Canada to make plastic bills

Just read this article thought some would also like it. Following suite with other countries Canada will begin to make plastic 10 and 20$ bills.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/open-your-wallets-for-plastic-cash/article1489845/

I know a few other countries do this (Australia?). What are your thoughts about this? Has anyone used the plastic bills?

Later

 

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A aussie friend of mine sent me a few notes from there and I think they are pretty cool. Seemed pretty durable.

 

I think its kind of cool it will create some new varieties to collect. I wonder if they are going to change the design.

 

From my readings of the news articles on this in Canada, they are going to start with $10 and $20 bills, and I suppose in a year or two later, they will do the $50 and $100 bill.

I am surprised that they aren't starting with the $5 bill, as this would seem to be the most used, but then maybe they are holding off, until they "officially" make up their mind about keeping the $5 bill or making a $5 coin instead.

Perhaps I am reading between the lines too much, but if I were going to start making polymer banknotes, I would start with the $5 bill first, and not skip it to later.

 

I thought the same thing but in the past when the Bank of Canada changed the currency design they started with the twenty. I guess its because it is the most counterfeited denomination.

 

Hey Mat, Could you post um? The concept sounds cool!!

 

There are polymer bank notes being used in Regional Currencies* in Germany presently, such as seen with the 2010 Germany Dachau 1, 5, 10 Amper Talers (the 1 is attached, from an eBay auction).

* There are many places actively involved in Local Currencies and creating their own notes and units of trade. Germany is quite successful with them, as is the Baroon Dollar (Au), Berkshares (MA), Ithaca Hours (NY), and others. Given the economy and some resistance to the EURO in that part of the world local currencies are flourishing as they have in the past when historically local communities sought to shelter themselves from outside economic factors. There is a small area of paper money collectors out there who are into collecting these notes too.

 

whoa, thats kinda neat. The Austraila money is nice, my parents went there and got me some. seems like it'd last longer then just the paper.

 

I sure hope they don't start using plastic for their coins.

The idea of plastic currency sort of puts a new spin on the expression: "money that can melt in your hands."

I wonder if is the kind of plastic that is biodegratable for the landfills?

Trust me, more bad jokes will be coming. Paper, plastic, (hogwash)--- now palladium, or platinum - well then you are talking.

Recycled plastic most likely for families to recycle their dollars. Give me a 5 dollar coin in any metal is what I have to say......(darn gold digger that I am).

 

Mills used to be common in the States for paying state sales tax. You still find them around in quantities. They didn't melt in your hands. :whistle: In today's world bio and recycled materials would be the marketing points to generate public interest in seeing such things had a successful implementation.

 

Excellent Chris, Those are cool

 

I think it's a good idea. A paper banknote usually lasts about 18-24 months, while a polymer note might survive 3-4 times that long.

One day our children's children will ask, "Why did they used to call it paper money?"

Unless the Mayans are right and the world ends in 2012. :whistle:

 

I like polymer notes, they do seem to last a lot longer than regular ones and i hope the U.S. goes in that direction eventually or switches to a dollar coin.They just need to realize that the only way a dollar coin is going to circulate well is to do away with the dollar bill

 

Even if plastic lasts longer than paper, leaving paper will mark an era of much much legacy, innovation and will be leaving a more eco friendly (paper) solution behind... plastic will simply be a newer different era, plastics will outlive people and if a 2012 scenario is in our future or we simply fade away plastic will be around for a lot longer, most likely.

I'm sure mints/treasuries have done the research but regarding the argument that plastic notes will last longer seems like a problem regarding counterfeiting. The good thing now about paper technology and papers lifespan being so short is that there are more easily integrated anti-counterfeiting measures that can be implemented. With the idea that plastic notes can last longer, this may give counterfeiters more time to get their dark craft right and get by with fake notes, deceiving the public and governments far longer than they currently might be. Just a thought.

 

Paraguay issued a polymer 2.000 Guaranies banknote last year. It feels weird to the hand when holding with other common paper notes.
It's dated 2008 but very rare to see in circulation. I think people are saving them for collecting purposes.

 

Your right!! The durability would be a plus!!

 

The polymer notes may last longer but if they become obsolete due to advances in counterfeiting vs. anti-counterfeiting, that durability may be a moot point of benefit, especially if they need to pull them from circulation while still deemed materially usable but obsolete as issued to deter such threats. I'm curious how government treasuries implementing polymer notes have decided how to handle this. I do like the idea of polymer notes but will miss paper if it is a technology left behind.
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Nice, I cant wait to see some of these in circulation. Ever since I heard about these types of notes I've wondered what it would be like using them daily.

 

I'm pretty sure they melt the old ones they take in and reuse the material in new notes.

I have two polymer Australian notes that a buisness associate over there sent me.





I will have to see if my friend in Canada can secure me flat, unwrinkled copies of these when they are introduced

 

And elsewhere "in that part of the world" they have failed. This "local money" (complementary currency) tends to work in small towns and rural areas; in bigger cities they are fringe phenomenons or non-existent. But I guess it is not exactly surprising that somebody like Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (the main source of the wiki-europa.info article you linked to) would ignore anything that does not match his view of the euro. Now as collectors items, quite a few of them are neat indeed.

One problem is that every country which wants to have such polymer notes will have to get them made in Australia, or at least get a license from them. I suppose that could be a political issue in some countries ...

Christian