It’s Canada’s 150th birthday on Saturday, but Friday is all about the loonie.
The iconic Canadian went into circulation on June 30th, 1987, meaning Friday is its 30th birthday.
Happy 30th birthday to the #loonie! #OnThisDay in 1987, 80 million coins were circulated across Canada. Photo by Tony Bock. pic.twitter.com/tphBT2VTu9
— Star Historic Pix (@STARHistoricPix) June 30, 2017
On that day 30 years ago, 80 million loonies were put into circulation around the country.
Since then, 1.3 billion loonies have been produced in Canada, with the average lifespan of the one-dollar coin lasting around 20 years.
If you put all the loonies that have ever been made in a side-by-side line, they’d span across Canada’s entire national highway system, which is more than 37,000 kilometres.
The first commemorative loonie came out in 1992, celebrating Canada’s 125th birthday, and there have been 17 more since then.
Can you guess how many different designs the Loonie has had since 1987? Find the answer here: https://t.co/WUWv03wlYs #Loonie30 pic.twitter.com/UtryubHoGU
— Royal Canadian Mint (@CanadianMint) June 29, 2017
That includes a lucky loonie for every Olympics since the 2004 games in Athens and one for the 100th anniversaries of the Montreal Canadiens, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Grey Cup and Parks Canada.
The loonie is an 11 sided coin, making it the only non-circular coin among Canadian currency.
According to the Royal Mint, the loonie is 6.27 grams, making it about as heavy as a piece of paper.
On #ThisDayInHistory 1987, the Loonie enters circulation. The day before Canada turns 150, this coin celebrates its 30th birthday! pic.twitter.com/aaLdKM93Ar
— HISTORY Canada (@HistoryTVCanada) June 30, 2017
It’s gained notoriety for being a lucky coin for Canadians and it’s been buried at center ice during various international hockey competitions, including the 2002 Olympics where both Canada’s men and women’s teams won gold.
Happy birthday loonie, here’s to another 30 years of heavy pockets!
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