Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian": Thoughts From a "Lost Canadian" About Loonies & Toonies

Growing up in Michigan, I have been a little familiar with Canadian money as occasionally I would end up with Canadian coins as they once-in-a-while mixed in with USA coins, but since I've learned I'm a "Lost Canadian" I thought it would be a beneficial thing to learn about Canadian money - and I have to say I've learned some surprising and impressive things!

There are those who say Canadian money looks like Monopoly money: Canada's polymer bills are vibrant, colorful (a blue $5, purple $10, green $20, etc.), and practically indestructible.
For a bit of history, people in Britain’s Canadian colonies used a variety of different currencies to buy things, including British pounds, American dollars, Spanish pesos, and even unique colonial currencies made by local banks and governments. In 1867, the new unified Canadian government gained exclusive constitutional power over currency, and in 1870 it used this power to pass the Dominion Notes Act (now known as the Currency Act) which made the Canadian Dollar ($) the official currency of Canada.
Canada's official currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, often written as $ or C$). It is divided into 100 cents and issued by the Bank of Canada (plastic money) and the Royal Canadian Mint (coins).
Coins in circulation include the 5¢ (Nickel), 10¢ (Dime), 25¢
(Quarter), and $1 and $2 coins. The $1 coin features a loon and is famously nicknamed the "loonie", while the bi-metallic $2 coin is known as the "toonie".
The 1-cent penny was officially phased out in 2012, meaning cash transactions are rounded to the nearest five cents.
The CAD is often called the "loonie" in currency markets and serves as a major global reserve currency due to Canada’s economic stability. Its value often correlates with global oil and commodity prices.
Canada’s plastic (polymer) money is bright, highly secure, and features vibrant portraits and transparent windows. Each colorful bill features a large transparent section with a metallic hologram, a smaller frosted maple leaf window, and raised ink to prevent counterfeiting.
Canadian bank notes are: Secure - The new $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 polymer notes have leading-edge security features which are easy to verify and hard to counterfeit. Durable - Polymer notes last at least 2.5 times longer than cotton-paper notes, saving money in processing and replacement costs. Innovative - These notes combine transparency and holography to make for one-of-a-kind currency. Better for the environment - Because polymer notes last longer, they will have a reduced impact on the environment compared with cotton-paper notes. They will also be recycled.
Canada’s smallest bill, the $5, is blue and features a portrait of
former prime minister Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919), the first
French-Canadian to lead Canada. On the reverse, it depicts the Canadarm, a robotic arm that was designed in Canada and used on NASA missions between 1981 and 2011.
The purple $10 bill features a portrait of John A. Macdonald
(1815-1891), Canada’s first prime minister and founder of the nation. On the back, there’s a tribute to the cross-country Canadian railroad — Macdonald’s signature accomplishment — and a picture of The Canadian, which is the Vancouver-to-Toronto train service run by VIA Rail, Canada’s state-run railway.
The $20 has an aged, green portrait of Canada’s monarch,
Queen Elizabeth II (b. 1926) on it. She used to be on the $1 and $2 bills, too, back when those existed. The other side features the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which is a monument in France honoring the more than 3,000 Canadians who died in the Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917), a decisive allied victory in World War I (1914-1918).
Canada’s red $50 banknote depicts William Lyon Mackenzie
King (1874-1950), the famously eccentric prime minister who led Canada through World War II (1939-1945) and much of the early-to-mid 20th century. The reverse depicts the CCGS Amundsen, which is a state-of-the-art icebreaker ship which is used to help the Canadian Coast Guard do research and exploration work in the Canadian arctic.
Last and most obscurely, we have the Canadian 100 dollar bill,
featuring the face of Robert Borden (1854-1937), who was prime minister of Canada during World War I (1914-1918). The back has a salute to Canadian science research, including a depiction of insulin, which was discovered by Canadian scientist Frederick Banting (1891-1941).
As an additional security feature, the polymer banknotes feature hidden numbers which are revealed when looking at a light source through the frosted maple leaf.
And last, but absolutely NOT least, Canadian money smells like maple syrup! The Bank of Canada officially denies adding any scent to the polymer (plastic) bills. However, it remains a wildly popular myth and debate, with many Canadians swearing the freshly minted notes emit a distinct, sugary aroma. Some psychologists suggest it could be an optical illusion where seeing the iconic maple leaf on the bill tricks the brain into smelling it.