Voyageur dollar

Voyageur dollar

Canada
Value	1 CAD
Mass	15.62 g
Diameter	32.15 mm
Thickness	2.88 mm
Edge	Milled
Composition	1935–1968 80% Ag, 20% Cu 1968–1987 99.9% Ni
Years of minting	1968–1987
Catalog number	–
Obverse
Design	King George V
Reverse
Design	Voyageur and an aboriginal travelling by canoe
Designer	Emanuel Hahn

The voyageur dollar is a coin of Canada that was struck for circulation from 1935 through 1986. Until 1968, the coin was composed of 80% silver. A smaller, nickel version for general circulation was struck from 1968 through 1986. In 1987, the coin was replaced by the loonie. However, like all of Canada's discontinued coins, the voyageur dollar coins remain legal tender.

History

Canadian voyageur dollar

In 1911, after lengthy debate, the first Canadian silver dollar was struck. Only two remain, one in a museum, the other in private hands, and recently auctioned for $1.4 million.

In 1935, a commemorative silver dollar was struck for King George V's Silver Jubilee. It showed the King on the obverse (front) and, a canoe containing a voyageur, (French-Canadian fur trader) and an Indigenous man, on the reverse (back). The canoe also contains two bundles of furs—on one, the initials HB, for Hudson's Bay Company may be seen. The reverse was designed by Emanuel Hahn.

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, or, as it turned out, until the end of World War II in 1945. Thereafter, voyageur dollars were struck each year through 1966, except in years (e.g. 1935, 1939, 1949, 1958, and 1964) when a commemorative dollar was struck for circulation. In 1967, a special "flying goose" design was struck for the Canadian Centennial.

Nickel version

Beginning in 1968, following the 1967 special centennial series, which included a new commemorative dollar as well as new commemorative designs for the remaining 5 coins (1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cents), the voyageur dollar series resumed. It now, however, was struck in pure nickel with the diameter reduced from 36 mm to 32 mm, as Canada's coinage was debased from silver to nickel. In 1970, 1971, 1973, and 1974, the series was interrupted for circulating commemorative nickel dollars. Circulating commemorative nickel dollars were struck again in 1982 and 1984, but the voyageur dollar was also produced. It was last struck for circulation in 1986 and for collectors in 1987.

Change of design

Neither the silver nor nickel dollars circulated well. However, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) saw a need for a circulating dollar coin. 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. To eliminate the risk of counterfeiting, an alternate design, featuring a loon, was used. This became known as the loonie.

Commemorative editions

In 2003, in special proof sets honouring the fiftieth anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the voyageur design was struck again in sterling silver in a limited edition of 30,000. In 2017, the RCM issued special edition one-dollar coins in silver and gold with platinum plating to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the loonie, with one of the coins utilizing its design, intended as a new version for the current dollar coin, but bearing the dual dates "1987–2017".

In 2018, the RCM issued 5-troy-ounce (160 g) and 1 kg special-edition one-dollar fine-silver voyageur coins with gold plating. The latter is 102 mm in diameter and limited to 350 coins.