Collectors Corner: Different variations of the toonie

By Ron Schmidt on September 28, 2019.

medhatcsc@live.com

Before I begin discussing the toonie I would like to thank everyone who attended our coin and stamp show last weekend. I would also like to thank all vendors, some of which had to drive more than six hours to get here. This was a very good show and we gave away a lot of door prices and would like to congratulate all the winners. Would also like to thank the Medicine Hat News for all its efforts. The next show will be on April 4, 2020, same location.

Today I will concentrate on the $2 coin, the toonie. The first $2 coin was made in 1996 and would be the first coin in Canada to have the bimetallic metals. Prior to the release date, the Royal Canadian Mint had guaranteed the government that it would produce 60 million coins and at the same time the paper money would be stopped. As time grew nearer to release date the mint was not sure they could meet the demand, as producing this coin was very difficult and new to Canada, so they purchased 60 million reassembled planchet coins with the same specifications, from a German supplier. When it was all over and done with, Canada had produced 315 billion coins for that year, besides the 60 million purchased from Germany.

In 1996 editions 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 that 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,the 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 two coins produced also. The regular one, and another to celebrate Quebec City. Instead of the polar bear you will find a leaf flower arrangement. All the Quebec City coins were distributed in Quebec and very few are found in western Canada. In 2010 there were two varieties, one with 16 serrations on the edge and the other with 14, which 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 2019 the regular toonies were produced for each year. However the following years had special ones besides the regular $2 design.

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 (Canada 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. 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 email medhatcsc@live.com

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