Since becoming a floating currency, the Canadian dollar has flirted around the value of the US dollar.
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Rates last updated September 30th, 2015
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Western Union International Money Transfers
Send money online to friends and family around the world with Western Union.
AUD 1
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ANZ International Money Transfer
Send money safely to over 60 countries in as little as two days. Available to those with an ANZ bank or credit card account.
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2 days
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TorFX International Money Transfers
TorFX guarantee to beat any competitor's exchange rate for a transaction. Conditions apply.
AUD 200
1 day
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OzForex International Money Transfers
Transfer amounts over $1,000 in as little as one day and make scheduled regular transfers.
AUD 1,000
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World First Foreign Exchange
Transfer money into a range of currencies online and over the phone.
AUD 250
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HSBC Multi Currency Account
A multi-currency bank account with up to 10 currencies in 1 account.
AUD 0
3 - 5 days
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Citibank Plus Everyday Account
A transaction account with free transfers to any country and no foreign transaction or international ATM withdrawal fees.
AUD 0
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Travelex International Payments
Send money to over 50 countries and choose from 48 currencies.
AUD 500
2 days
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CurrencyFair International Money Transfers
A peer-to-peer transfer service with a large range of currencies on offer.
EUR 8
3 - 5 days
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CurrencyOnline International Money Transfers
Enjoy regular scheduled transfers, one off transfers and a range of currencies. Also enjoy your first transfer for free.
AUD 0
2 days
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HiFX International Money Transfers
Make your first transfer for free. Transfer money between 20 currencies, and enjoy schedule regular transfers.
AUD 50
2 days
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TransferWise International Money Transfers
Make online transfers in a range of currencies and enjoy high maximum transfer amounts.
AUD 1
3 - 5 days
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Compass Global Markets International Money Transfers
Send money in as little as 24-48 hours to a range of countries with Compass Global Markets.
AUD 1,000
2 days
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Currency Solutions International Money Transfers
Send money overseas for a range of reasons, including regular payments and buying overseas property. 97% Trustpilot score.
AUD 3,000
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FP Markets FX Trading Account
Trade forex using an Electronic Communications Network (ECN) model, meaning FP Markets doesn't profit from client losses. Two account types to choose from.
From 0.8 pips
Prior to the 1860’s and the introduction of a unified Canadian dollar the region relied on a barter system, and later foreign currencies, to take care of the economic needs. The official Canadian dollar came into circulation in 1967 with the birth of the Dominion of Canada, and was a unification of the currencies used by the Province of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. This allowed the government to begin efforts to unify all of the provinces under one monetary system.
Those efforts paid off, and today the Canadian dollar is the seventh most traded currency in the foreign exchange market using the code CAD. The dollar is represented by the $ sign or C$, with each one divided into 100 cents. Because of the economic soundness of Canada and stability of their political system its currency is popular with central banks and is the fifth most held reserve currency in the world, only following the US dollar, euro, Japanese yen and British pound sterling.
Value and exchange rates of the Canadian Dollar
Throughout its history, Canada has used everything from furs to playing cards as currency. It was the French who first introduced coins to the nation in the 1660’s, but were only used to pay their taxes and buy European goods. With a lack of coins to use to buy local goods, the colonial authorities began to place value on the back of playing cards in order to pay soldiers. Throughout the 18th century, the coin shortage continued and the government began printing paper money from cardboard in order to fill the deficit.
Starting in 1841, the Province of Canada began using the Halifax rating. This new Canadian Pound was equivalent to four US dollars, while it took an additional four shillings and four pence to equal one British pound sterling. There was much debate over whether to adopt a sterling monetary system or to use a decimal one based off of the US dollar. This debate lasted well into the 1950’s, with the end result being an alignment of Canadian currency to the US dollar in 1858.
The Province of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia united in a federation called the Dominion of Canada in 1867, merging their three currencies into one Canadian dollar. By 1873, Prince Edward Island joined this federation and Canada was finally on its way towards having its own, uniform currency to trade with.
With the passing of the Uniform Currency Act in 1871, all of the provinces were now using the Canadian dollar based on the gold standard. The gold standard was abandoned during World War I, and by the start of World War II the rate was fixed against the US dollar at $1.10 CAD. When Canada began to float its currency in the 1950’s, it rose in value in comparison to the USD for over ten years.
Due to the heavy trade between the United States and Canada, the value of the CAD in comparison to the USD is considered very important. When the value is much lower than the USD, consumer concerns are raised, as are those who rely on exports. When the CAD rises in value, manufacturers are able to purchase foreign materials at a better price.
The export of commodities from Canada, especially oil, also helps to drive the value of its dollar. The technological boom of the 1990’s was centered in the United States, brought the value to an all time low of $0.167 in 2002, yet it rose sharply and was able to meet the USD in value at the start of the sub-prime mortgage crisis in 2007.
The way in which the Canadian and US dollars work in tandem has become a tool for foreign exchange investors, who use the behavior of the CAD to predict what is going to happen in the US economy. By noting trends in the commodities market and the changing value of the CAD in response, they are able to plot a course that shows them how the USD is going to react. This is only possible because of the tight economic relationship that Canada shares with the United States.
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Coins and banknotes of the Canadian dollar
The modern Canadian banknote has come a long way from dollar values being written on the back of playing cards. Canada is now using polymer for their banknotes, a durable material that has less of an impact on the environment. You will find them used in Canada in the following denominations:
$5 note. Former Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier is depicted on the five dollar note, along with a picture of the Mackenzie Tower.
$10 note. Issued in 1971, the ten dollar note features one of the founding fathers of the confederation, Sir John A. Macdonald.
$20 note. The $20 note always includes a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which is updated each time a new series of bank notes is issued. In September of 2015 a commemorative 20 dollar note was issued which also features a much younger picture of the queen taken in 1951. This note was specially issued to mark the date in which Queen Elizabeth’s reign exceeded that of Queen Victoria.
$50 note. An image of Canada’s longest serving Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King is used on the 50 dollar note.
$100 note. The portrait used on the 100 dollar note is that of Sir Robert Borden, Canada’s eight Prime Minister and the leader who helped see the nation through the First World War.
All Canadian coins feature Queen Elizabeth II on their obverse side, with an image reflecting the nation’s heritage on the reverse:
1 cent. Shows a picture of the maple leaf
5 cent. Depicts a beaver
10 cent. The Bluenose
25 cent. A caribou
50 cent. The Canadian coat of arms
1 dollar. Voyageurs in a canoe on the silver coin and the common loon on the gold dollar coin
2 dollar. A polar bear
History of the Canadian Dollar
It was the War of 1812 that finally ended the currency shortage in Canada and led to the creation of hard currency. The colonies issued army bills to help in financing the war, and when it ended the British government redeemed those for their full value. With a newfound trust in paper money, banks began sprouting up in Canada. By 1822, the Bank of Montreal had received its charter and was able to begin circulating money. They were followed by other banks, and by 1858 the first official Canadian coin system was executed.
The first domestically issued coins were struck in 1908 at the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint which by 1911 was producing 256,000 coins a year. By this time, all of the coins being minted bore the effigy of His Majesty George V, who had acceded to the throne in 1910.
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