Toonie Turns 30

An iconic Canadian coin celebrated its 30th birthday on February 19. Introduced in 1996, the Canadian $2 piece, nicknamed the “toonie,” was Canada’s first bimetallic coin. The coin’s center features Brent Townsend’s polar bear design. An effigy of late Queen Elizabeth II graced the obverse until it was replaced by Steven Rosati’s portrait of King Charles III in 2023. Originally, the $2 coin consisted of a copper alloy center and a pure nickel outer ring, but the mint modernized the coin in 2012 by changing its composition to multi-ply plated steel and adding new security features.

The Royal Canadian Mint is celebrating the anniversary with a collector’s edition non-circulation special wrap roll. Each roll costs CA$89.95 (US$65.61) and can be ordered on the Royal Canadian Mint’s website. “Over the last three decades, our $2 circulation coin has been a pillar of Canadian trade and commerce and given the mint many opportunities to share meaningful stories of Canada through special commemorative designs,” says Simon Kamel, interim president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “We are wishing the toonie a happy 30th birthday, and we are looking forward to many more years of service.”