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2 Dollars - Elizabeth II Polar bear, Silver Proof Issue
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996-2003 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central gold-plated inner core depicting a solitary polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in full profile, walking left across a rocky Arctic shoreline with rippled water indicated beneath its feet. The naturalistic design, attributed to Brent Townsend, is rendered in high relief within a raised inner ring. The legend CANADA arcs along the upper outer ring, while the denomination 2 DOLLARS is inscribed along the lower outer ring, all against a deeply mirrored proof field. |
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| Edge | Interrupted serrations |
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| Additional information |
Canada's bimetallic two-dollar coin — the "toonie" — entered circulation in February 1996, replacing the paper note the government had discontinued the previous year. The Royal Canadian Mint produced these silver proof versions alongside the circulation strikes, targeting the collector market that had responded well to similar treatment of the loonie. The gold plating on the central insert mirrors the brass-plated nickel of the circulation issue, an aesthetic decision that required precise electroplating tolerances to maintain consistency across multiple annual releases spanning nearly a decade.
The KM#270c reference covers several distinct die varieties catalogued separately by Charlton, a detail worth confirming against the specific year before attributing.