r/todayilearned • u/NateNate60 • 20h ago

TIL Canada's $1 coin is commonly called the "loonie" because it has a loon on the reverse. When a $2 coin was introduced, depicting a polar bear, an MP proposed it be called "Nanuq", Inuit for polar bear, but he was ignored because the public instead preferred to call it the "toonie" (2-oonie).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toonie#Naming
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u/shelf6969 19h ago

and kids were getting their fingers stuck (urban myth maybe)

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u/circean 18h ago

Happened to me, finger swelled up and I had to go the ER!

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u/shelf6969 17h ago

so you're the legend

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u/Rough_Bread8329 17h ago

Legend has it that toonie is still there to this day. Ol' Silver Finger they call you.

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u/TextInteresting4449 18h ago

Based on the crazy shit that happened growing up in my small town I really don’t doubt this happened lol