On Feb. 4, 2013, Canada stopped making pennies. While it seemed like a historic step, it didn’t upset many Canadians. Since then we just don’t have pennies anymore. Prices are just rounded up or down. If something is $ .92, we pay $ .90. If the item costs $ .93, we pay .95, and life goes on.
In 1987, Canada stopped printing $1.00 bills and instead made a $1.00 coin. The eleven-sided coin was to have the image of Voyageurs (Early French Canadian trappers who used canoes), but instead of sending the newly designed dies to the mint by secure couriers, the Canadian government saved $43 by putting them in the mail. The dies disappeared and the mint never received them.
Afraid that the dies might have fallen into the hands of counterfeiters, the government just decided to design a whole new coin. On this one they put a Loon on the front. It did arrive at the mint and was then put into circulation. Since it had a Loon on the front, everyone started calling it a “Loonie” and the name stuck. (Photo above).
In 1996, Canada introduced a two dollar coin. Everyone started calling it a “Twoonie.” It has Queen Elizabeth on one side and a bear on the other. It was a big joke to say that Canada has a coin showing Queen Elizabeth with a “bare” behind (bear behind).
Take a look at my paintings: davidmarchant2.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment