Elsie MacGill $1 Commemorative Coins
Order Authorizing the Issue of Two One-dollar Commemorative Circulation Coins Specifying the Characteristics and Determining the Designs (Elsie MacGill): SOR/2023-132
Authorizes the Royal Canadian Mint to issue two one-dollar commemorative circulation coins honouring Elsie MacGill — one with colour and one without — featuring a shared reverse design and an adapted obverse effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The Order specifies the coins’ size (26.5 mm) and design elements (Maple Leaf Trainer II, Hawker Hurricane, portrait of Elsie MacGill) and allows the Mint to produce and distribute them for general circulation.
- Published
- July 5, 2023
- Department
- Unavailable
- Section
- Order Authorizing the Issue of Two One-dollar Commemorative Circulation Coins Specifying the Characteristics and Determining the Designs (Elsie MacGill)
- Comment deadline
- Unavailable
- Effective date
- June 19, 2023
- Publication part
- Part II
Summary
Summary#
This Order lets the Royal Canadian Mint issue two commemorative $1 circulation coins that honour Elsie MacGill. One coin will be produced with colour and the other without; both share the same design and use an adapted obverse effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The Order was registered on June 19, 2023 and published in the Canada Gazette on July 5, 2023.
What it does#
- Authorizes the Mint to produce two $1 circulation coins (same reverse design; one with colour, one without).
- Specifies the coins’ size as 26.5 mm in diameter and that other characteristics follow the schedule in the Royal Canadian Mint Act.
- Uses an adapted obverse showing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt, with the years 1952 and 2022 and a four-dot diamond mark to note her reign.
- Sets the reverse design to show:
- the inscription CANADA and DOLLAR,
- the Maple Leaf Trainer II aircraft and a Hawker Hurricane,
- a portrait of Elsie MacGill holding blueprints and the inscription “ELSIE MACGILL”,
- a security mark (maple leaf within a maple leaf within a circle) and the artist’s initials “CW”.
- Says the coins will be produced and distributed for general circulation once the Order is approved.
Who's affected#
- Royal Canadian Mint — will design, produce and distribute the coins.
- Banks and financial institutions — will distribute the coins to the public.
- Coin collectors and numismatists — may seek these special issues; many commemorative coins are removed from circulation by collectors.
- Everyday Canadians — could receive these coins in change; no extra cost to the public is expected.
- Elsie MacGill’s family and experts — were consulted in the design process.
If it matters: the item does not create new rules for businesses or the public beyond issuing the coins.
Why it matters#
- It recognizes and publicizes the life of Elsie MacGill, a notable Canadian engineer and advocate for women’s rights.
- The coins are legal-tender $1 pieces that will circulate like other dollar coins, so they can reach many people and raise awareness through everyday use.
- Because many commemorative coins are collected and set aside, these pieces may become keepsakes and reminders of MacGill’s achievements.
- The obverse adaption marking 1952–2022 signals this was struck after Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and before new coins with King Charles III appear.
Key topics
Source: Canada Gazette