the Avatar snack counter. Next one is teed up and ready to go. I figure the Olympics is a good time to be letting them go free. . ---
**Author:** ![malibu400](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/848f3c/32.png) [@malibu400](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malibu400)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/82 "2010-02-13T21:28:28Z")
haha, i guess i could embrace the trend. perhaps it may confuse/intrigue some of the olympian visitors coming through this week.šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/83 "2015-03-02T21:53:21Z")
Bump. In honour of Mr. Nimoy. Apparently this ([Spocking your fives](http://ibackpackcanada.com/spock-five-the-new-canadian-currency/)) is once again gaining traction in Canada. I, for one, am proud! ---
**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 2, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/84 "2015-03-02T22:07:09Z")
{Checks wallet for fivesā€¦} ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/85 "2015-03-02T22:13:11Z")
Isnā€™t Vancouver kind of like the Seattle of B.C., i.e. with a ratehr large tech community? Techies love sci-fi, especially the Star Trek franchise (I prefer TNG over ToS, myself). I could easily see the meme of defacing fives get enough of a hold that seeing the results would be a common occurrence. p.s. Sorry for not knowing who Wilfrid Laurier is. The little bit I know about Canada I learned from my Victoria-born grandmother, and founding-era history didnā€™t come up much in our talks. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/86 "2015-03-02T22:19:16Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > {Checks wallet for fivesā€¦} I donā€™t know how it would look on the new fives, come to think of it. And I very seldom get the paper ones anymore. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/87 "2015-03-02T22:23:19Z")
Links in this thread generally donā€™t work, but: Samples of Spock $5ā€™s: > **[Canadians "Spock" their banknotes to honor Leonard Nimoy](https://qz.com/353488/canadians-spock-their-banknotes-to-honor-leonard-nimoy)** > > "Spocking fives" is a fine Canadian tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/88 "2015-03-02T23:02:10Z")
Maybe Spock is Sir Wilfred Laurier. Might want to have a word with him about that Ross rifle procurement. ---
**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 3, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/89 "2015-03-03T17:03:08Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I havenā€™t seen Spock on a five yet. > **[LOOK: Enjoy Them While You Can](https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/spock-and-snape-canadian-5-bills-are-sadly-doomed-photos_n_3818218)** > > LOOK: Enjoy Them While You Can ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/90 "2015-03-03T17:34:47Z")
Try defacing gold pressed latinum? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/91 "2015-03-03T17:56:40Z")
Bank of Canada sez: ā€œNow cut that out, everyone! Leave our fivers pristine!ā€ > **['Star Trek' fans told to stop 'Spocking' Canadian $5 bill](https://torontosun.com/2015/03/03/star-trek-fans-told-to-stop-spocking-5-bill)** > > Bank of Canada executives have urged Star Trek fans to stop a campaign to deface currency as a tribute to late actor Leonard Nimoy. > > A drive was launched inā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/92 "2015-03-03T18:13:43Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > When I first read the title, thatā€™s what I assumed, tooā€¦then I read the full OP, which includes the phrase ā€œcanadian billsā€, and I was somewhat less confused. Iā€™m still a bit confused about why so many $5 are being defaced in a particular way, no matter what country theyā€™re in.cash. I still canā€™t figure out why Lincoln isnā€™t on Canadian fivesā€¦ and itā€™s been half a decade! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/93 "2015-03-03T18:16:25Z")
> [@malibu400](#): > > [http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/770/dsc01101un.jpg](http://img521.imageshack.us/i/dsc01101un.jpg/) all I get are ads. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/94 "2015-03-03T18:23:24Z")
it should seem obvious that fivers would be the target, as the Vulcan salute looks like a V ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871/95 "2015-03-03T19:06:27Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > James T. Kirk, Admiral (Retd.), U.S.P.S.F., was/will be (notionally) born in Riverside, Iowa, in 2233. It is William A. Shatner who was born in Montrel, QC, n 1931. Similarly, Cdr. (Eng.) Montgomery Scott was notionally born in Linlithgow, Scotland, in 2222; Jimmy Doohan was from Vancouver. > > Sheesh! Next thing, youā€™ll be telling us that Spock was from Boston, MA, and played Shakespearean roles before joining Starfleet! šŸ˜‰ Fool of a Ferengi! Scotty retired as a captain! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-of-my-5-bills-have-spock-on-them-instead-of-wilfrid-laurier/527871.md?page=4)