2 Dollars - Elizabeth II Polar bear, Silver Proof Issue

Canada's circulation two-dollar coin — the "toonie" — has been struck in bi-metallic base composition since 1996, so these silver proof restrikes occupy an odd position: collector reinterpretations of a coin most Canadians handle daily without much thought. The Royal Canadian Mint has issued silver proofs of the toonie design across multiple years in this window, each technically a separate issue despite near-identical specifications, which accounts for the dual catalog references.

The selective gold plating mimics the visual logic of the original bi-metallic circulation piece, where an aluminum-bronze center sits within a nickel ring.