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2023 Canada $2 Tribute: W Mint Mark - Polar Bear Fine Silver (No Tax)
New from the Winnipeg Mint! The Tribute: W Mint Mark series celebrates Canada’s circulation coins and tells their story, beginning with Canada's “youngest” circulation coin: the $2 piece, or Toonie.
Re-created in 99.99% pure silver with a tailored specimen finish and the “W” mint mark of the Winnipeg Mint, this all-silver tribute to Canada’s bi-metallic circulation coin features the beloved polar bear design that has appeared on hundreds of millions of $2 pieces since the coin denomination was introduced on February 19, 1996.
Introduced on February 19, 1996 as a more durable and cost-effective replacement for the $2 banknote, the “Toonie” broke new ground as the first Canadian bimetallic circulation coin—an innovative feat made possible by a patented locking mechanism and a new striking process.
The Toonie’s iconic polar bear is instantly recognizable, but did you know it has a name? In 2006, we held a Name Our Polar Bear Contest, and “Churchill” was the first-place winner with 34% of the 166,635 votes cast. Fittingly, it’s a nod to the northern Manitoba community that is famous for polar bear watching. The runners-up in our naming contest were Wilbert (26%) and Plouf (15%).
Canada’s $2 circulation coin is the only denomination that has been exclusively struck in Winnipeg from the start—and the facility can produce at a rate of 650 strikes per minute!
Thirty years—that’s the estimated life expectancy for a Toonie, while the old $2 paper banknote was expected to last just one year.
A numismatic tribute to Canada’s $2 circulation piece, this all-silver coin features Brent Townsend’s classic “polar bear” design on its reverse. The centre portion shows an adult polar bear in early summer on an ice floe, while the circular frame bears the “W” (Winnipeg) mint mark. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The obverse also bears a special marking that includes four pearls symbolizing the four effigies that have graced Canadian coins and the double date of her reign.
Specifications:
Item Number: 207883
Mintage: 7,500
Composition: 99.99% pure silver
Weight: 31.39 g
Diameter: 38 mm
Face Value: $2
Finish: Tailored Specimen
Edge: Serrated
Artist: Brent Townsend (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)
Special Features:
• From the Winnipeg Mint. You’ve never seen Canada’s circulation coin designs quite like this: in 99.99% pure silver with a tailored specimen finish, and bearing the “W” mint mark of the Winnipeg Mint.
• "W" Mint Mark! This is the first in a six-part series of 1 oz. 99.99% pure silver coins, a rarity for the Winnipeg Mint, which typically focuses its efforts on circulation coins rather than numismatic ones—and that’s why the “W” mint mark is so unique.
• Tailored Specimen Finish. The Toonie’s classic polar bear design features a satin sheen, while the field’s textured appearance is the result of angled lines inspired by the Winnipeg Mint’s pyramid-shaped building.
• Celebrate Canada's Circulation Coins! An affordable series for collectors of all ages, the new Tribute: W Mint Mark series celebrates Canada’s circulation coins and tells their story. This is the first pure silver numismatic series struck at the Royal Canadian Mint's Winnipeg facility.
• Honouring History! These circulation coin designs are part of Canada’s history and our heritage, and who better to tell their story than the facility that produces them!
• The series begins in 2023. The series begins with a tribute to the beloved Toonie, and there's more to come:
Coin 1: Polar Bear
Coin 2: Loon
Coin 3: Coat of Arms
Coin 4: Caribou
Coin 5: Bluenose
Coin 6: Beaver
Collect them all!
Packaging:
The coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.
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