Depending on which Canadian coin you have, there may be one of several birds on its reverse. The most common birds on Canadian coins are the Canadian goose and the loon. The Canadian goose was featured on one of the most popular vintage Canadian silver coins, the centennial dollar. The loon has appeared on the loonie, or Canadian one dollar coin, since the current design was introduced in 1987.
Why is it Called a Loonie?
The loonie draws its colloquial name from the coin’s reverse, which features a loon swimming with a wooded shoreline in the background. Although this coin has been issued since 1987, it was not the initial design intended for the issue.
Changes to the Dollar and Lost Dies
The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) announced a new dollar coin to replace the $1 bank note in 1986. The gold colored coin would have 11 sides and have similar dimensions as the Susan B. Anthony dollar. The intended design was a continuation of older dollar coins that featured a voyageur theme, but the master dies were lost in transit between Ottawa and Winnipeg. A committee was formed to determine the root cause of the lost dies, and it was found that the RCM did not have a system in place for transporting dies. It had shipped the new coin dies with a local courier to save less than $50 in shipping costs, and this was the third time that master dies had been lost in a five-year period. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police believed the dies were merely lost, although Mint officials suspected theft. The original dies were never found.
Canadian dollar coins, the mint chose to use a different reverse design. The new dollar would depict a loon design by Robert-Ralph Carmicheal. The new coin earned the name loonie throughout English speaking portions of Canada and became known as huard (French for loon) in Quebec. By the 20th year of issue for the loonie, more than 800 million coins had been struck.
Today, the loonie is considered a symbol of the nation, and the name is used synonymously with the Canadian dollar. Numerous special editions of the loonie have been struck, and one issue has become part of Canadian lore: A “lucky” loonie was given to Wayne Gretzky and later donated to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The loonie’s enduring popularity was memorialized on a .9999 silver coin issued in 2023.
List of Loonie Specimen Edition Issues by Year
These loonies were issued in specimen sets in 1997, 2002, and every year since 2004. While there are a few exceptions, like the ferret, fox, and turtle issues, most specimen sets have depicted a bird of some kind on their reverse since 1987.
| Year | Issue | Designer | Mintage |
| 1997 | 10th Anniversary Loonie | Jean-Luc Grondin | 97,595 |
| 2002 | 15th Anniversary Loonie | Dora de Pédery-Hunt | 67,672 |
| 2004 | Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary | Susan Taylor | 46,493 |
| 2005 | Tufted Puffin | Mark Hobson | 39,818 |
| 2006 | Snowy Owl | Glen Loates | 39,935 |
| 2007 | Trumpeter Swan | Kerri Burnett | 40,000 |
| 2008 | Common Eider | Mark Hobson | 40,000 |
| 2009 | Great Blue Heron | Chris Jordison | 40,000 |
| 2010 | Northern Harrier | Arnold Nogy | 35,000 |
| 2011 | Great Grey Owl | Arnold Nogy | 35,000 |
| 2012 | 25th Anniversary Loonie | Arnold Nogy | 35,000 |
| 2013 | Blue-Winged Teal | Glen Loates | 50,000 |
| 2014 | Ferruginous Hawk | Trevor Tennant | 50,000 |
| 2015 | Blue Jay | Brent Townsend | 30,000 |
| 2016 | Tundra Swan | Glen Scrimshaw | 30,000 |
| 2017 | Snow Goose | Pierre Girard | 30,000 |
| 2018 | Burrowing Owl | Pierre Girard | 30,000 |
| 2019 | Pileated Woodpecker | Jean-Charles Daumas | 30,000 |
| 2020 | Black-Footed Ferret | Caitlin Lindstrom-Milne | 25,000 |
| 2021 | Blanding’s Turtle | Pierre Girrard | 30,000 |
| 2022 | Swift Fox | Claude Thivierge | 30,000 |
| 2023 | Greater Sage-Grouse | David Ceasar | 30,000 |
What is a Loon?
The great northern diver is a species of bird known commonly as the loon. Loons typically have a formal black-and-white appearance with some coloring and are about twice the size of a mallard duck. Loons and ducks may inhabit the same waters, and loons are prone to engaging other waterfowl, including ducks and geese, in territorial battles.
Other RCM Coins with Birds
Centennial Issues
One of the most famous Canadian Royal Mint coins with aviary imagery on the reverse is the 1967 Canadian silver dollar. Designed by Arnold Machin, the 1967 Centennial silver dollar depicts a Canadian goose in flight.
Another coin struck to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation was the centennial dove cent. The cent deviated from more than 100 years of pennies with maple leaves on the reverse. Alex Colville designed the dove in flight with its wings spread.
Specialty Canadian Bird Coins
The Royal Canadian Mint has produced many Canadian Mint specialty silver bullions coins. Several series have celebrated Canadian wildlife, including the Birds of Prey and Songbirds of Canada series, as well as several others.
