Toonie
Canadian two-dollar coin / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The toonie (also spelled twonie[1][2] or twoonie[3][4]), formally the Canadian two-dollar coin (French: pièce de 2 dollars canadiens, nicknamed deux piastres or deux piastres rond), was introduced on February 19, 1996, by Minister of Public Works Diane Marleau. As of 2023,[update] it possesses the highest monetary value of any circulating Canadian coin. The toonie is a bi-metallic coin which on the reverse side bears an image of a polar bear by artist Brent Townsend. The obverse, since 2023, bear a portrait of King Charles III. It has the words CHARLES III / D.G. REX; before 2023, the words were in a typeface different to other Canadian coins.[5]
Canada | |
Value | 2.00 CAD |
---|---|
Mass | 6.92 g |
Diameter | 28 mm |
Thickness | 1.75 mm |
Edge | Intermittent milled/smooth |
Composition | |
Years of minting | 1996–present |
Catalog number | - |
Obverse | |
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Design | Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada |
Designer | Susanna Blunt |
Design date | 2003 |
Design discontinued | 2023 |
Design | Charles III, King of Canada |
Designer | Steven Rosati |
Design date | 2023 |
Reverse | |
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Design | Polar bear in early summer on an ice floe |
Designer | Brent Townsend |
Design date | 1996 |
Design discontinued | 2012 |
![]() | |
Design | Polar bear in early summer on an ice floe |
Designer | Brent Townsend |
Design date | 2012 |
The coin is manufactured using a patented distinctive bi-metallic coin-locking mechanism.[6] The coins are estimated to last 20 years. The discontinued two-dollar bill was less expensive to manufacture but lasted only one year on average.[7]
On April 10, 2012, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) announced design changes to the loonie and toonie, which include new security features.[8][9]
Coins minted prior to 2012 consist of an aluminum bronze inner core with a pure nickel outer ring;[10] but in March–May 2012, the composition of the inner core switched to aluminum bronze coated with multi-ply plated brass, and the outer ring switched to steel coated with multi-ply plated nickel.[9] The weight dropped from 7.30 to 6.92 g, and the thickness changed from 1.8 to 1.75 mm. The Mint said that multi-ply plated steel technology, already used in Canada's smaller coinage, produces an electromagnetic signature that is harder to counterfeit than that of regular alloy coins; also, using steel provides cost savings and avoids fluctuations in the price or supply of nickel.[11][12]