What Are Canadian Coins and Banknotes Made Of?
Learn about the materials and engineering behind Canada's durable and secure currency.
Canadian currency facilitates daily transactions and underpins economic activity. The physical composition of coins and banknotes provides insight into their resilience and integrated security measures. Materials are chosen to ensure durability and to deter counterfeiting, contributing to the reliability of Canadian money in circulation.
Composition of Canadian Coins
The Royal Canadian Mint produces Canadian coins using specific metallic compositions tailored for each denomination. Most contemporary Canadian coins incorporate multi-ply plated steel technology. This innovative construction involves a steel core that is then coated with layers of different metals. For instance, the five-cent coin, commonly known as a nickel, is made of multi-ply plated steel with nickel plating, a change from its historical composition of pure nickel.
Similarly, the ten-cent coin (dime) and the twenty-five-cent coin (quarter) also feature multi-ply plated steel with nickel plating. The one-dollar coin, or loonie, utilizes multi-ply plated steel with bronze plating, which provides its distinct golden appearance. The two-dollar coin, known as a toonie, is a bi-metallic coin. Its outer ring consists of multi-ply nickel-plated steel, while the inner core is multi-ply brass-plated aluminum bronze.
These material choices offer both cost-effectiveness and enhanced resistance to wear and tear. The steel core in many denominations imparts magnetic properties, which aids in their authentication and use in vending machines. The plating technology also helps extend the coin’s lifespan in circulation.
Composition of Canadian Banknotes
Current Canadian banknotes are produced from a polymer material, a significant shift from the previous cotton-paper blend. This polymer substrate provides enhanced durability, resisting tearing, water damage, and extreme temperatures. Its smooth, non-porous surface also repels dirt and moisture, extending the notes’ lifespan to at least 2.5 times longer than their predecessors.
The polymer material allows for the seamless integration of advanced security features directly into the banknote’s structure, making them more difficult to counterfeit. These features include transparent windows, which are a hallmark of Canadian polymer currency. For example, a large transparent area typically contains a metallic portrait and a metallic building that change color when the note is tilted. A smaller, frosted maple leaf window also features a transparent outline.
Raised ink, known as intaglio printing, provides a distinct tactile feel on specific elements of the note, such as the large numeral, the shoulders of the main portrait, and the words “Bank of Canada” and “Banque du Canada”. This tactile feature assists individuals with visual impairments in identifying different denominations. Additionally, hidden numbers can be observed within the transparent maple leaf window when held to a single light source. The transition to polymer banknotes began in 2011, with the goal of improving both the security and longevity of Canadian currency in circulation.