All of the new coins Canada released this year that you could find in your change
Check your wallet! You could find one of the many new and unique coins Canada released this year.
The Royal Canadian Mint unveiled several circulation coins this year that are sure to stand out in your change if you’re paying attention.
From a highly coveted black toonie to coins commemorating Indigenous Peoples Day and influential Canadian artists, here are all of the new coins Canada released this year that you could find in your change.
$1 coin honouring Elsie MacGill
View this post on Instagram
Elsie MacGill broke many barriers for women in Canada and the world as an engineer and leading advocate for women’s rights.
The loonie, which began circulating in August, was designed by artist Claire Watson, who’s based in Tofino, BC.
The artwork on the reverse (tails) of the coin features MacGill holding a pair of rolled-up blueprints. Flying above her is the Maple Leaf Trainer II that she designed.
Beside her appears one of the over 1,450 Canadian-made Hawker Hurricane fighter planes that she helped produce for the Allied war effort in World War II, as chief engineer of Canadian Car and Foundry in Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay).
She was known as the “Queen of the Hurricanes” for that contribution.
Her name, “Elsie MacGill,” is engraved beneath the fighter plane. There’s a coloured and uncoloured version of this coin.
$2 coin honouring National Indigenous Peoples Day
View this post on Instagram
This marked the first time three different artists have collaborated on a single reverse (tails) design on a Canadian circulation coin, according to the Mint.
Megan Currie, English River First Nation; Myrna Pokiak (Agnaviak), Inuvialuit
Settlement Region; and Jennine Krauchi, Red River MĂ©tis, each represent the First Nations, Inuit and MĂ©tis communities in Canada.
The coloured version is a vibrant green with pops of red and orange, so it won’t be hard to spot in your change. You can learn more about the artists’ inspiration for the design here.
$2 coin celebrating the anniversary of Jean-Paul Riopelle
View this post on Instagram
Known as one of Canada’s and the world’s most influential artists in the mid-20th century, Jean-Paul Riopelle’s art is distinguished by his abstract painting style.
The artwork on the toonie’s reverse (tails) side is a section of Riopelle’s acrylic and spray paint 1993 masterpiece: “L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg.”
According to the Mint, the original painting is a 40-metre-wide triptych consisting of 30 separate panels with natural imagery and coded symbolism.
You get a glimpse of the masterpiece through bird-like silhouettes on the tails of the circulation coin.
Black toonie honouring Queen Elizabeth
View this post on Instagram
This toonie began circulating towards the end of 2022, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the highly sought-after coins.
What sets this coin apart from any old toonie is its black outer ring reminiscent of a mourning armband.
Dated 2022, the Royal Canadian Mint says the design is supposed to echo the loss felt by millions of Canadians when the Queen passed.
Earlier this year, people were reselling the toonie for over $100 a roll.
And in May, it even won a prestigious award.
First circulation coin with King Charles’ effigy
View this post on Instagram
The Royal Canadian Mint revealed the design of King Charles that will replace Queen Elizabeth’s effigy on the head side of all Canadian coins last week.
According to the Mint, the 2023-dated $1 circulation coin becomes the first displaying the portrait of a new monarch in 70 years.
Montreal-based artist Steven Rosati came through with the winning design for the King Charles portrait.
Follow Channels and Categories