25 Cents - Elizabeth II Congratulations

Issued as part of the RCM's expanding program of coloured and themed circulation-quality strikes, this piece was produced for retail gift sets rather than general circulation — a packaging decision that has left most examples in essentially uncirculated condition. The triple-layer nickel-plated steel construction was adopted across Canadian coinage beginning in 2000 as a cost-reduction measure following the abandonment of nickel blanks, which had been used since 1955.