Knowing your coins
Now that you have a grasp of preservation techniques for coins, you might want to familiarize yourself with the finer points of their anatomy. It is all part of your numismatic education and besides, you need to be informed and sound informed when you are buying coins at flea markets or coin fairs. You may need to talk the talk at coin fairs, but we don’t recommend you flaunt your new jargon at cocktail parties. We are under no illusions about this subject’s ability to break the ice with a prospective date and suggest you stick to light social commentary. But that’s for another blog and likely another blogger. For your own edification, take a look at our visual glossary.
The Museum Blog
January 20, 2026
Three 50-cent pieces: The big changes to our small change
By: Graham Iddon
The maple leaves, beavers, schooners and caribous appear unchanged every year on our regular issued coins. But the 50-cent piece is a different story, because every time our coat of arms has changed, so has the coin.
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December 22, 2025
New acquisitions—2025 edition
From rare toonies to Métis scrip art, the Bank of Canada Museum’s 2025 acquisitions show how money and the economy shape Canadian lives.
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