http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/201106 ... ey-unveiling-110620/
http://www.bankofcanada.ca/2011/06/pres ... ada-unveils-polymer/
When I went to Vietnam in 2006, they recently had their new bills in circulation. And I found them strange: they were using really smooth plastic, seemed to last long, rip-proof, water-proof, essentially rape-proof. (Except to fire, because I went home for a funeral and it's tradition to burn 20,000đ, 50,000đ, 100,000đ and 200,000đ bills.)
Problem was, the designs were ugly. Every bill had that saggy old dictator to the side and security method that easily got dirty (being in a developing country where EVERYONE drives motorcycles that are fueled with **** gas). Knowing that Canada's won awards for their banknote designs, I'm counting on seeing designs that make me proud, as were the Canadian Journey series of bills and reading through the list of themes that the Bank of Canada has decided on what will GO on the designs, I'm happy.
Hey, and since it's polymer, they last longer too, as opposed to the 1-2 year lifespan of a 5 & 10 dollar bill. I'll have to rid the habit of preparing envelopes to send in mutilated bills! Yay!