The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 42, October 2, 2005, Article 32

CANADIAN TIRE MONEY

This is always room for all of us to learn something new, and
one thing I hadn't heard of until I read the syllabus for the
Canadian Numismatic Correspondence Course - Part II was
"Canadian Tire Money". Playing Card Money, that I'd heard of,
but Tire Money? Emergency scrip cut from old tires, perhaps?
Actually, no. A quick web search located several sites which
explain and illustrate Canadian Tire Money:

 >From the Wikipedia: "Canadian Tire 'money' (CTM) was first
introduced in 1958, as a response to the promotional giveaways
that many gas companies offered at the time. It was only available
at Canadian Tire gas bars, but was so successful that in 1961,
it was extended to the retail stores as well, and has become the
most successful loyalty program in Canadian retail history.

Many Canadian households have a wad of Canadian Tire
money stashed somewhere in a drawer. These are coupons
issued by Canadian Tire, which resemble real currency
(although the coupons are considerably smaller than Bank of
Canada notes), and can be used as scrip in Canadian Tire
stores. In fact, Canadian Tire money has been successfully
passed off as Canadian currency to American and Mexican
tourists on a few occasions, and some privately-owned
businesses (in Canada) accept it as payment, since the owners
of many such businesses shop there."

"An unusual incident occurred in Moncton, New Brunswick
in late 2004, when several customers at a Canadian Imperial
Bank of Commerce ATM were dispensed a total of 11 bills
of Canadian Tire money instead of real bills. They were
compensated by the bank."

To read the full reports, see:
Full Story Wiki
Full Story CBC

The Canadian Tire company site has a history of the bills:
"Canadian Tire 'Money'™ was inspired by Muriel Billes, the
wife of Canadian Tire's co-founder and first president, A.J.
Billes, and was introduced as a "cash bonus coupon" in 1958
in the first Canadian Tire Gas Bar in Toronto."

This site is an image catalog of Canadian Tire Currency,
1958-2003 Issues: Image Catalog

Of interest to bibliophiles is a guidebook to the Canadian Tire
series offered on the web site of the Canadian Tire Coupon
Collectors' Club:

"FOR SALE: The Bilodeau "Guide" of CANADIAN TIRE
money -The 6th edition Volume I with it's up to the minute
revisions is now available at $23.99 shipping included. To
order the Guide please send your payment, "PAYABLE" to:
Lucien Levesque, 13285, rue de la Bourgogne, Mirabel,
Québec, J7J 1P9

The day has finally come. The long awaited Volume 2 of the
Bilodeau Guide is finally ready for shipping! The work is done
and what an enormous task it was. The Bilodeau Team is
ready for a lengthy vacation!

Two is almost twice the thickness of Volume One with a
corresponding increase in our printing costs. Volume Two is
priced at $34.00, postage included. It can be ordered from
Lucien Levesque, 13285, de la Bourgogne, Mirabel, Québec,
J7J 1P9. Please make your check payable to Lucien Levesque."
nunetcan.net/ctccc/ctccc.html

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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