50 Cents - Canadian Tire Coupon

Canadian Tire's coupon currency — formally called "Canadian Tire 'Money'" — was first introduced in 1958 as a customer loyalty mechanism, predating most modern retail rewards programs by decades. By the 1980s it had achieved a cultural foothold unusual for any private scrip: accepted by some taxi drivers, church collection plates, and at least one federal election candidate's campaign office, none of which Canadian Tire sanctioned. The coupons were printed by Canadian Bank Note Company, the same Ottawa firm that produced official Government of Canada issues, lending the pieces a physical credibility far above typical retail promotional material.

The 1989 series was among the last widely circulated before redemption rates began declining with the rise of card-based loyalty programs. CBC surveys in the 1990s estimated that only about one-third of issued coupons were ever redeemed — a float Canadian Tire carried as pure profit.