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 Replies: 12 / Views: 15,559 |
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Valued Member
United States
111 Posts |
What is the difference between US an Canadian coins like are they different in diameter or is thickness different or is the weight different?
John
Moved to Main forum - Sap
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Since they are from two different countries, there are no shared specifications other than the denominational units. Besides the European Union, almost all countries have their own unique coinage with different sizes and compositions.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2781 Posts |
numista.com will give you the specs of both countries coins (weights, diameters, metal comp etc).
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2868 Posts |
And even within the European Union there are only certain counteries in the Euro Zone that use a common currency. And even within that each country produces its own national designs on the Euro Coin reverses (same flans though).
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Moderator
 Australia
16806 Posts |
Even back in the 1800s when the US and Canadian dollars were pegged at par, the specifications of the coinages within the two systems were slightly different. For example, US silver coins were .900 fine, Canadian coins were sterling silver (.925 fine) and Canada continued to use "large" cents and small silver 5 cent coins until the 1920s.
The coins that are closest today are the 5 cent piece: prior to 2001, the composition was the same (cupronickel: 75% copper, 25% nickel) and the diameter was the same (21.2 mm). The weights (and therefore the thicknesses) were slightly different, with Canada being 4.6 grams and the US 5.0 grams. Canadian coins are now all made of plated steel, so the composition is different for the entire series (at least, until the US switches to plated steel as well).
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
921 Posts |
Here in Canada, we use the "loonie" instead of a dollar bill...same with the "toonie", which is $2.
Our 5,10,20 & 50 bill denominations are each a different color, with brail for the blind to identify. We recently changed over to polimer bills now, like in Austrailia. I believe just recently the USA added color to their bills, which I think is easier to recognise, rather than just all being green. Our pennies, nickles, dimes & quarters have the queen on it, also like Australia. I'm not sure if either coin denomination would weigh the same, or have the same diameter, but it would be really easy to identify a Canadian coin from an American coin in hand.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
What is the difference between US an Canadian coins like are they different in diameter or is thickness different or is the weight different? 1. I don't think they put our dead presidents on their coins 2.We don't put Queens or Kings on our coins. At least not now. 3. Some of their older ones had flat sides. Messed up a friend of mine's vending machines. 4. Lots of those Canadian ones stick to a magnet. Sort of like the ones the Chinese make of our coins. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3077 Posts |
May I ask why you asked this?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
9150 Posts |
One big difference is the way they are minted, Canadian coins are medallion type, you turn the coin from 9 oclock to 3 oclock US coins are called coinage coins (I belive) you turn then from 6 oclock to 12 oclock |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3692 Posts |
I know there are bumps but I'm not too sure that it's Braille on the paper money.
Another difference is that the US pumps out money like there's no tomorrow so accepting it as money in Canada is like shooting yourself in the foot.
The metal composition and method of minting is different, as well.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1066 Posts |
All I know from living in New York, is that they are the same size because they are found mixed in with change and in bank rolls with U.S. coins here quite often... They must not be the same weight because they get rejected trying to spend them or use them in U.S. coin operated machines.
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Valued Member
United States
339 Posts |
ive come across some canadian dimes while coin roll hunting dime rolls, pennies often get mixed up and mistaken as american as well
also found a 2 euro coin in my penny tray at work but I had no penny to switch it out with
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
The coins that are closest today are the 5 cent piece: prior to 2001, the composition was the same (cupronickel: 75% copper, 25% nickel) and the diameter was the same (21.2 mm). True for 1982 to 2001. Before that they were pure nickel most years and chrome plated steel in some even earlier years. |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 15,559 |
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Posted 09/06/2012 11:44 pm
