OTTAWA - The penny may be history, but some Canadians suspect the Bank of Canada has been circulating a new scent along with its plastic bank notes.

Dozens of people who contacted the bank in the months after the polymer notes first appeared asked about a secret scratch-and-sniff patch that apparently smells like maple syrup.

"I would like to know ... once and for all if these bills are in fact scented, as I do detect a hint of maple when smelling the bill," says a typical email from a perplexed citizen.

Said another: "They all have a scent which I'd say smells like maple? Please advise if this is normal?"

Under the Access to Information Act, The Canadian Press obtained a year's worth of correspondence to the Bank of Canada from ordinary Canadians about the new currency. Names were withheld to protect privacy.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/money/Canadians+Bank+Canada+about+maple+syrup+smell+bank+notes/8437051/story.html