Loonie into circulation. In 1997, 2002, and each year since 2004, the Royal Canadian Mint has issued a one-dollar coin that depicts a different and unique image of a bird on the coin's reverse. These special loonies have limited mintages and are available only in the six-coin specimen sets. Footnotes Bibliography Loonie The loonie (), formally the Canadian one-dollar coin, is a gold-coloured coin that was introduced in 1987 and is produced by the Royal Canadian Mint at its facility in Winnipeg. The most prevalent versions of the coin show a common loon, a bird found throughout Canada, on the reverse
Voyageur dollar circulating dollar coin. To encourage circulation, the size was to be reduced, the colour was to be changed, and the one-dollar note eliminated from circulation. The Voyageur design was to be used. However, a set of dies depicting the design was lost in transit. To eliminate the risk of counterfeiting, an alternate design, featuring a loon, was used. This became known as the loonie. In 2003, in special proof sets honouring the fiftieth anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the Voyageur design was struck again in sterling silver in a limited edition of 30,000. In 2017, the Royal