1 Dollar - Elizabeth II Commonwealth Games

Canada's 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton — the first time the Games came to Canada and only the second time they had been hosted outside Britain or Australia. The Royal Canadian Mint issued this dollar as part of a broader commemorative program for the event, which drew athletes from 46 nations. Ottawa had been building toward Edmonton's hosting bid for years, and the coin program was part of a deliberate federal effort to internationalize Canadian cultural visibility during the Trudeau years.

The .500 fine silver specification was a cost-driven compromise already in use for Canadian dollar coinage since 1967.