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New Acquisitions

By: David Bergeron


August 5, 2016
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My Canadian Tire “Money” Rewards Card

The iconic Sandy McTire has appeared on many issues of Canadian Tire coupons. On the newer issues his portrait was moved to the right side of the note. Canadian Tire Corporation, 10 cents, coupon, 1961. (NCC 1966.160.2816)

My dad loved shopping at Canadian Tire! It had all sorts of items for the DIYer or handyman—everything he needed to fix his car, repair a toilet, replace a burnt-out light bulb. When I was a kid, I liked going to Canadian Tire with my dad because he gave me the Canadian Tire money that he would receive along with his change. Perhaps to him the low denominations were insignificant and he couldn’t be bothered to save them. But to me, saving Canadian Tire money was pretty cool; especially since I was too young to handle real money. I was about 9 years old, I guess, before I had managed to save enough Canadian Tire money to buy a bike. It cost around $60. At the cashier, I pulled out an enormous wad of mostly 5, 10 and 25 cent bills (with the occasional dollar). With such large stack of bills bulging out of my pockets, I felt rich!

A lot of money for 1961. Then, Canadian Tire paid 5% cash back on cash purchases, but today the amount is more like 0.5%. Canadian Tire Corporation, 1 dollar, coupon, 1961. (NCC 1967.36.2)

Although I’m a numismatist and career curator of a currency collection, I have never collected Canadian Tire money. Yes, there is a club of Canadian Tire money collectors called the Canadian Tire Coupon Collectors Club (CTCCC). It was founded in 1990 and has members across Canada and the United States. I’m not sure how many members there are, but it’s a thriving club with a quarterly publication, a website and an active meeting schedule. Its mascot, if you will, is Sandy McTire. The Scottish tam-sporting, tartan scarf-wearing, handlebar moustachioed chap has graced the face of Canadian Tire coupons—they’re actually coupons, not currency—since the late 1950s. He was supposed to represent a thrifty Scotsman, “the 1950s everyman of blue-collar Canadian,” to quote Wikipedia. For a non-collector who simply liked to save Canadian Tire money in order to buy something with it, I never really paid much attention to Canada’s most famous and recognized rewards program, nor its long history.

Canadian Tire money came in a wide range of denominations: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 60 cents as well as 1 and 2 dollars. Canadian Tire Corporation, 4 cents, coupon, 1962. (NCC 1968.249.7)

The name “My Canadian Tire Money™”, ironically uses the term “Money”. The coupons were never officially money, but that was what people called them anyway. Canadian Tire Corporation, rewards card, 2015. (NCC 2015.47.1)

Now it would appear that this long history will soon be another memory of my childhood. Back in 2012, the Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) piloted a new program with a loyalty/rewards card and key tag that would allow patrons to accumulate Canadian Tire rewards points as an alternative to receiving the iconic cash‑like coupons.

In fact, Canadian Tire money is printed by Canadian Bank Note Company, the same security printing firm that prints Bank of Canada notes, Canada’s legal money. Even though I never really had an attachment to Canadian Tire money, apart from spending it, I am somewhat saddened to think that this part of Canadiana, one that even passed for real money at one time, will become extinct and replaced by yet another rewards card. I guess you can’t stop progress. And companies like Canadian Tire Corporation are constantly being challenged to find ways to cut costs and remain profitable. It is not clear exactly if or when CTC will stop issuing Canadian Tire money but, nevertheless, it will impact those that actively collect it or spend it.

The National Currency Collection has examples of Canadian Tire money and it has recently added to its collection a Canadian Tire rewards card.

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

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The Museum Blog

February 26, 2025

New acquisitions—2024 edition

By: David Bergeron, Krista Broeckx


Bank of Canada Museum’s acquisitions in 2024 highlight the relationships that shape the National Currency Collection.
Content type(s): Blog posts
February 11, 2025

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By: Phillipe Audet-Cayer, Graham Iddon, Patricia Marando


Buck, broke, greenback, loonie, toonie, dough, flush, gravy train, born with a silver spoon in your mouth… No matter how common the expression for money, many of us haven’t the faintest idea where these terms come from.
Content type(s): Blog posts
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Photo, collage, a photograph and a drawing of an elderly White man in a high collar and old-fashioned suit.
The Bank of Canada Museum’s collection has a new addition: an artwork called Free Ride by Frank Shebageget. But why would a museum about the economy buy art?
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Arts, History
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By: Graham Iddon


An item is said to have cultural value when it can be directly associated with the history, people, beliefs or rituals important to a society. It’s the same with a rai—its value can be greater depending upon who authorized it, who carved it and who subsequently owned it.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Geography, History Grade level(s): Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
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By: Graham Iddon


A welfare coupon and piece of stock ticker tape over a 1930s black and white photo of unemployed men gathering to protest.
What the stock market crash of 1929 did was starkly reveal the weaknesses of economic systems that had evolved from the unregulated capitalism of the late 19th century.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Financial literacy, History Grade level(s): Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
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Newfoundland’s entry into Confederation marked the end of an era when Canadian provinces issued their own coins and paper money.
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December 19, 2023

New Acquisitions—2023 Edition

By: David Bergeron, Krista Broeckx


It’s that time of the year again—the wrap-up of the Bank of Canada Museum’s annual acquisition program. Here are a few highlights of the latest additions to the National Currency Collection.
Content type(s): Blog posts
November 27, 2023

Mo’ money, mo’ questions

By: Heather Montgomery


But what do you do with money once you have it? That’s for you to decide. A budget can really help. It will allow you to keep track of what you earn (income) and what you spend (expenses).
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Financial literacy Grade level(s): 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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Understanding cryptocurrencies

By: Graham Iddon


Un circuit imprimé d’un ordinateur avec des dizaines de circuits et un ventilateur.
Most of us are aware of them, but how much do we really understand about cryptocurrencies?
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