A History of the Canadian Dollar
by James Powell

The history of Canada's money provides a unique perspective from which to view the growth and development of the Canadian economy and Canada as a nation. Author James Powell traces the evolution of Canadian money form its pre-colonial origins to the present day, highlighting the currency chaos of the colonial period, as well as the effects of two world wars and the Great Depression.

He also chronicles the ups and downs of our dollar through almost 150 years and describes its relationship with its U.S. counterpart.

Table of Contents:

The Early Years (pre-1841)
The Halifax and York ratings
Dollars and cents or pounds, shillings, and pence?

Currency Reforms (1841–71)
Introduction of a decimal-based currency
The first government note issue
Paper currency outside the Province of Canada
Confederation

The Canadian Dollar under the Gold Standard (1854–1914)
Operation of the gold standard
The Canadian dollar and the U.S. greenback (1862–79)

Canada off the Gold Standard (1914–26)
World War I
Setting the stage for a return to the gold standard

Back on the Gold Standard —Temporarily (1926–31)

The Depression Years (1930–39)
Establishment of a central bank

Canada under Exchange Controls(1939–51)
The war years (1939–45)
The revaluation of 1946
The devaluation of 1949
The decision to float, 1950
The unofficial exchange market
The relevance of the unofficial rate

A Floating Canadian Dollar (1950–62)

Return to a Fixed Exchange Rate (1962–70)

Return to a Floating Rate (June 1970–present)
The dollar in the 1970s
The dollar in the 1980s
The dollar in the 1990s

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