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    Army bills: Funding the War of 1812

    In 1812, British North America had no banks and little currency. With the prospect of war drying up supplies of coins, the government of Lower Canada decided to issue legal tender notes called “army bills” to pay for troops and supplies.

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    Needs or wants? That is the question!

    Do you need it, or do you want it? That’s an important question to ask before buying anything. This activity is designed to teach kids how to prioritize their needs and wants, and how to make informed choices when shopping.

    Teaching the green economy

    From windmills and solar panels to electric cars, signs of the green economy are all around us. Check out our resources for how to teach about the green economy.

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  • The Museum Blog

We’re the Currency Museum, not the Mint

By: Graham Iddon


February 14, 2014

To put it simply: the Mint makes coins and the Bank makes bank notes

“Is this the place I can pick up that gold bar? “

“So you guys make the coins, right?”

If we had a nickel for every time people asked questions like that, we’d have… Well, I suppose we have roughly that number of nickels already; we have a long history as a currency museum after all. When the museum was open, somebody would ask a similar question several times a week. We’ve even had visitors argue with us, convinced that we were the Mint and they had made reservations for a tour. It was also a regular occurrence for a busload of school children to come see us when they were meant to go to the Mint and vice-versa.

It seems that the Royal Canadian Mint and the Bank of Canada get easily confused in the minds of the public. Both are crown corporations that produce currency and the Bank’s museum featured dozens of display cases stuffed with coins. Who can blame our visitors for being confused, really? All that’s required is a little education.

That’s what we’re here for and that’s why our new museum will be showcasing the four functions of the Bank of Canada - functions that, important as it is in its own right, the Mint does not share with us.

  1. Designing, producing and distributing Canada’s bank notes, replacing worn notes, deterring counterfeiting through leading-edge bank note design, public education and collaboration with law-enforcement agencies.
  2. Contributing to solid economic performance and rising living standards for Canadians by keeping inflation low, stable and predictable. Since 1991, the Bank’s monetary policy actions toward this goal have been guided by a clearly defined inflation target.
  3. Promoting a stable and efficient financial system in Canada and internationally.
  4. Providing effective and efficient funds-management services for the Government of Canada, as well as on its own behalf and for other clients.

All that being said, the Mint really is a great place to visit. We strongly recommend you take a tour. In a few years, you can tour us too. Please remember, though, we’ll be the ones on Wellington Street where they don’t make the coins.

We want to hear from you! Do you have an idea for a blog post you’d like to see?
Content type(s): Blog posts

The Museum Blog

June 16, 2022

Army bills: Funding the War of 1812

By: David Bergeron, Graham Iddon


In 1812, British North America had no banks and little currency. With the prospect of war drying up supplies of coins, the government of Lower Canada decided to issue legal tender notes called “army bills” to pay for troops and supplies.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, History
May 5, 2022

Between tradition and technology

By: Graham Iddon


Collage, man at an easel, paintings of birds and a goose illustration with comments written on it.
What was proposed was a complete about-face from the philosophy behind recent security printing. If photocopiers could easily deal with the colours and designs of the current series, then the next series should be bold and simple.
Content type(s): Blog posts
April 21, 2022

Teaching the green economy

By: Adam Young


From windmills and solar panels to electric cars, signs of the green economy are all around us. Check out our resources for how to teach about the green economy.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Business and careers, Economy, Geography, Science, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
April 4, 2022

Talk to your kids about money

By: Heather Montgomery


Collage, ceramic pig on background of a bank book and a stamp folder with kids on it.
Introduce important financial skills to your children, and help them plan for their futures with free resources from the Bank of Canada Museum and others.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Financial literacy Grade level(s): Early childhood / Kindergarten, Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03, Grade 04, Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP

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30 Bank Street
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0G9, CANADA
613‑782‑8914

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