Happy Chinese New Year!
With the traditional exchange of Chinese red envelopes at this time of year, I thought it would be an auspicious time to compare Canadian and U.S. denominations.

Canadian and United States coins are similar, however, banknotes are aesthetically very different. Canadian bills are colour-coded by their denominations, whereas U.S. bills all have relatively the same colour tone.

MINTAGE / COINS
	Canada	USA
Value	Common Reference Image	Common Reference Image
$0.01	penny, cent CAD: withdrawn 2012	penny, wheat, cent
$0.05	nickel	nickel
$0.10	dime	dime
$0.25	quarter	quarter
$0.50	half-dollar CAD: non-circulation	half-dollar, 50-cent USA: limited circulation
$1.00	loonie	golden dollar, Sacajawea USA: limited circulation
$2.00	toonie	N/A

BANKNOTES / BILLS
	Canada	USA
Value	Common Reference Front/Back	Common Reference Front/Back
$1	dollar bill (no image available) CAD: withdrawn 1989	dollar bill, single, buck, bone George Washington Great Seal of the U.S.
$2	$2 bill (no image available) CAD: withdrawn 1996	Thomas Jefferson Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence USA: limited circulation
$5	$5 bill Sir Wilfred Laurier Canadarm2 and Dextre	fin Abraham Lincoln Lincoln Memorial
$10	$10 bill Sir John. A MacDonald Canada’s vast railway	sawbuck Alexander Hamilton U.S. Treasury
$20	$20 bill Queen Elizabeth II Canadian National Vimy Memorial	double-sawbuck Andrew Jackson White House
$50	$50 bill William Lyon Mackenzie King CCGS Amundsen	Grant Ulysses S. Grant U.S. Capitol
$100	$100 bill Sir Robert Borden Medical Innovation	Benjamins, C-notes Benjamin Franklin Independence Hall

The Bank of Canada is Canada’s sole banknote-issuing authority and is responsible for designing, producing, and distributing Canada’s banknotes. For coins, the Royal Canadian Mint produces Canada’s circulation coins and collector coins.

In the United States, the Federal Reserve System issues banknotes and places them in circulation, whereas the U.S. Mint is the authority on America’s circulation coins and collector coins.

Since late 2011, Canada began moving from paper money to polymer banknotes. U.S. bills remain as paper money.

The largest denomination circulated in Canada was the $1,000 bill. Printing of these $1,000 notes ceased in 2000. The largest denomination circulated in the U.S. was a whopping $100,000 bill! These $100,000 notes were only printed from December 1934 through January 1935.

Wishing you a Lunar year of the Horse that is rich with laughter, happiness and good health!