An unique finish, a new, even lower mintage limit, and mother loon & chicks dollar (found only here!) make for an incomparable set!

The Specimen Set from the Royal Canadian Mint is indeed unique, unlike any other coin set found anywhere else in the world. Each coin features the mint's distinctive "specimen" finish, a three-fold combination of different finishes. The design (raised area or relief) includes both brilliant and frosted finishes, while the fields (background) are subtly striated, providing a matte appearance. These combine to give the Specimen Set coins their special aesthetic appeal and flair.

The 2012 Specimen Set includes a specimen-finish example of each and every one of the circulation coins of Canada, each of which features a design of national importance, including:

    One Cent Maple Leaf Penny - Last one ever!
    Five Cent Beaver Nickel
    Ten Cent Bluenose Schooner Dime
    Twenty-Five Cent Caribou Quarter
    Fifty Cent Coat of Arms Half Dollar
    One Dollar Mother Loon and Two Baby Chicks "Loonie"
    Two Dollar Bimetallic Polar Bear "Toonie"

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New This Year! One-year-only design! 25th Anniversary Loonie $1 featuring Mother Loon and Two Baby Chicks Dollar! Please note, this is the first time that the Annual Specimen Set has featured a loon (and not a different bird) on the $1 coin since 2003! These will go very quickly, order now and don't get shut out!

Final Specimen Set with the now-discontinued penny (maple leaf 1 cent coin), and therefore the final specimen-finish penny to ever be issued!

Click here for the Silver-Plated 25th Annivesary Loonie Dollar!

The Great Northern or Common Loon
In 2012, the Royal Canadian Mint (along with all of Canada) celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Loonie, the iconic Canadian one-dollar coin bearing the image of this great Canadian waterbird. By law, the Loonie dollarreplaced the paper dollar bill, and in doing so has not only saved the Government of Canada millions of dollars but has spurred an interesting new collecting series! Like its namesake, the Loonie has proven resilient, emblematic, and long-lived. This specimen set commemorates two important cultural symbols, the loon and the Loonie, by showcasing their beauty and individuality in a perennial collector’s favorite.

This year, the aureate dollar features a Great Northern or Common Loon swimming on a calm Canadian lake. Her two young chicks accompany her, one swimming just behind its mother and the other riding on mother’s back (a trait of this captivating aquatic species!). The mother bird, in her brightly spotted summer plumage, diligently protects her offspring while scanning the lake for fish and listening for the call of her mate.

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Obverse
The obverse of each coin features the familiar designs found on the regular circulation coins of Canada as described and pictured above. The dollar coin depicts a mother loon with her two baby chicks.

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Reverse
The reverse of each coin features Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") and mint mark also appear.

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Packaging
The coins are sealed a sturdy plastic lens, attractively packaged inside a large, burgundy-leatherette book lined with black velvet and protected by a black outer box. An individually numbered certificate with full specifications accompanies the set.

Set Specifications