Collector’s Corner: Different varieties of the toonie
By Ron Schmidt on May 27, 2023.
Today we will talk about the $2 coin. The first $2 coin was made in 1996 and would be the first coin in Canada to have the bimetallic metals. In 1996 you will find varieties of Cigar, Horn, and No Ice on the polar bear side of the coin. In 2006 you may find a few coins with a dot in the H of Elizabeth. Also in 2006 the mint decided it would produce four different varieties of coins. The first being the regular coin no logo, second has the double date 1996-2006 no logo, third was with the mint logo, and fourth was the mint logo with the double date. A couple of these are harder to find and you will be paying a little more to have them in your collection. In 2008 there were 2 coins produced also. The regular one, and then another to celebrate Quebec City. Instead of the polar bear you will find a leaf flower arrangement. All the Quebec coins were distributed in Quebec and very few are found in Western Canada. The year 2010 had two varieties, one with 16 serrations on the edge and the other had 14 serrations – the coin with 14 is worth more money. In 2012 the $2 coin was changed to incorporate the anti counterfeit features. That would make two coins for 2012. The regular (old style) is a lot harder to find and worth more money. If you have not done so yet take the new $2 coin and hold it in your hand and rotate it slightly viewing the polar bear side. You will see the maple leafs in the upper and lower portions which will tend to change direction. This feature makes it almost impossible for counterfeiters to duplicate. For that reason the mint is now culling all the loonies and toonies prior to 2012. From 2013 to 2023 the regular toonies were produced for each year. However, the following years had special ones besides the regular $2 design – 2011-Boreal forest, 2012- War of 1812, 2014-wait for me daddy, 2015-Flanders Field, 2015-John A MacDonald, 2016-Battle of the Atlantic, 2017-Vimy Ridge, 2017-dancing Northern lights (Can. 150 coin) both in colour and non-colour, 2018-Armistice both in colour and non-colour, and 2019-D-Day in both colour and non-colour. 2020 V end of war colour and non, 2020-Bill Reid colour and non, 2021-Insulin colour and non, 2022-Summit series, Happy hunting for the ones you may not have. Collector’s Corner is contributed by the Medicine Hat Coin & stamp Club. For questions or comments about coin or stamp collection emailmedhatcsc@live.com 12-11
