Bank Of Canada Reveals Polymer Note Decked Out With Robot Arms

Leave it to Canada to roll out an awesome design you can carry on every ($5) bill in your pocket. Earlier today, the Bank of Canada announced its new $5 and $10 polymer bank notes, which are not only among the most secure bills Canada has ever issued, but the lesser denomination also features Canada's awesome robot arms and was unveiled in part by Commander Chris Hadfield of the ISS.

The $5 note features a picture of Canadarm2 and Dextre, robotic arms that were used in part to construct and further maintain the International Space Station. Given the nature of the bill, it only makes sense, then, that it was unveiled by Commander Hadfield, who said that the image represented on the bill should serve as a reminder of Canada's space achievements and that the sky, in fact, is not the limit.

Canadians will see the bill – as well as the $10 note – in the wild when they are both released in November, finishing up a series that already contains $20, $50, and $100 notes out in circulation. The polymer notes are boasted as being very secure due to the use of both holography and transparency, as well as being more durable than their cotton counterparts, thus making them more economical and green as well.

Canada's Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty said: "Canadians can be very proud of their new polymer bank notes. With today's unveiling of the final two notes in the series, one can see not only the unique story that each of the five denominations tells, but the unifying theme that underlies them all – the profound courage, determination, and ingenuity of our nation and its people."

[via Bank of Canada]