The Canadian dollar is the currency

Currency

In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...

 of Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign

Dollar sign

The dollar or peso sign is a symbol primarily used to indicate the various peso and dollar units of currency around the world.- Origin :...

 $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar

Dollar

The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...

-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents

Cent (currency)

In many national currencies, the cent is a monetary unit that equals 1⁄100 of the basic monetary unit. Etymologically, the word cent derives from the Latin word "centum" meaning hundred. Cent also refers to a coin which is worth one cent....

.
In 1841, the Province of Canada

Province of Canada

The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...

 adopted a new system based on the Halifax rating

Halifax rating

The Halifax rating was a valuation of the Spanish dollar in the £sd accounting system. It set the Spanish dollar at a value of 5 shillings and was established c.1750 in Halifax, Nova Scotia...

. The new Canadian pound

Canadian pound

The pound was the unit of account for currency of the Canadas until 1858. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence. In Lower Canada, the sou was used, worth penny...

 was equal to four US dollars

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 (92.88 grains gold), making one pound sterling

Pound sterling

The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...

 equal to 1 pound, 4 shillings, and 4 pence Canadian.