I will go on record, though, to say that the Canadian $5 dollar bill is the coolest bank note on the planet. Okay, so the face side has the crusty old diplomat of European descent: Wilfrid Laurier, the first French Canadian Prime Minister. The second side, however, has a portrait entitled "Children at Play," featuring a pond-full of kids playing "shinny," or pick-up hockey.
Our bank notes got a face-lift over the past couple of years. Our European forefathers got bigger, greener portraiture while the artwork remained pretty much the same. I wondered
what, if anything, they might have put on the back depicting American "Children at Play." I remember as a kid, I couldn't wait to get to the park after school to play baseball, throw my arms up in the air like Carlton Fisk as I sent the tennis ball sailing over the right field wall. Am I harking back to a by-gone era, or do kids actually do that anymore?
On second thought, keep the Lincoln Memorial.
35 comments:
We laugh at the loonies and toonies here in Canada as well. We have so much change here now you almost need a sack to hold your money when you go to the store. It's nuts.
I do like the hockey player $5.
And your depiction of todays kids idea of play would make an amusing scene for your paper money..
I love our funny money here north of the border. It's easy to tell 'em all apart, and the jingle of the loonies and toonies in my pocket convinces me that I actually still have some buying power in my midst.
I LOVED your comment on my blog today. I appreciate your coming to my defense. Methinks Mr. Bud simply didn't know how to express himself...this kind of thing always happens when folks post anonymously.
I came here, intrigued by your comment over at God Has Wheels. If I had more time--and hadn't been at a computer for an entire work day already, I'd still be reading. I like your rambles.
I would collect and save US currency if it had either the hockey artwork or the fat kid eatin' candy picture. Perhaps that's why the government insists on making our money more ugly; so we will spend it as quickly as possible.
When I visit the playgrounds for pickup basketball games these days there is a noticeable decline in players compared to when I was a kid. The era of which you speak is fading fast.
It is pretty, isn't it?! Too bad about the coin situation. It's far too easy to spend a looney or twoonie or a few, they don't feel like "real" money.
I never knew $2 had a name in Canada. Living near Detroit, we too get our share of Canadian coins and i knew the $1 was a loonie but I never knew what a "toonie" was. The american currency would either have kids watching spongebob on it or kids getting their ass kicked or shot on that ball field you once played on as a kid.
So if we had that picture of the kid pigging out on our money, that just might keep me from snacking! What a great idea. It could work.
Children playing in the park? Huh!
Thanks for dropping by my blog! I LOVE SNOOPY and the peanuts gang!
Go education!
I've never seen that bill before. Yeah, our kids would be sitting on their butts, worshipping the almighty X Box.
(PS: "They're really, really people too!" Before I typed Shields and Yarnell, I thought of Paul Lynde. But he's dead.)
Hello, Michele sent me. time for downtime and relax for the rest of the week. Have a nice and warm weekend then. Cheers!
Kids "worshiping the almighty Xbox", or smoking meth or pulling drive-bys. Of course, drive-bys are a bit passe', now that Tookey Williams jetted for the Great Dominos Party in the Sky.
Why can't our money be something cool like Loonies and Toonies?
The kid at the end of the post would be perfect for the cash, but I feel like he needs to have either an illegal drug, or a bottle of rittalin, either one would work.
We get a lot of Canadian money here in Massachusetts, too, especially this time of year when the folks from Moncton come down in droves to visit their kin for the holidays.
I prefer the old Dutch money to the Canadian bills. They were gorgeous and I think going to the Euro was a bad choice for them. Most reviled: Italian bills. Ugly and weird sizes. The Euro did them a good thing.
Michele sent me.
Paul Lynde is dead? Wow, where have I been?
At Michele's, apparently.
Love the 5 note. And yes, our money sucks. No originality at all. A necessary evil I suppose.
Here via Michele.
children playing on the back of a national currency? how cool is that! the philippine peso isn't as whimsical. :)
Hey Prego. Absolument je suis bilingue. Malheureusement, London est un peu trop anglophone pour moi.
I definitely miss living in the middle of a French milieu. It sure would be nice if this burg could be a little more diverse.
Hi again, Prego. Michele sent me.
Hi here from Michele's, good post, I think I may do one about our notes.
Your money is so much more fun than our dead presidents ovah heah. :)
Hello, Michele sent me!
Well heck, now for Chrstmas I want a Canadian $5 bill...that's way too cool to be money.
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I think today's kids revert to form when adults stop plying them with endless planned activities and overstimulating toys. When I watch our 5-year-old play with Lego, I know that all is right with the world.
I like that image.
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At least you are like us ( New Zealand )and your notes are easy to recognise the different denoms. I have a horrible time in the States and stand there looking at every note trying to make sure I don't give away my money lol
Ooops Michele sent me
Way cool thing to put on your money. The Canadians have a much nicer world view than us stiff & boring Brits obviously! Although calling your $1&2 coins loonies & toonies is asking not to be taken seriously:-)
Michele sent me today. Lets try again shall we?
Halo.
Our updated money would have a picture of kids playing Halo.
In Master Chief we trust.
I have fond memories of our two dollar bill. I can't remember the image BUT I know it was a lovely orange colour.
How friggin cheerful and nice is that?
Calendar Girl
stopping by from michele's meet n greet. The money in Aus is way better than the US dollar. Have you ever seen it? Color coded and indestructable!
That is a beautiful piece of currency!!! SO much prettier than ours...
Here by way of Michele!
Hi, Michele sent me. I loved to be outside when I was kid. Kids today definitely should be outside more instead of watching tv and playing video games.
You're right, Plum -
as a canadian i must say, if carmi has not already done, that our dollar is currently worth more than 80US cents. i know this because my husband gets paid in US dollars and we so wish the american dollar would do better and the canadian would do worse. these are not good times, people. we took a cheque in the other day and got less than 1.13 Canadian for each US dollar. that is not good. not good one bit.
and how observant you noticing what is on the rear end of a canadian fiver. i am embarrassed to admit that i didn't know that. what's on the back of our other money?
What's on the back of the others? Good question. The old 50 had horses but I think its some bird now. One of them used to have a run of logs in a river but I think they all switches to wildlife then culture. I only use interact these days really.
no doubt a portrait of an overweight little boy with a fried chicken leg in one hand and a play station controller in the other is just not good art.
michele sent me
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