The voyageur dollar is a coin of Canada that was struck for circulation from 1935 through 1986. Two major versions of the coin were produced: a larger, silver coin (80% silver) from 1935 to 1968, and a smaller, nickel version from 1968 through 1986. In 1987, the coin was replaced by the loonie. Like all of Canada's discontinued coins, the voyageur dollar coins remain legal tender.

The reverse design of the coin features an Indigenous man and a French-Canadian voyageur paddling a canoe, with an island with two trees in the background. Vertical lines in the background represent the Northern Lights, and bundles in the canoe feature the initials H.B., representing the Hudson's Bay Company. This image represents a romanticized version of Canada's early history with the fur trade, and came to be known as the "voyageur" design. The design was made by Canadian Emmanuel Hahn, whose initials appear on the coin (EH at left under canoe).

History Production On May 4, 1910, the Canadian government passed an amendment to the Currency Act (Bill 195) which, among other things, called for the requirement of a Canadian silver dollar. James Bonar, Deputy Master of the Royal Mint, had ordered the master dies for this new dollar on November 10, 1910. Production of the dies was delayed, and they were not delivered to the Mint until nearly a year later. By the time the dies arrived, Sir Robert Borden had won his Canadian election, and cancelled the production of the silver dollar. While no official reason was given from the Borden government about the cancellation, a letter from Bonar attributes the coin's removal to the absence of a reference to God (), which created controversy among Canadians at the time. The obverse dies, featuring the bust of King George V, would still be preserved until 1936, used with the first silver dollars to enter circulation. Three trial strikes of silver dollars were produced in 1911 by the Royal Mint in London: two struck in silver, and one in lead. One of the silver coins, owned by the Royal Mint Museum, has been loaned to the Bank of Canada since 1976, while the lead coin was discovered during a move in 1977. The two were put into the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada, and have been on display in the Bank of Canada Museum since 1980.

George V, Silver Jubilee Commemorative Coin In 1935, a commemorative silver dollar was struck for the Silver Jubilee of George V (the 25th year of his reign). The obverse featured a portrait of the King with the special Latin motto "" (English: George V, King, Emperor, regnal year 25) around the edge.

The reverse features the "Voyageur" design by Emanuel Hahn. This coin was the first Canadian 1-dollar coin issued for circulation, and marked the beginning of silver Canadian dollars in circulation, which continued until 1968 when the coin's composition shifted from silver to nickel.

Struck in silver The issue was generally considered a success, and beginning in 1936, the silver dollar (in .800 fine silver) was struck more-or-less annually as a regular issue for general circulation, with the same reverse design as in 1935. Although commemorative dollars were struck for circulation for the visit of King George VI in 1939, no regular-issue dollars were struck that year, as well as until the end of World War II in 1945. Thereafter, voyageur dollars were struck each year through 1966, except in years when a commemorative dollar was struck for circulation (e.g. 1939, 1949, 1958, 1964). In 1967, a special "flying goose" design was struck for the Canadian Centennial.

Struck in nickel Beginning in 1968, following the 1967 Canadian Centennial series, the voyageur dollar design resumed. It was now struck in pure nickel, following the decision to debase Canada's coinage from silver to nickel. The change to this harder metal led to the diameter of the coin being reduced from 36 mm to 32 mm, as it made minting considerably easier. From then on, the series was only interrupted for circulating commemorative issues, except for those produced in 1982 (Constitution Acts dollar) and 1984 (Jacques Cartier dollar), where the voyageur design was also produced. It was last struck for circulation in 1986 and for collectors in 1987.

Change to the loonie Neither the silver nor nickel dollars circulated well although the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) saw a need for a circulating dollar coin. Since a one-dollar coin could last 20 years longer than a one-dollar bill, they calculated that they could save up to $250 million in 20 years. To encourage circulation, the size was reduced, the colour was changed, and the one-dollar note was eliminated from circulation.

Originally, the plans called for the voyageur design to be continued on the new gold-coloured dollar coin. However, the set of dies depicting the design was lost in transit between the Ottawa mint to the Winnipeg mint. To eliminate the risk of counterfeiting, an alternate design submitted by Robert-Ralph Carmichael in a 1978 coin design contest, featuring a loon, was used. This became known as the loonie.

Circulation figures

George V and George VI Year Mintage Notes 1935 428,707 Designed to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of George V. 1936 339,600 1937 207,406 1938 90,304 1939 1,363,816 Designed to commemorate King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's visit to Ottawa. 1945 38,391 1946 93,055 1947 65,595 1947 ML 21,135 Obverse removed. 1948 18,780 1949 672,218 Newfoundland joins Confederation. 1950 261,002 Includes "water line" varieties. 1951 416,395 Includes "water line" varieties. 1952 406,148 Includes "water line" varieties.

Elizabeth II

Year Mintage Notes 1953 No strap 1,074,578 This variety is also called with/without shoulder fold. 1953 Strap 1954 246,606 1955 268,105 Includes "water line" varieties. 1956 209,092 1957 496,389 Includes "water line" varieties. 1958 3,039,630 100th anniversary of British Columbia. 1959 1,443,502 1960 1,420,486 1961 1,262,231 1962 1,884,789 1963 4,179,981 1964 7,296,832 100th anniversary of the Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences. 1965 10,768,569 2nd obverse portrait 1966 9,912,178 The "small beads" variety is very rare with only 485 reported. 1967 6,767,496 Canada's Centennial: The design features a Canada goose in flight. 1968 5,579,714 1969 4,809,313 1970 4,140,058 100th anniversary of the accession of Manitoba. 1971 4,260,781 100th anniversary of the accession of British Columbia. 1972 2,676,041 1973 3,196,452 100th anniversary of the accession of Prince Edward Island. 1974 2,799,363 100th anniversary of Winnipeg. 1975 3,256,000 1976 2,498,204 1977 1,393,745 1978 2,948,488 1979 2,954,842 1980 3,291,221 1981 2,778,900 1982 1,098,500 Regular "voyageur" issue 9,709,402 Constitution Acts of 1867 and 1982. 1983 2,267,525 1984 1,223,486 Regular "voyageur" issue 7,009,323 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier arriving on the Gaspé Peninsula. 1985 3,104,092 1986 3,089,225 1987 Not circulated "Prooflike" and "Proof" issues only

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