CBC Radio’s 2008 fake Canadian three-dollar coin was nicknamed the “threenie.”
The joke was presented as a mock report about a new Canadian $3 coin. Its nickname followed the playful naming pattern of Canada’s familiar one-dollar “loonie” and two-dollar “toonie,” making “threenie” sound just plausible enough to fool listeners.
The broadcast was associated with CBC Radio’s As It Happens. The fictional coin story generated enough confusion that some listeners reportedly contacted financial institutions, prompting CBC to clarify that the coin did not exist. It was a satirical radio item, not a Royal Canadian Mint issue.
The alternatives “tri-loonie,” “tripleonie,” and “trinnie” are invented distractors. The canonical nickname is “threenie,” formed by combining the number three with the Canadian coin-name pattern. Canada has no regular circulation three-dollar coin.