Daphne Odjig $2 Commemorative Coins
Order Authorizing the Issue of Two Two-dollar Commemorative Circulation Coins Specifying the Characteristics and Determining the Designs (Daphne Odjig): SOR/2025-39
Authorizes the Royal Canadian Mint to issue two commemorative $2 circulation coins honoring artist Daphne Odjig — the same design issued in a coloured version and a non-coloured version — planned for launch around National Indigenous Peoples Day 2025. The coins use Steven Rosati’s effigy of King Charles III on the obverse and adaptations of Odjig’s Folk Singer and The Indian in Transition on the reverse; they will circulate at face value and be distributed through financial institutions and public coin exchanges.
- Published
- March 12, 2025
- Department
- Unavailable
- Section
- Order Authorizing the Issue of Two Two-dollar Commemorative Circulation Coins Specifying the Characteristics and Determining the Designs (Daphne Odjig)
- Comment deadline
- Unavailable
- Effective date
- February 25, 2025
- Publication part
- Part II
Summary
Summary#
This order lets the Royal Canadian Mint produce two $2 circulation coins honoring artist Daphne Odjig. The coins share the same design; one version will include colour and the other will not. They are planned for release around National Indigenous Peoples Day 2025.
What it does#
- Authorizes the Mint to issue two commemorative circulation coins of $2 denomination with a diameter of 28.03 mm.
- Uses the effigy of King Charles III by Steven Rosati on the obverse (front).
- Uses an adaptation of Odjig’s painting “Folk Singer” on the inner core of the reverse (back).
- Places a fisher image from Odjig’s “The Indian in Transition” on the outer ring of the reverse, with the inscriptions “DAPHNE” and “ODJIG”, “CANADA” and 2 DOLLARS, and security maple-leaf marks.
- One coin will include colour (white, yellow, brown, blue and black layered over a hash-mark pattern); the other will use the same design without colour.
- The coin edge will show the inscriptions “CANADA” and 2 DOLLARS, with a maple leaf before and after “CANADA”.
- The Mint says it consulted experts and Indigenous communities, and ran a market survey of 2,501 Canadians in which 91% found the design appealing.
- The order comes into force on approval and the Mint will begin production and distribution through financial institutions and public exchanges.
Who's affected#
- Everyday cash users in Canada who may receive these coins in change.
- Coin collectors and hobbyists, who often remove commemorative coins from circulation.
- Royal Canadian Mint, which will design, produce and distribute the coins.
- Banks and other financial institutions that handle coin distribution and public exchanges.
- Indigenous communities and organizations with an interest in commemorations of Indigenous artists (the Mint says it consulted these groups and received support).
Why it matters#
- The coins put the work of Daphne Odjig—a prominent Indigenous artist—into everyday use, raising public awareness of her art and role in Canadian culture.
- This will be one of the first widely circulated Canadian coins to honour a female First Nations artist, according to the Mint.
- There is no extra cost to Canadians for the coins; they circulate at face value ($2), though collectors often take some out of circulation.
- The release is a cultural and symbolic recognition that may be noticed by people who follow coin releases, Indigenous arts, or national commemorations.
Key topics
Source: Canada Gazette