2 Dollars - Elizabeth II Polar bear, date bottom

The bimetallic toonie format was itself born out of necessity — the Royal Canadian Mint introduced the two-dollar coin in 1996 partly to replace the short-lived two-dollar note, which the government calculated cost significantly more per transaction to produce and maintain than a coin of equivalent denomination. The "date bottom" positioning distinguishes this sub-type within the broader Elizabeth II polar bear series and is a cataloger's distinction rather than a deliberate design revision.

A known engineering quirk of early toonie production — the centre popping free from the ring under temperature stress — was largely resolved by the time this date range entered circulation.