20-05-2025
More fake cash has been found in Canada — here are clues to help identify it
Canadians have been warned about a rash of counterfeit currency circulating across the country, including recent reports of fake $100 bills in
Winnipeg
and large denomination banknotes recently detected in
Barrie
.
But it's not just fake bills that are finding their way into Canadians' purses and pockets.
Ontario YouTube channel CAD Roll Hunter documented a newly discovered fake toonie in a video post earlier this week.
Unlike previous fake toonies that mimic older toonie designs, the new fakes appear to replicate the more modern $2 coins made after 2012. They include some of the enhanced security features, including vertical lines and maple leaves of the reverse (tails) side. But the fine details in the maple leafs on either side of the '2' may appear chunkier and bigger than the real toonie. The fake coins may also exhibit a frosted contrast between the design and the fields, like a proof coin struck with specially polished dies for collectors.
The CAD Roll Hunter YouTube channel focuses on Canadian coin roll hunting, a practice in which collectors pour through rolls of coins in search of interesting, or rare varieties.
CAD Roll Hunter's most recent toonie hunt reportedly revealed several fakes among a search of 1,000 $2 coins, although none appeared to be the newly discovered variety.
Brent W.J. Mackie, a Kitchener numismatist and treasurer of the Waterloo Coin Society, confirmed the new fake toonie variety, but said they are not prolific in circulation.
Previous fake toonies are distinguished by a split toe resembling a camel's foot on the polar bear's right paw. These fakes have been given the nickname 'camel toe' toonies.
'While the (new) design is certainly updated from the very common ones and they lack the telltale signs of the camel toe toonies, they appear to be extremely rare at this time,' Mackie said in an email. 'Indeed, only a very small quantity are even known to have been found in circulation.'
Mackie added he has not yet seen the latest fake toonie in person.
As for the more common varieties of fake toonies, Mackie said they are just as prevalent as ever.
'If you get a mixed box of toonies from the bank, you can expect to find at least a few fakes in there,' he said. 'There does not appear to be any decrease in the number of fakes in circulation.'
With assistance from Canadian counterfeit coin expert Mike Marshall, Mackie has documented the most common counterfeit toonies on his website,
.
In addition to the anomaly on the polar bear's right paw, the website includes the
'Montreal Mint'
toonies and the
'Z Dollard'
counterfeits, among others.
The Montreal Mint toonies were discovered in 2006 during a police raid at a metal token manufacturing facility in Repentigny, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal. Some of the fake coins made their way into circulation prior to the police raid. These fake coins are dated 2004 and 2005 and include normal polar bear designs. But the metal used for the ring is a darker grey colour compared to a genuine coin. The core can be more easily removed due to the lack of a locking mechanism and the coins have softer, less-defined features overall.
'Z Dollard' counterfeits may look like toonies from afar, but the differences are obvious on a closer view. Discovered in 2022, the coins feature an unknown figurehead instead of Queen Elizabeth, with a reverse legend that reads 'Z DOLLARD' instead of '2 DOLLARS.' These bizarre fakes are also dated 1990, six years before the first real toonies were issued in 1996.
A disclaimer on
notes that the website is designed solely for educational and reference purposes.
It warns: 'The collecting of counterfeit coins or currency is illegal and explicitly not condoned by this website.'
If you think you've found a fake toonie, the
Royal Canadian Mint
says you should report it to your local police service.
'Local law enforcement may work with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police once a complaint is filed,' the Mint notes online. 'We encourage customers to purchase numismatic coins only from reputable coin dealers.'
