This coin is cool, but it isn't intended for circulation so one wonders how durable the design is.

I actually think the 'poppy quarters'[1] are a bit cooler, because they've been in use since 2004. At the time they were the first coloured coin in circulation. They were unusual enough that American military contractors visiting canada even raised an alert that they might be espionage devices.[2]

[1] http://www.canada.com/poppy+coin+introduced+Canada/3806046/s...

[2] http://www.thestar.com/news/article/211189--u-s-feared-poppy...

Not exactly, the Canadian mint rolls out all kinds of customized quarters in fact if you are Canadian look in your pocket and and I bet you'll have a differing quarter.

They could charge a lot more if they did the same effect to Her Majesty on the reverse side. You know, just lighting up the bones.

First you laughed at their pitiful loonie

Then it reached parity

Now even the quarters are worth $29.95

You gota give it to them, their polymer money is beautiful too:

http://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknotes/

Several years back I was backpacking around Asia and that's where I saw this "plastic" money. I thought they were fantastic, the paper stuff around was falling apart yet here was something that I could keep in my board shorts, going swimming with, not worry about someone stealing it from my wallet that I had to leave at the beach, and I could then use it straight away without to individually dry them out again! Or putting it through the washing machine :)

I didn't realise Canada had them too! Kinda surprised more countries are not using them, the security features (like the see through window) must be a lot harder to replicate, as well as looking pretty cool!

They're just being rolled out in Canada. So far, just the 100 and the 50 have been released into general circulation. I'll be glad when the 20, 10 and 5 are released; with the popularity of debit, I don't tend to have reason to carry large bills.

They are using the same Aussi plastic.

So now you will be able to go surfing off Newfoundland and the money stuffed into your bikini will still be fine to spend on the beach.

So to tie back to a recent HN Story... The Polymer money was developed by the notorious Patent Troll CSIRO ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer_banknote )

* That being said -- while I think the technology is good -- it feels like the selling process is pretty average: http://www.smh.com.au/business/police-refer-securency-eviden... )

The 'patent troll' CSIRO is funded by Australian tax-payers and any money they make from patents is rolled back into research.

You may not like the outcome, but it's hardly fair to put them into the same category as one-person corporations who buy patents with the sole purpose of suing over their use.