Canada's colourful new coin comes in two versions to look out for in your change

Be on the lookout for any colourful toonies in your change — you could add Canada's newest circulation coin to your collection.

The Royal Canadian Mint unveiled its latest $2 commemorative circulation coin honouring the work of Indigenous artist Daphne Odjig on Thursday.

"Today, we are honoured to issue a circulation coin that shares the story of Daphne Odjig, whose art and advocacy transformed appreciation for Indigenous art in Canada and the world," said Marie Lemay, president and CEO of the mint, in a statement.

Odjig is known for her groundbreaking original work and is widely considered a leader in transforming the perception of Indigenous art, giving it a rightful place in major galleries in Canada and around the world.

The artist was born in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory (Manitoulin Island, Ontario) in 1919. She grew up in a community with a strong sense of First Nations art and culture, despite traditional cultural practices being illegal in Canada at the time.

Odjig developed her art while working and raising a family in B.C. and Manitoba, and experienced a cultural awakening at the 1964 Wiikwemkoong Pow Wow. She became renowned both for minimalist fine-line sketches and massive, richly coloured paintings.

According to the mint, the new circulation toonie captures glimpses of Odjig's pieces The Folk Singer and The Indian in Transition, two works that are part of the Canadian Museum of History's collection in Ottawa.

The design

The artwork appearing on the reverse of the 2025 $2 circulation coin adapts the former piece.

"The colourized version of the coin features a cropped view, at its centre, of a female figure holding a drum, while the outer rim bears an engraved reproduction of the artist’s stylized drawing of a fisher (the anglicized version of 'Odjig' is 'Fisher')," explained the mint.

That image also appears above the artist's signature on her the latter masterpiece, The Indian in Transition.

Royal Canadian Mint

The obverse of the coin features the effigy of King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.

"How fortunate we are to have had such an artist in our midst! Daphne Odjig was a gifted storyteller, a bold path breaker, and a born teacher," said Anishinaabe visual artist, writer and educator Bonnie Devine in a release about the new coin. 

"For more than fifty years, she enriched our lives with her drawings and paintings. She would have been tickled to know that her life's work was being honoured on a Canadian toonie."

How to collect the coin

The toonie is limited to a mintage of three million coins, of which two million are coloured. It begins circulating on Thursday, Sept. 4, so keep an eye out for it in your change.

According to the mint, the coin will reach Canadians through their change as bank branches and businesses replenish their inventories of toonies.

If you don't want to wait for it to appear organically in your change, you can also collect the coloured and uncoloured versions in a two-piece Collector Keepsake Card or in Special Wrap rolls of 25 two-dollar coins each.

These collectibles can be ordered online as of Thursday.