Coloured $2 Coin Honouring Queen Elizabeth II

Summary#

The government made the Order Authorizing the Issue of a Two-dollar Circulation Coin Specifying the Characteristics and Determining the Design (Elizabeth II): SOR/2022-247 to allow a coloured $2 circulation coin honouring Queen Elizabeth II. The order was registered on November 25, 2022 and published in the Canada Gazette on December 7, 2022.

What it does#

• Authorizes a coloured $2 circulation coin under the Royal Canadian Mint Act.
• Specifies the coin’s size as 28.03 mm in diameter.
• Sets the obverse (front) design to show the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt, with the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II”, “D·G·REGINA” and the date 2022 on the black outer ring.
• Sets the reverse (back) design to show a polar bear on an ice floe (the familiar $2 reverse), with security marks and the words “CANADA” and “DOLLARS” on the outer ring.
• Requires the edge to read “CANADA” and “2 DOLLARS”, with a maple leaf before and after “CANADA”.
• Directs the Royal Canadian Mint to proceed with production once the order is in force; production was planned at the Mint’s Winnipeg facility.

Who's affected#

• Royal Canadian Mint — responsible for making and distributing the coin.
• People who use cash: anyone who receives or spends $2 coins may see the new design in circulation.
• Coin collectors and dealers — likely to notice the special, coloured design.
• Businesses and the general public — the order says daily transactions and business operations will not be affected.

Why it matters#

• The coin provides a public, tangible way to mark and honour the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
• It is a cosmetic change only: the coin will circulate and be spent the same way as other $2 coins.
• The Royal Canadian Mint will absorb program costs; no extra cost to Canadians or businesses is expected.
• Collectors may value the coloured design, so the coin could be of interest beyond everyday use.