How Star Trek Makes People Do Strange Things

Canadians are paying a strange sort of tribute to the late Leonard Nimoy — they’re drawing his most famous character, Star Trek’s Spock, over a 19th-century politician on their banknotes.

Nimoy died on 27 February, and got a variety of tributes, not least from President Barack Obama. But few are weirder than the drawings of Spock on Canadian banknotes. It has become known as “Spocking.” 

It looks like the fad goes back further. Apparently, Canadians have been turning Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the country’s first French-speaking prime minister, into a Vulcan for years.
But the Bank of Canada is unimpressed.

According to the BBC, Canada’s central bank, which is responsible for the notes, confirmed that the practice isn’t illegal, but that people shouldn’t be doing it anyway:

“The Bank of Canada feels that writing and markings on bank notes are inappropriate as they are a symbol of our country and a source of national pride,” Menard told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in an email.

The spokeswoman also said disfigured bills may not circulate for as long and risk being rejected by retailers.

Some other countries have been trying to get in on the act, but Laurier makes a much better Spock than most banknote heads.

Some Americans tried Alexander Hamilton:

The AHA Society @TheAHASociety Follow

$10 dollar bill art: Alexander Hamilton as Spock from #StarTrek http://theahasociety.tumblr.com/post/94754566208/alexander-hamilton-on-the-10-bill-gets-several …

9:02 AM - 16 Aug 2014

 

And in Scotland, someone had a go with Ian Fleming, but it just doesn’t look right:


 
45Storm @The45Storm Follow
@WingsScotland If Canadians can #Spock their 5 dollar bills so can the Scots! #SpockingFives
12:20 PM - 4 Mar 2015